* All photos by Buddy Secor (Ninja Pix) unless otherwise noted. *
In a letter to John Holmes dated April 22, 1820, Thomas Jefferson observed, "But, as it is, we have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other." The Union that had stood for four score and four years split into pieces in late 1860 and early 1861. Led by South Carolina, seven states announced their intension to secede from the Union before Abraham Lincoln even took office.
When political passions broke our national bonds of affection, both sides took arms to defend their perceived way of life. Families and states were divided as the nation struggled to understand just what the future held.
When political passions broke our national bonds of affection, both sides took arms to defend their perceived way of life. Families and states were divided as the nation struggled to understand just what the future held.