My g-g-grandfather was a liberal too! It's in my genes!

[dgibby]

5. How exciting!

My maternal great grandparents were farmers living in Marshall Co., Va. at the start of the Civil War. My g. grandfather joined the Union Army after the 2nd battle of Bull Run, leaving my g. grandmother, who was pregnant at the time, with a large family and a large farm to run. I have copies of their letters, including the ones when WV gained statehood. I had no idea they were so liberal.

On the other hand, my paternal relatives lived in Craig Co, Va, much farther south, and both of my g. grandfathers fought for the Confederacy, though I can't fathom why. They were poor tennant farmers, didn't own anything, much less slaves. Both of them were wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor, near Richmond, and both were permanently disabled as a result. My grandmother was a founding member of the UDC, and my dad's sisters always referred to the War as either the "Late Unpleasantness" or the "War of Northern Aggression". They maintained there was NOTHING civil about the Civil War.

As for me, I'm just glad my g. grandfathers never met on the battlefield, since at least one of them was a sharpshooter!