but to get to that Civil War there was a Civil War prior to the election of Lincoln. That period of time was the late 1850's from John Brown until the election of Lincoln. It was during this period that the mistrust of the government got out of hand in the south. Anybody with any sence knew that John Brown had support from somebody, yet there does not seem to be any record in history where the federal Government made any attempt to locate these person even after Brown's treason.

All the rumors that abounded along with the actual deeds and actions that would lead the southern people to believe that the federal government was intending to wage war against them leading to the rise of state militia groups and war fever was among the southern people because of it. The southerners honestly seemed to believe that the federal government was "out to get them" and that Lincoln would do it. To the point that South Carolina stated that they would seceed IF Lincoln were elected. This was nothing new for South Carolina. They were the first colony to declare their independence from King George III, 4 months before the Declaration of Independence.