My third great grandfather was a Confederate soldier killed in the war. Nothing I have found indicates he or his family owned slaves. I have an idea he was defending his family's home in Tennessee that was rather catching a beating and getting to be a dangerous place to raise youngins, and that his reason for fighting was more personal than for glorious idealism. jan >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Cleo G Hogan" <cdmhogan@usit.net> >To: <TNMONTGO-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 9:26 PM >Subject: [TNMONTGO-L] War Between the States Cause(s) > > > > Often one will hear the explanation that it was States' Rights, or the > > rights of the states to decide the slavery question, with particular > > reference to the Missouri Compromise of 1854, I think it was called, > > involving whether newly admitted states west of the Mississippi River >would > > be admitted with slavery practices allowed. In that sense, it was about > > "slavery"; but actually, it was about the right of states to DECIDE the > > issue of slavery individually by states; rather than by edict from above. > > The answer is not one or two simple words--slavery OR states' rights; but > > the entire history must be studied. > > Certainly many small farmers (in TN particularly) did NOT own slaves; > > but just as certainly, many large farmers "planters" DID. However, a >large > > number of the front line soldiers, many of whom died, were from the >"small > > farmer"--non-slave-holding families. Were they fighting about "slavery"? > > You can decide that; just please don't make value judgements using 2002 > > cultural values about events of 1862! Cleo in Clarksville, > > cdmhogan@usit.net > >