INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Aitx>r MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 "THE DEBATABLE LAND"; LOUDOUN AND FAUQUIER COUNTIES, VIRGINIA, DURING THE CIVIL WAR ERA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Michael Stuart Mangus, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1998 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Mark Grimsley, Adviser Professor Carla Pestana Professor Randolph Roth Department of History Professor George C. Rable Anderson University UMI Number: 9834026 Copyright 1998 by Mcuigus, Michael Stuart All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9834026 Copyright 1998, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Copyright by Michael Stuart Mangus 1998 ABSTRACT While in the past two decades social historians have enhanced greatly our knowledge of the civilian experience during the Civil War, most of these scholars have examined the Deep South or areas that did not suffer Union occupation and the accompanying devastation until late 1864 or early 1865. This dissertation relates the social, cultural, and political life of Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, Virginia, from 1810 to 1880, focusing primarily upon the Civil War years. The wartime experience here starkly differed from the Confederacy at large. Most whites were staunch Unionists until Abraham Lincoln called for seventy-five thousand volunteers to preserve the Union; then they became devoted Confederates. Partisan leader John Singleton Mosby arrived in 1863 and harassed the Northern forces with considerable success, enjoying dramatic civilian assistance. Mosby and his guerrillas reinvigorated Confederate supporters with optimism. By 1865, most whites pledged their loyalty to two distinct 11 entities— "Mosby's Confederacy" and the Confederate States of America. Mosby's relinquishment of the fight vexed local secessionists more than the Army of Northern Virginia's collapse and the South's demise. Although most Confederate adherents remained committed to Southern independence, never losing their will to continue the struggle, these citizens proved even more devoted to the men who protected them from Union soldiers. Once the war ended, former slaveowners, who had controlled the political and social scene during the antebellum period, again regained their positions of dominance at the expense of African Americans, women, and Unionists. The dissertation focuses on three central themes: first, local secessionists' unwavering loyalty to the Confederacy; second, the devastation Northern troops wreaked upon the civilian populace; finally, internal divisions among the residents, including Unionists and Confederates, whites and blacks, rich and poor, and men and women. The war dramatically changed life in these two counties as African Americans secured their freedom, women demanded political and social equality with men, and Unionists struggled to end slaveowner dominance. Four years of war laid waste to northern Virginia, did little to quell the tensions that existed since the antebellum period, and spawned many new debates. iii For my most ardent supporters: my parents, Susan Landrum, and Mark Grimsley IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As this manuscript has taken shape, I have become indebted to numerous people and now welcome the opportunity to thank them for their assistance. First are the members of the dissertation committee. Professor Mark Grimsley directed my work and provided me with valuable suggestions and assistance for which I can never repay him. In addition to bestowing countless insights into nineteenth century life. Professor Randolph Roth critiqued my first attempt to understand the motivations of John Singleton Mosby's partisan rangers. Professor Carla Pestana helped me, a novice of religious history when I began this project, to gain a firm understanding of Quaker theology. Finally, Professor George Rable of Anderson University took time from his busy schedule to read the entire manuscript and to offer thoughtful advice. I especially appreciate the hours he spent with me at History; War and Society (IV) discussing his research on Fredericksburg, which clarified my ideas and led me to fruitful sources for my own project. Numerous other people have listened to me prattle on about Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, and I thank them for sharing their time, patience, and wisdom. Foremost is Professor Joan Cashin. I greatly appreciate her energy into my development as a scholar and her insights on the historical profession at large. She contributed immeasurably to the dissertation. My fellow graduate students, especially Glenn Dorn, provided numerous suggestions which greatly improved the manuscript. The staffs of two dozen archives cheerfully retrieved documents and furnished me with innumerable leads. I would especially like to thank those dedicated individuals at the Virginia State Library and Archives, Richmond;n the Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the William R. Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; the United States Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; the Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville; and the Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia. The Virginia Historical Society deserves special recognition for providing me with financial assistance in both 1995 and 1996, VI allowing me to spend three weeks enmeshed in its collections. Four people merit special recognition, and thus I dedicate the manuscript to them. First are my parents. While they often wondered if I would ever complete the dissertation, they always stood behind me. They have patiently listened to me agonize over the manuscript and encouraged me when obstacles stood in my way. Susan Landrum, of all of my friends and peers, remained a constant source of thought-provoking and supportive observations. She always reminded me that there exists a life beyond academia, and for that, I am forever in her debt. More importantly, she imbued me with the strength to complete the dissertation, to remain true to myself, and to conquer those moments of self doubt that all people endure. I hope that I never have to return the favor but promise to do so if the need should ever arise. Lastly, the manuscript is dedicated to Professor Mark Grimsley. While it may be unusual and construed as sycophantic to thus honor one's adviser, this small token does not approximate my gratitude for the effort he has put into my development as both a scholar and as a human being. Although I challenge many of the findings in his own The Hard Hand of War, he encouraged Vl l me to broaden the historical discourse. Beyond the dissertation. Professor Grimsley taught me to remain faithful to my-principles. For six years I was unhappy with the mirror's reflection, but with Professor Grimsley's unwavering encouragement, I am now at peace with its image. Vl l l VITA November 13, 1970....... Born - Bloomington, Indiana 1991...................... B.A., Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 1994...................... M.A. , The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio PUBLICATIONS 1. Michael S. Mangus. "A Cruel and Malicious War: The Society of Friends in Civil War Loudoun County, Virginia," Quaker History (Spring 1999). FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: History Studies In: United States History Before 1877 American Military History Latin American History IX TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract................................................... ii Dedication.................................................iv Acknowledgments............................................ v Vita........................................................ix Introduction................................................1 Chapters: 1. "The Prospect Before Us Seems More & More Alarming": Antebellum Discord, 1810-October 1859............. 25 Slavery's Champions and Opponents................ 27 A Common Ground.....................................31