On June 8, 1861 all Tennessee had an opportunity to vote on the question of separation. The vote clearly showed the state’s division. Middle Tennessee voted seven to one to leave the Union, while East Tennessee voted more that two to one to remain with the old government. Even soldiers in the field were allowed, and did vote as did Col. J. C. Vaughn’s 3rd Tennessee at Camp Davis at Lyncburg, Virginia, where they voted 506 to nil for Seperation. Just two days previously they had been mustered into Confederate service. The initial Separation and No Separation tallies were:
Separation. No Separation.
East Tennessee. 11,780 32,923
Middle Tennessee. 57,865 7,092
West Tennessee. 31,467 7,159
In Camps. 2,711
Totals. 106,053 47,174
Majority. 58,879
In East Tennessee, only six of the twenty-nine counties gave majorities for Separation. Of interest are the counties from which the men of the 43rd Tennessee derived:
Separation. No Separation.
Bledsoe 197 500
Bradley 507 1382
Hamilton 854 1264
Hawkins 908 1460
Jefferson 603 1987
Knox 1226 3196
McMinn 904 1144
Meigs 481 267
Monroe 1096 774
Polk 738 347
Roane 454 1568
Rhea 360 202
I have the state wide tabulation on hard copy and on microfilm. If you have a specific county you wish check, I can do a lookup for you.
George Martin