<P> The mountain areas contained pockets of strong opposition . That happened in the Ozarks of Arkansas and even more so in the Appalachia area . It was a theatre of bloody feuds and brutal, partisan (guerrilla) warfare, especially in eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and West Virginia . As Fisher (2001) explains: </P> <P> "A constant in Civil War Appalachia was the prevalence of partisan violence . Throughout this region, loyalists, secessionists, deserters, and men with little loyalty to either side formed organized bands, fought each other as well as occupying troops, terrorized the population, and spread fear, chaos, and destruction . Military forces stationed in the Appalachian regions, whether regular troops or home guards, frequently resorted to extreme methods, including executing partisans summarily, destroying the homes of suspected bushwhackers, and torturing families to gain information . This epidemic of violence created a widespread sense of insecurity, forced hundreds of residents to flee, and contributed to the region's economic distress, demoralization, and division ." </P>

In which southern states was opposition to the civil war strongest