To Dick Hudson or Tom Ledoux, I was wondering if either of you could help me with some information. Dick mentioned in his email that the " anti-secessionists from elsewhere in the state migrated west or north". My ancestors left Virginia for Ohio abt. 1858 and I have long wondered if they left because of the growing differences with the north or was there something else that drew them to Ohio at that time---like land offers, etc. They joined the Union side from Ohio, so it couldn't have been that they wanted to avoid the fighting---and they were Irish, so fighting was not something they ran from. Do you have any ideas on this? Was there talk of war as early as 1858 in Virginia? Did people head north at that time because of that? Thanks for you help. Judy Clark-Wick JWick@compuserve.com >