why did the union exert pressure into tennessee
Tennessee in the American Civil War Tennessee was one of the most divided states in the country at the outset of the war. Before the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Tennessee was actually staunchly pro-Union, though there were still a few secessionist hot beds in the western portion of the state. The situation changed when Fort Sumter was bombarded and Lincoln made the call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. Tennesseans saw this as a threat to their "southern brethren," and the only real pockets of pro-Unionism came from the eastern portion of the state. In fact, Tennessee would furnish more troops for the Union than any other Confederate state, combined. However, over three times that number volunteered for the Confederacy. Interestingly, notable general Nathan Bedford Forrest voted against secession, but later fought for his state when it seceded.
List of counties in Tennessee As of 2010, Shelby County was both Tennessee's most populous county, with 927,644 residents, and the largest county in area, covering an area of 755 sq mi (1,955 km2). The least populous county was Pickett County (4,945) and the smallest in area was Trousdale County, covering 114 sq mi (295 km2). As of the same year, Davidson County, in which the capital Nashville is located, covers 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) with a population of 569,891. The population of the state of Tennessee as of the 2000 census was 5,689,283 in an area of 42,169 sq mi (109,217 km2).[1][2][3] The oldest county is Washington County, founded in 1777. The most recently formed county is Chester County (1879).[1]