The informal Republic of Winston, or Free State of Winston, an area encompassing the present-day Winston, Cullman and Blount counties of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, was one of several places in the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

where disaffection during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

was strong. In Winston County, this opposition became violent and had long-lasting political consequences—deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county had

seceded Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal is the c ...

from Alabama.

Background

Winston County is located in the hilly terrain of

North Alabama North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Associ ...

. The area's shallow soil is highly unsuitable for

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

-style agriculture, and thus the county had never been home to many

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. The 1860 U.S. census lists only 3,450 white residents in the county and 122 slaves.1860 US Census, Winston County, Alabama Winston's residents were mainly poor farmers.

Refusal of the Ordinance of Secession

Winston County's representative at the January 1861 Alabama Secession Convention was

Charles Christopher Sheats Charles Christopher Sheats (April 10, 1839 – May 27, 1904) was an attorney and politician, elected as a U.S. Representative from Alabama. He previously had served as the consul to Elsinore, Denmark, as the United States worked to expand trade ...

, a 21-year-old schoolteacher. He refused to sign Alabama's

Ordinance of Secession An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the American Civil War, by which each seceding slave-holding Southern state or territory formally Secession in ...

, even after it had been passed by a vote of 61 to 39. Sheats became so vocal in his opposition that he was eventually arrested. Upon his release, he became a leader of a pro-neutrality group. Later, as a vocal

Southern Unionist In the United States, Southern Unionists were white Southerners living in the Confederate States of America and the Southern Border States opposed to secession. Many fought for the Union during the Civil War. These people are also referred t ...

, he spent much of the war in prison.Rice, Charles S.; ''Hard Times: The Civil War in Huntsville and North Alabama''; Old Huntsville Press; (1994); pp. 142–143 A meeting was held at Looney's Tavern, where a series of resolutions was passed. These stated that the people of Winston County had no desire to take part in the war and intended to support neither side. One resolution declared that if a state could secede from the Union, then a county could secede from the state. Richard Payne, a pro-Confederate, laughed with delight. "Winston County secedes!" he shouted. "Hoorah for the 'Free State of Winston'!" From Payne's remark was born the legend of the "Republic of Winston." Other areas in the South at the time passed similar resolutions, including

Searcy County, Arkansas Searcy County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,828. The county seat is Marshall, Arkansas, Marshall. The county was formed Dec ...

, and

Jones County, Mississippi Jones County is in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,246. Its county seats are Laurel and Ellisville. Jones County is part of the Laurel micropolitan area. History Less ...

. The so called "

State of Scott The State of Scott was a Southern Unionist movement in Scott County, Tennessee, in which the county declared itself a "Free and Independent State" following Tennessee's decision to secede from the United States and align the state with the Con ...

" actually passed an official act of session. Many Winston County residents refused induction into the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

, and some spoke openly of organizing troops to support the Union. The worried state authorities moved to enforce obedience to the cause through conscription and loyalty oaths, which only made matters worse.

During the war

In April 1862, the Union Army invaded northern Alabama. Many of the pro-Union Winston county residents, as well as those from the similarly aligned

Nickajack The area known as "Nickajack" generally refers to the rugged Appalachian foothills in East Tennessee and northeastern Alabama. "Nickajack" is a corruption of the Cherokee word (Ani-Kusati-yi), which translates to Coosa Town. But it more likely ...

area on the Tennessee border, enlisted in the Union Army's new 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, commanded by an officer from New York, George E. Spencer. While the 1st Alabama Cavalry would play an important part in the war, it generally did so outside of Alabama. Between 8,000 and 10,000 deserters from the Confederate Army were sheltered in Winston County during the war.

Aftermath

After the war, local politics in Winston County were dominated by the Republican Party.

Legacy

Winston's unique history has become the basis of a small tourist industry, which includes an outdoor drama loosely based on the events. A prominent local landmark in the county is the "Free state of Winston barn", a decaying barn with the phrase painted on the sign, located between Haleyville and Double Springs. A passenger boat named the ''Free State Lady'' plies the waters of the county's Smith Lake. The "Dual Destiny" statue located in front of Winston County courthouse in Double Springs depicts a young soldier dressed half as a Union troop and half as Confederate soldier.

References

External links

The Incident at Looney's Tavern
information at the Alabama Department of Archives and History

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winston, Republic of Former territorial entities in North America Former regions and territories of the United States Separatism in the United States Alabama in the American Civil War Winston County, Alabama Southern Unionists in the American Civil War