, ▁county ▁by ▁county . ▁In ▁fact , ▁there ▁was ▁serious ▁discussion ▁among ▁Northern ▁Alabama ▁and ▁East ▁Tennessee ▁count ies ▁about ▁forming ▁a ▁proposed ▁state ▁of ▁Nick aj ack , ▁rather ▁than ▁going ▁along ▁with ▁se cess ion . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁De K al b ▁County ▁families , ▁particularly ▁families ▁from ▁mountain ▁terra ins ▁such ▁as ▁Sand ▁and ▁Look out ▁Mountain , ▁t ended ▁at ▁first ▁to ▁avoid ▁fighting , ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁" rich ▁man ' s ▁war ", ▁and ▁not ▁of ▁particular ▁interest ▁to ▁mountain ▁people . ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁war ▁progress ed , ▁many ▁De K al b ▁County ▁families ▁fought ▁for ▁Union ▁caval ries , ▁not ably ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Tennessee ▁& ▁Alabama ▁Independent ▁Vid ette ▁Caval ry ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Alabama ▁Caval ry ▁Regiment . ▁ ▁A ▁per us al ▁of ▁the ▁caval ries ' ▁ro sters ▁will ▁reve al ▁family ▁names ▁that ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁are ▁prominent ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁First ▁Alabama ▁Caval ry ▁was ▁particularly ▁notable ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁units ▁that ▁was ▁ra cially ▁integrated . ▁ ▁Cross ville ' s ▁name , ▁given ▁to ▁it ▁by ▁James ▁A . ▁Cop eland ▁( 1 8 8 0 – 1 9 6 4 ), ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁out law ▁James ▁Cop eland ), ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁reflect ▁its ▁many ▁cross ro ads . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁mail ▁was ▁brought ▁through