The Flag of The ''Territory of Scott''

By Crusader1307

Not all Southerner's were supporters of The Confederacy. These ''Southern Unionists'', while few and far between, these ''Union Loyalists'' found a variety of ways to maintain their former Federal alliances. Many would go North and join Union Army Regiments. One interesting story of such, was a lone Northeastern Tennessee Region, called Scott County. When the majority of The State of Tennessee decided to leave The Union and join The Confederacy in 1861, Scott County refused. They in essence seceded from The Confederacy. A formal County Charter was prepared, voted upon and signed. Largely ignored by both The Federal and Confederate Governments, most participation by Scott County Residents, was in Guerrilla Warfare and sabotage of Confederate assets in Northeastern Tennessee. Oddly, after The War in 1865, while Tennessee was among the first former Confederate States re-admitted back into The Union (1866), Scott County never rescinded it's Order of Secession. As such, Scott County was neither Federal or former Confederate Territory. They were likewise (technically) not a valid County in Tennessee. Scott County was an autonomous non-Territory. The ''running political joke'' would last until 1986, when a formal ceremony to ''re-admit'' Scott County was held. From 1861 until that time, Scott County flew a 34-Star US National Flag – the last US Flag used before The Civil War.