[Bubba Ho-Tep]

had VA not ratified secession, the CSA would surely have allowed VA to remain INDEPENDENT of BOTH the USA & CSA, as they currently were.

So you're saying that if the people of Virginia voted against secession, they'd still have been out of the union because of the actions of the secession convention?

[stand watie]

the state of Virginia was an INDEPENDENT NATION after secession from the union. had the vote to join the CSA failed, Virginia would have tried to "go it alone", imVho.

fyi, VA at the time had it's own army (small), marine corps (small= 2 company size units) and navy (really small = less than 5 SMALL vessels total).

COL Robert E. Lee was CIC of the Virginia military forces & would have likely remained so, had Virginia chosen NOT to become a CSA state.

MAJ Thomas " (NOT yet, "Stonewall") Jackson was, FIRST, the "Superintendent of Instruction" for the VA military forces,ably assisted by the faculty & entire cadet corps of VMI.

free dixie,sw