Barton Myers

Critical Acclaim

“Barton E. Myers significantly adds to an extensive scholarship on Confederate residents who opposed their states’ participation in the Civil War… readers will be far more impressed by Myers’ fascinating stories…Myers’ particular contribution is recreating the critical role of women in both encouraging and protecting unconditional Unionism as they “frequently played the gatekeeper role to protect their male relatives”… A final, but very important, aspect of unconditional Unionism in North Carolina, Myers emphasizes, is how white Southerners expunged the importance of this group from historical memory….But even more critical was the regional desire to expunge Southern history of its Unionist experience to maintain the myth of Confederate unity during the conflict. Myers deserves credit for his critical role in reversing this regional amnesia.” Journal of American History

“Committed unionists formed the heart of the guerilla war that challenged Confederate authority in a third of North Carolina’s counties. Myers’s treatment of guerilla warfare is sophisticated and nuanced…This valuable book helps provide greater clarity to the complex topic of southern unionism. Carefully researched and intelligently written, its findings should assist in shaping future research into the experiences of unionists across the Confederacy.” Civil War History

“Myers has per- formed a valuable service in uncovering the rich details of North Carolina Unionists’ motivations, characteristics, and experiences. Rebels against the Confederacy is a fine addition to the scholarship on southern Unionism during the Civil War.” Journal of Military History

“Myers has written an invaluable work that is well suited for those interested in North Carolina Civil War history and the experiences of dissidents and Unionists in particular. His methodology for organizing and analyzing the claims is impressive and will be a useful approach for future scholars. Finally, the large number of claims he considers, coupled with both the book’s statewide scope and long chronology, sets the standard for similar works on Confederate dissidents.” Journal of the Civil War Era

“In Rebels Against the Confederacy Barton Myers argues that military history and home front history are, in many cases, on and the same. He calls on scholars to rethink the role of anti-Confederates in the war. His research…encourages us to see that their various acts of resistance amounted to a real military threat to the Confederacy and that civilian and military attempts to silence them helped to lead to the breakdown of southern society.” Society of Civil War Historians Newsletter