— Ch. 1 · The Second State To Leave —
Mississippi in the American Civil War.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Mississippi became the second southern state to declare its secession from the United States on the 9th of January 1861. It joined with six other southern states to form the Confederacy just twenty-six days later on the 4th of February 1861. The political climate leading up to this decision was heavily influenced by the institution of slavery and the decline of the Whig party. During the 1860 presidential election, the state supported Southern Democrat candidate John C. Breckinridge with 40,768 votes. This represented 59.0% of the total 69,095 ballots cast in the state. Abraham Lincoln did not appear on the ballot for Mississippi voters. A Mississippian newspaper in the late 1850s described the region as a hotbed of secessionist sentiment. Fulton Anderson delivered a speech to the Virginian secession convention in 1861 declaring that grievances over slavery were the primary catalyst for leaving the Union. Jefferson Davis, who would become Confederate president, operated a large cotton plantation within the state. He stated that the theory all men are created free and equal threatened the existence of their society. Alexander Hamilton Handy, a Mississippian judge, shared this view regarding the Republican Party. William L. Harris told a meeting of the Georgian general assembly that Republicans wanted equality between white and negro races. Mississippi joined South Carolina as one of only two states where the majority of the population were slaves.
The Free State And The River
Small pockets of Unionist citizens remained sympathetic to the Union throughout the conflict. The most famous group was known as The Free State of Jones in Jones County. Newton Knight led these Unionists against the Confederate cause. Around 80,000 white Mississippians served in the Confederate Army during the war. In stark contrast, some 545 white Mississippians joined Union Forces. Regional variations existed in how men volunteered for service. The likelihood of volunteering increased with a person's amount of personal property owned. Men living near the Mississippi River were less likely to join the army than those in the interior. Many military-age men in western counties had moved elsewhere before the fighting began. Union control of the river made neighbors especially vulnerable to invasion. More than 17,000 black Mississippian slaves and freedmen fought for the Union. They formed United States Colored Troops and similar black regiments. A Loyal League formed in Choctaw County to break up the war by advising desertion. This group robbed families of soldiers who remained in the army. They kept Federal authorities advised on local movements. The strategic importance of the state lay along the lengthy Mississippi River itself.