FAQ #7. The Civil War has often been referred to as "the brothers' war". Was this true in Kentucky?

ANSWER: Yes, it was true in Kentucky.

There were many families in Kentucky which were split by the sectional crisis of the Civil War. One prominent family, that of former Kentucky Governor and U.S. Senator, John J. Crittenden, was split by having one son serve in the Union army and one in the Confederate army. Thomas L. Crittenden became a Union general and his brother, George B. Crittenden, was a Confederate general.

Not only was the state of Kentucky split between its families but the men of Kentucky served on both sides -- in both the Union and Confederate armies.