"It seems that geograhy played a more inportant part as to what side the Holcombes fought on than politics."

Ken, I think that was true in many cases. One noted example: William Tatum Wofford, of Cass (now Bartow) County, Georgia, was a unionist. He was against secession. He was selected to go to the convention and voted against it there, as did the other two delegates from Cass.

When the vote was for secession, he offered his experience as a Captain in the Mexican War to Governor Brown. At the Governor's request, Wofford raised the regiment that became the 18th Ga., served as it's Colonel, commanded the Texas Brigade at Antietam, and after Cobb was killed at Fredericksburg, was promoted to Brigadier General. Thereafter, Cobb's Brigade was Wofford's Brigade. They fought in the Wheatfield the second day at Gettysburg.

In January, 1865, at home recovering from wounds received at Spottsylvania, Wofford was assigned by Governor Brown, Jeff Davis agreeing, as Commander of the North Georgia area. His charge was to gain control of the ragtag groups operating in the area. He did so, and five months later, surrendered between 4000 and 7000 at kingston. He secured the help of the Union commander in gathering supplies and feeding the people of the area, who had not been able to raise crops in two years. Wofford fought for the South because he was in the South, not because he was a secessionist. Stan