Thanks for your kind words.
We should remember that there were many Unionists in every Confederate state, and I think bringing them to heal was a major factor in Jefferson Davis' declaration of war on the United States.
After all, nothing unites and centralizes a population better than war -- so long as it's successful.
Southern mountain areas less suited for plantations had fewer slaves and correspondingly more Unionists.
I've long thought that may explain why we have so many pejorative names for those folks (to whom I am closely related): hill billy, ridge runner, back woods, red neck, yokel, hick, clodhopper, and (dare I say it?), white trash, etc., etc.
What other groups get so many colorful names?
So they were outcasts in their own states, but most not in the least unhappy about it.
Today I'm not certain how many descendants even remember which side their non-slave owning ancestors were on... ;-)
I think only South Carolina lacked a strong Unionist population. Every other Confederate state was represented in the Union army. And while the Southern Unionists were primarily located in the hill country, this isn't 100% the case. I believe Sullivan County, Tennessee (in the Unionist stronghold of East Tennessee) was solidly pro-Confederate while Jones County Mississippi (in the Deep South) was solidly pro-Union. My own Unionist ancestors were not from the hill country.
Again, thanks for your wonderful, timely, and much needed post.