Importance of Kentucky supporting the Union to the Western Confederacy?

“Securing Kentucky to the Union constituted one of the major goals and turning points in the eventual success of the Union in the western theater even if some Kentuckians were frustrated in their desire both to remain in the Union and to retain their property in persons, a frustration that extended to both the commonwealth and the federal government.

Its waterways—the long, winding northern border of the Ohio River (one of the major natural water highways of the nineteenth century) and the western border on the Mississippi—formed a natural southern border with the loyal states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. To lose Kentucky to the Confederacy meant placing the front lines of the war at Cincinnati, Ohio, New Albany, Indiana, and Cairo, Illinois, not the Cumberland Gap and Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis, Tennessee.”

Source: The Confederate Heartland: Military and Civilian Morale in the Western Confederacy, Bradley R. Clampitt.

What was civilian morale in the western Confederacy like in late 1864?

“By November 1864, after three and a half years of warfare, and in the aftermath of the fall of Atlanta, civilian morale in the western Confederacy reached a new low for the year . . .

By late 1864 . . . western Confederate civilians as a whole had not yet submitted, but increasing defeatism unquestionably undercut their confidence in the cause.”

Source: The Confederate Heartland: Military and Civilian Morale in the Western Confederacy, Bradley R. Clampitt.

Louisville in 1860?

“Louisville in 1860, with a population of almost seventy thousand people, was the twelfth largest city in the country. Its vibrant commerce and trade created a wealthy and politically conservative business class.”

Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee
by Kent Dollar, Larry Whiteaker, W. Calvin Calvin Dickinson

Difference between Kentucky-slavery and Deep South slavery?

“Most Kentuckians recognized that slavery was economically harmful to the state, but they were willing to accept the institution as a necessary evil. Such a conception of slavery was far different from that of the other slave states like Virginia, which viewed slavery as a “social, political and moral blessing.”

Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee
by Kent Dollar, Larry Whiteaker, W. Calvin Calvin Dickinson

New Cedar Creek mobile app available

Description by the Civil War Trust:

The Cedar Creek Battle App is the perfect Civil War touring partner for your exploration of the Cedar Creek battlefield in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Our GPS-enabled touring application will guide you to all the historic spots on this 1864 Civil War battlefield – from the sites where the Confederate surprise attack rolled over the Union lines to the climactic counter-attack that led to a crushing Union victory. Click on our “virtual signs” to access a wealth of information related to the very spot where you are standing. Onboard historian videos, audio accounts of soldiers from the battle, photos, orders of battle, chronologies, key facts, and more are just a click away. Our detailed maps allow you to locate just where certain Union and Confederate units were during different phases of the battle. Never has so much valuable information been made available in such a portable device.

The Cedar Creek Battle App is the sixth offering in our expanding Battle App lineup. To learn more about all of our Battle App offerings visit our website at: http://www.civilwar.org/battleapps

Restriction of freedom of press in Kentucky (c 1860)?

“By 1860, every Southern state but Kentucky had passed laws restricting free speech and freedom of the press in order to curtail antislavery influences.”

Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee
by Kent Dollar, Larry Whiteaker, W. Calvin Calvin Dickinson

Literacy and freedom of movement of Kentucky slaves?

“It has been estimated that at least 20 percent of Kentucky’s runaways could read. Kentucky slaves also had far more freedom of movement than was previously thought.”

Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee
by Kent Dollar, Larry Whiteaker, W. Calvin Calvin Dickinson