They held meetings regarding seceding from the state of Alabama, but never did.
The county gained notoriety during the Civil War for its reluctance to support the Confederacy or the Union, hence the nickname "Free State of Winston." For many years, Winston County was the only county in the state where the majority of voters belonged to the Republican Party. Today, almost all elected officials are Republicans.
http://www.aces.edu/Winston/From North to Central areas of Alabama & Mississippi there were people who supported the Union and those who supported the Confederacy. The stories of brother against brother are very true.
I know about Al & Mi due to researching my family tree. I have letters and pictures.
My 3rd Grandfather fought for the Union and his brother fought for the Confederacy. Other family members did the same. They were poor farmers and did not own slaves.
From letters I have, they just shared a difference of opinon.
From research I've done, is was not uncommon for families to split in these 2 states. Most likely the same in other Southern States...I only have documentation in these two due to my family living in them.
Once the war was over, they all came home and went back to farming.
As a matter of fact, my (GGG) uncle had a wedding once everything settled down and everyone went regardlesss of which side they had fought on. I have a picture of the small Wedding with my (GG) grandfather as the best man.