At least 76 Iowans fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War despite Iowa's status as Union State. A new book, Iowa Confederates in the Civil War, dives into the history of these soldiers and their motivations for leaving Iowa to fight for the Confederate States of America.
Author and Historian David Connon joins River to River host Ben Kieffer to discuss his book, which reveals the complexities of Iowa during civil wartime. Connon says confederates hailing from Iowa became active in all branches of the military, including the navy. Some even received the high status in the confederacy, the Confederate Honor Roll.
Connon shares stories of individual soldiers and breaks down the political and historical trends occurring in Iowa at the time. For example, there were 17 slaves listed with slaveholders in the 1840 Iowa Territorial Census.
"In Dubuque County, only in that county in Iowa territory were men or women bold enough to raise their hands and tell the census taker, yep I have a slave," he says.
Guest Include:
David Connon, Author, Iowa Confederates In The Civil War
