Roger Brothers
Federal service
Tue Oct 3 09:30:44 2000


Mr. Harris,

I assure you that the question is far from simple. The reasons for the service of 3000 white Alabamians to the Union where as many and varied as the reasons for the service of 122,000 to the Southern Confederacy.
Many of these men felt (however mistakenly, not withstanding Yankee propaganda) that the war was being waged by the rich planters to protect slavery. Most of these 3000 were small farmers in the North Alabama hill country and had no economic interest in slavery. To them it was a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” I have one direct ancestor who was a “Union man”. According to family tradition he refused service in the Alabama Home Guard because he didn’t believe in slavery.

Many of these men would have remained “neutral” had the Confederate government not been so heavy handed in trying to conscript (draft) them. In some cases it came down to a choice between joining the Federal Army or being hung by the Confederate!

Finally, I am sure that at least part of the motivation for many was a true sense of patriotism toward the “old flag”. This sentiment is often even expressed by men and officers who remained loyal to their State and to the Confederacy for four years!