To live in Romney during the Civil War was to wonder each morning which state and even which country you lived in. Virginia or West Virginia? The United States of America or the Confederate States of America?
It’s not that the 450 residents were confused. They considered themselves Virginians in the Confederate States of America. However, what they believed mattered little when political shenanigans or military might were involved.
Here’s a story that ran in Wonderful West Virginia about the small town of Romney. Only Winchester, VA, is said to have changed hands more times between Union and Confederate control during the Civil War. The most-commonly cited number is that Romney changed hands 56 times during the war. Add to that, Romney was also in a state that broke off of a Confederate state to form a Union one, and you you can see why it was a confusing place to live.
Let me know what you think of the story.