Before the war many fathers named sons for presidents, North and South. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Martin Van Buren were in office when boys were born who later became soldiers. Jackson was particularly popular among Alabama Democrats, Democrats easily being the majority party in this state.

It's something of a paradox, but at the time of John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry in 1859, I would venture than at least 4 of 5 Alabama citizens would have described themselves as unconditional Unionists.