What was Kentucky's role in the Civil war? I'm curious because My family is from Kentucky.. I've never been able to get an answer.. Most folks I know from "back home" are supportive of the confederacy. But I've never been able to ascertain much about Kentucky actual involvement in the civil war.  I've tried to find information online and looked for books on the subject with no results at all. When growing up I assumed Kentucky had succeeded from the union but later discovered it had not. I believe Ohio was called the Copperhead State and was known for many of our residents having southern leanings despite the many people in the military and government. I was able to talk to a reenactor recently regarding Kentucky's role recently and he surprisingly told me that KY favored the Union due to the confederacy had been strong handed toward them. I know there are civil was battlefields in Kentucky. The song my old KY home by Stephen Foster was changed when?  So any info you fella's could impart to me regarding the Bluegrass State during that awful war would be so helpful.

New book about Morgan's raids in Kentucky, battle of Tebbs Bend and Kentucky's involvement in 'The War of Secession' (sp) by local historian Betty Jane Gorin-Smith from Campbellsville, Kentucky is very good. She really did a great deal of work getting the thing right, about twenty years of research. Hope it helps.
BTW, Kentucky was officially neutral during 'War for State's Rights'. Most native Kentuckians have Southern sympathies.

Depends on where you go to ask.

Lexington - North
Fairview - South

My area (southern Western Ky) leaned towards the south. Lots of Morgan's Raiders were from this area. The 10th Kentucky Cavalry, CSA was formed in this area. I live about 15 miles from Fairview, birth place of Jefferson Davis, so you can imagine where their loyalties lay.

Many battles fought here. Perryville and Richmond come to mind at the moment. KY contributed more troops to BOTH SIDES,than did alot of other states,respectfully.

Kentucky was literally torn at the seams during the Civil War.  The Union and Confederacy Presidents were both born in Kentucky about 100 miles apart and just a few years different.  The Confederate flag has the 13th star designated for Kentucky although officially Kentucky was nuetral.  There are two main battlefields in Kentucky- Perryville and Munfordville.  I know some about Munfordville since I live here and my home sits on the outskirts of the battlefield and part of my home was built during or just after the war.  A search on these two towns should give some info.  In Munfordville,  they fought for controll of the railroad bridge that went over the Green River which was a yankee supply route and if my memory serves me right,  the Confederate troops forced a temporary yankee surrender,  blew up part of the bridge (THEY HAD THE ACTUAL BUILDER OF THE BRIDGE DESTROY OR SOMETHING),  then lost control of it again.  Oh,  by the way,  that reenactor must have been a yankee reenactor.h.gif

Quoted: Depends on where you go to ask. Lexington - North Fairview - South

Jefferson Davis was born in Fairview, so their sympathies are really no surprise. By the way, the worlds second-tallest free standing obelisk (after the Washington Monument) was erected in Davis' honor on Hwy 68 in the middle of Fairview. It has a nice park and you can ride an elevator to the top and view the Pennyrile he so loved.

Quoted: My area (southern Western Ky) leaned towards the south. Lots of Morgan's Raiders were from this area. The 10th Kentucky Cavalry, CSA was formed in this area. I live about 15 miles from Fairview, birth place of Jefferson Davis, so you can imagine where their loyalties lay.

Oh yeah? I'm (originally) from Hopkinsville, where are you from?

Oak Grove

Holy Cow! How did this post get this far without mentioning that Kentucky actually had 2 capitals during the War of Northern Aggression. The Governor was a Southern Sympathizer, yet proclaimed Kentucky as neutral, while the State Legislature backed the Union. The eastern parts of the state leaned Federal. The rest of the state leaned Confederate.

The Confederates elected a governor and established a provisional capitol in Bowling Green, even though the official legislature in Frankfort supported the yanks.

KY also had representatives in the confederate congress I believe.