Thread by @pptsapper

For Confederate Heritage Month, here's Virginia-native General Winfield Scott, senior officer in the US Army at the outset of the Civil War, whose strategy eventually won the war and who kept his oath to his country.

Also, Alabama brothers David and William Birney. David would rise to division & corps command, William commanded black troops in combat. Both rose to the rank of major general and managed to be true to their country.

Oh, and one of my favorites: Solomon Meredith, born in North Carolina & later moved to Indiana, would eventually command the Iron Brigade, the only all-Western brigade in the Army of the Potomac, the toughest fighters in the army.

Also, Georgian Montgomery Meigs, West Pointer, engineer, served with RE Lee. At secession, stayed true to the US, became the chief logistician of the US Army (Seward called him key to victory), & established the US National Cemetery in Lee's back yard.

And of course, Virginia-born George C Thomas, the "Sledge of Nashville, the "Rock of Chickamauga." Was disowned by his family for staying true to the US. One of the best battlefield commanders of the war.

Spend Confederate Heritage Month remembering the southern non-traitors.

There's also almost-southern John Gibbon, who grew up in NC in a slave-owning family, career Army, stayed true to the US after 3 of his brothers took up arms against it. Artillerist, first commander of the Iron Brigade. It was his division that halted Pickett at Gettysburg.

And Georgian John C Fremont, explorer and politician, who was given command of the Department of the West. Not a very good general, Fremont did one thing no one else had done - trust some guy named US Grant to be a good general.

Missouri-born Frederick Tracy Dent was a career Army officer who decided against turning on his country and ended up as aide-de-camp to US Grant

I've been too Army-centric. How about the good gentleman from Tennessee, David Farragut? He thumbed his nose at the rebellion and went on to become victor of New Orleans and Mobile Bay, forcing the US Navy to create the rank of full admiral for him

Today in southerners who stayed true to the US, South Carolinian Stephen Hurlbut: became commander of the Department of the Gulf in 1864. In 1861, he'd been sent to SC by Lincoln to try to get a feel for the sentiment of the people there. His response is attached:

General John Buford was born in Kentucky and made a career in the regular Army. When his state became divided in the Civil War, Buford stayed true to the US. Commanding a cavalry division at Gettysburg, his actions to delay the Rebels were critical in perserving key terrain.

Joseph Holt from Kentucky, anti slavery and pro Union, was the Judge Advocate General for the US Army and later was the chief prosecutor in the Lincoln Assassination trial

John Ancrum (what a name) Winslow, born in North Carolina, upheld his oath and stayed with the US Navy during the Civil War, and on June 14, 1864 he commanded the USS Kearsarge in her victory over the notorious rebel commerce raider CSS Alabama.

Enough with the dudes, tho. Elizabeth van Lew of Richmond, VA, spent all available money freeing slaves, when war came she stayed loyal & set up a spy ring in Richmond, helped rescue US soldiers in Libby prison, & raised the first US flag over the city after it fell.

Who's this fellow? Oh, just the Virginian Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, US Navy.

Yes, THAT Lee. Robert's cousin. Unlike his cousin, Samuel remained true to his nation and served honorably through the Civil War.

Oh, and look, it's Major John Fitzgerald Lee. Yuuuuuup, that's right, another cousin of Bobby Lee, who allegedly stated, "There was no Virginia in my commission, only the United States," and served as Judge Advocate for the US Army in the Civil War

Unfortunately, there's no picture of Virginian Louis Henry Marshall, Robert E Lee's nephew, who stayed true to his oath and served as aide de camp to US General John Pope during the Civil War. Bobby Lee's sister & sister-in-law both stayed loyal to the US.

This is BG Philip St George Cooke, a Virginian who stayed loyal to the US Constitution even though his son-in-law JEB Stuart turned his back on it. Stuart said his FIL would always regret his choice, but then, Stuart got killed in 1864 so what did he know.

Virginian and West Pointer John Davidson was offered a position in the Confederate Army. He declined & stayed true to his oath, fighting through the duration of the war in both the east & west. After the war, served as LTC in the 10th Cav "Buffalo Soldiers" - an all-black unit