During the Civil War, DeKalb County families, particularly families from mountain terrains such as Sand and Lookout Mountain, tended 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 progressed, many DeKalb County families fought for Union cavalries, notably the 1st Tennessee & Alabama Independent Vidette Cavalry and the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment. A perusal of the cavalries' rosters will reveal family names that to this day are prominent in the area. The First Alabama Cavalry was particularly notable in that it was one of the few units that was racially integrated.