Tennessee in the Civil War-- Part 2: A Big Vote to Secede, East Tennessee Wants to Secede from the State

To validate their action, the legislature called for another referendum on June 8, 1861.  Some 105,000 Tennesseeans voted for secession and only 47,000 against.  East Tennesseans voted almost two-to-one to stay with the Union.  There was a tremendous anti-secession, anti-Confederate area there.

Even as the state seceded, several East Tennessee counties were meeting with the intention of seceding from the state.  The rest of Tennessee decided to occupy the rebellious counties.

--Old Secesh