Sheats became so vocal in his opposition that he was eventually arrested. Winston County’s representative at the January 1861 Alabama Secession Convention was Charles Christopher Sheets, a 21-year-old school teacher. Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, but when Alabama seceded from the Union, the northeastern county of Winston seceded from Alabama. Dual Destiny Monument in Double Springs The Free State of Winston is a popular name given to Civil War-era Winston County, as a reflection of the county's generally pro-Union stance and resistance to Confederate rule during the war.During the secession crisis, Unionists in Winston County declared their right to secede from Alabama; much as the state seceded from the Union. My family lived in Winston County during the Civil War and I am a direct decendent of a member of Co. K, First Alabama Calvary, USA. The worried state authorities moved to enforce obedience to the cause through conscription and loyalty oaths, which only made matters worse. Georgia. Although a few residents were pro-secession, many men who opposed it … It … That was the issue discussed during a meeting that took place in Bill Looney’s Tavern on July 4, 1861. 16). Later, as a vocal Southern Unionist, he spent much of the war in prison. One resolution declared that if a state could secede from the Union, then a county could secede from the state. Seceded fromAlabama and declared themselves as a "free state" 1861-1865. The legend of Winston County is that on July 4, 1861 at their meeting at Looney’s Tavern the good people of Winston County decided to secede from Alabama and remain in the Union. On January 22, 1858, the county was renamed Winston County to honor Alabama Gov. ... Winston County. Source(s) To Kill a Mockingbird he shouted. A passenger boat named the Free State Lady plies the waters of the county's Smith Lake. The hill-country Unionists soon faced Confederate conscription beginning in 1862 and many fled their homes, seeking refuge from conscription agents in the county's rugged forests and canyons. One early local historian gives the date as July 4, 1861, at Looney's Tavern, north of present-day, There were supporters of the Confederacy in Winston County as well, many of whom volunteered for Confederate service at the beginning of the war. [4], A meeting was held at Looney's Tavern, where a series of resolutions were passed. Winston had only 14 slave holders with 122 slaves in 1860. Winston County was established under the name Hancock County on February 12, 1850, from territory that was formerly part of Walker County (a county directly to the south of Winston County). Many people of Winston County, Alabama were against secession and they were not alone in the attitude they took, for on page 524 of Volume 1, of Moore’s History of Alabama… Its county seat is Double Springs. After the state of Alabama seceded from the Union in January of 1861, a small county within the state, known as Winston County, disagreed with the decision and tried to secede from the South. )North Alabama was full of Liquor Interests, Big Mules, steel companies, Republicans, professors, and other persons of no background"(pg. The "Republic" of Winston (Winston County, Alabama) was one of several places in the Confederate States of America where disaffection during the American Civil War was strong. Tuscumbia. If Alabama could secede from the United States of America, could Winston County secede from the state of Alabama? I'm reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird' and I came across this quote, "When Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, Winston County seceded from Alabama, and every child in Maycomb County knew it." Texas (University of Texas) South Carolina voted unanimously for secession, 169-0.. Arkansas - All delegates from Madison, Searcy, and Pike counties voted against secession, though the latter three counties and one of the two representatives from Madison changed their votes after being pressured by the leader … The so called "State of Scott" actually passed an official act of session. [citation needed], Winston's unique history has become the basis of a small tourist industry, which includes an outdoor drama loosely based on the events. He refused to sign Alabama's Ordinance of Secession, even after it had been passed by a vote of 61 to 39. 19th amendment This amendments gave women the right to vote Apr 28, 1926. Many of the pro-Union Winston county residents, as well as those from the similarly aligned Nickajack area on the Tennessee border, enlisted in the Union Army's new 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, commanded by an officer from New York, George E. Spencer. He refused to sign Alabama’s ordinance of secession, even after it had been passed by a vote of 61 to 39. In Winston County, this opposition became violent and had long-lasting political consequences—deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county had seceded from Alabama. Winston county seceded from Alabama On January 11, 1865, Alabama seceded from the Union, Winston county seceded from Alabama May 21, 1919. It was originally named for John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts and famous signer of the American Declaration of Independence, with its county seat at Houston. In Winston County, this opposition became violent and had long-lasting political consequences—deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county had seceded from Alabama. Alabama seceded from the Union, but seceding from Alabama is a different situation. "Hoorah for the 'Free State of Winston'!" I think that Miss Caroline feels intimidated by Scout becasue she could read well. Sheats and Winston County refused to sign the secession document. Alabama was expected to secede. The Secession Convention is, in a sense, the most interesting of all the constitutional conventions of Alabama. The, After the war, considerable tensions remained between Winston County's Unionists and Confederates, leading to occasional violence. The area's shallow soil is highly unsuitable for plantation-style agriculture, and thus the county had never been home to many slaves. Richard Payne, a pro-Confederate, laughed with delight. Birth of Harper Lee Harper Lee is born in Monroeville, Alabama. John A. Winston. The "Republic" of Winston (Winston County, Alabama) was one of several places in the Confederate States of America where disaffection during the American Civil War was strong. What is your reaction to Scout's ability to read and Miss Caroline calling her out on it? The resolution went on to say if Alabama did have that right, then Winston County had the right to secede from Alabama. [1][2], Winston County is located in the hilly terrain of North Alabama. Secession seems to be in little favor in certain parts of Alabama, if we are to judge from the proceedings of a meeting of citizens of Winston County, held on the … Historians estimate between 2,500 and 3,000 people met at Looney’s Tavern to discuss their plan for the future. The informal "Republic" of Winston, or Free State of Winston, an area encompassing the present-day Winston, Cullman and Blount counties of Alabama, was one of several places in the Confederate States of America where disaffection during the American Civil War was strong. In Winston County, this opposition became violent and had long-lasting political consequences—deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county had seceded from Alabama. Built a cotton gin in Autauga County and served on the Alabama legislature. “This is actually the reason Winston County has been a Republican county for a century and a … This leads to people in Maycomb having a low opinion of people from Winston County. Incident at Looney's Tavern is a fact-based musical drama about events in Winston County following the 1861 Alabama Secession Convention in Montgomery.The drama centers on the actions of Christopher Sheats, the Winston County delegate who ardently opposed secession.In 1993, it was named Alabama's Official Outdoor Musical Drama. I am very proud of tha fact and I live in Winston County today and yes I am a Republican, but please for the love of God, let me set the record straight, Winston County did not secede … “When Alabama seceded from the Union, Winston County tried to secede from Alabama, and is still known as the Free State of Winston, even today,” Aderholt said. The first railroad built in Alabama. Winston County was populated at the time by what Alabama residents called “Hill people.” Winston County was populated at the time by what Alabama residents called “Hill people.” From Payne's remark was born the legend of the "Republic of Winston. [citation needed], Winston County itself suffered from its own internal war. It is also evident that Miss Fisher is not familiar with the type of poverty that is prevalent in Maycomb. When Alabama held its secession convention in 1861, Winston County voted overwhelmingly for a 22-year-old schoolteacher named Christopher Sheats to be their delegate. Men loyal to the Union responded by forming irregular militia bands of their own; by the end of the war, Winston County had been largely devastated by its own people. The county's Confederates held a meeting of their own on November 30, 1861. Sources: General vote (Encyclopedia Brittanica) Virginia. When Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, Winston County seceded from Alabama, and every child in Maycomb County knew it. Apr 15, 2017 - After the state of Alabama seceded from the Union in January of 1861, a small county within the state, known as Winston County, disagreed with the decision and tried to secede from the South. They were in approval. Winston County I hope you're not from Winston County because "(When Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, Winston County seceded from Alabama, and every child in Maycomb County knew it. Upon his release, he became a leader of a pro-neutrality group. [6], Coordinates: 34°08′57″N 87°22′29″W / 34.14917°N 87.37472°W / 34.14917; -87.37472, Anti-seccessionist region of Alabama in the Civil War, Map of Alabama highlighting Winston County as of 1861, "Double Springs, Alabama: Dual Destiny Monument", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Republic_of_Winston&oldid=990950204, Former administrative territorial entities in North America, Former regions and territories of the United States, Southern Unionists in the American Civil War, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 12:58. After the state of Alabama seceded from the Union in January of 1861, a small county within the state, known as Winston County, disagreed with the decision and tried to secede from the South. [citation needed], In April 1862, the Union Army invaded northern Alabama. In 1877, the eastern portion of the county became part of Cullman. In 1911 Judge Steele wrote a most interesting article on that convention which was published in the Montgomery Advertiser, The Franklin Times, and perhaps several other Alabama newspapers. At the time of the Civil War Winston County also included the areas that later became Cullman and Blount counties. Sheats became so vocal in … Years of the Civil War. Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861. I was just wondering if anyone had any information about Alabama's secession and probably about Winston county. She says that Winston Cont seceded from Alabama so she isn't really a true member of Alabama. In Winston County, this opposition became violent and had long-lasting political consequences—deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county had seceded from Alabama. [5], Many Winston County residents refused induction into the Confederate Army, and some spoke openly of organizing troops to support the Union. Winston The northwest county of Winston set itself apart from most of AL during the Civil War, declaring that if a state could secede from a country then a county could secede from a state. [citation needed], After the war, Winston County became a bastion of the Republican Party in Alabama, in sharp contrast to the overwhelming support for the Democratic Party in the rest of the state. In 1800 there were only 14 slave owners in Winston County. When Alabama held its secession convention in 1861, Winston County voted overwhelmingly for a 22-year-old schoolteacher named Christopher Sheats to be their delegate. The residents of Winston County were proud of Sheats. The 1860 US Census lists only 3,450 white residents in the county and 122 slaves. While the 1st Alabama Cavalry would play an important part in the war, it generally did so outside of Alabama. Less than 5 percent were slave owners. [3], Winston County's representative at the January 1861 Alabama Secession Convention was Charles Christopher Sheats, a 21-year-old schoolteacher. The "Dual Destiny" statue located in Winston county depicts a young soldier dressed half as a Union troop and half as Confederate soldier. Legend has it that on July 4, 1861, the good people of Winston County decided to secede from Alabama and remain in the Union. The first county seat was Houston, but it moved to Double Springs in 1883. "Winston County secedes!" These stated that the people of Winston County had no desire to take part in the war and intended to support neither side. Winston County gained notoriety during the Civil War at the Looney's Tavern meeting where it was declared the "Free State of Winston" with plans to secede from the state though it never did. Thus, … Known as Hancock County before 1858, the county is named in honor of John A. Winston, the fifteenth Governor of Alabama. Tennessee. The Confederate Home Guards that had formed in the county were poorly disciplined, and its enlistees often used their uniforms as an excuse to settle old grudges. [3] Winston's residents were mainly poor farmers. The county's Unionism led to. It is the true saga of Alabama's hill people and their struggle against the South's secession when all around them the battle cry was secession and war. They petitioned, Although Winston County's Unionists wanted to be left alone, the governments of the Confederacy and of Alabama did not oblige. The informal "Republic" of Winston, or Free State of Winston, an area encompassing the present-day Winston, Cullman and Blount counties of Alabama, was one of several places in the Confederate States of America where disaffection during the American Civil War was strong. ADAH: The Incident at Looney's Tavern, Alabama Official Outdoor Musical Drama, Alabama Legacy Moments: Free State of Winston, Located in the rugged hill country of northwest Alabama, south of the Tennessee River, Winston County was originally formed from part of, Winston earned its reputation as a Unionist "free state" during a large informal gathering of Unionists from Winston and surrounding counties. "[4] Other areas in the South at the time passed similar resolutions, including Searcy County, Arkansas, and Jones County, Mississippi. The drama is the unique story of Christopher Sheats, a young Winston County Alabama school teacher, thrown into American history's most turbulent era, the Civil War. Steve Suitts: Born in Winston County (which seceded from Alabama when the state seceded from the Union), Steve Suitts is an adjunct at the Institute for Liberal Arts of Emory University, a position he has held for the last twenty years, and has been chief strategist for Better Schools Better Jobs, a Mississippi-based education advocacy project of the New Venture Fund.