Some might call him a traitor to his country and oath. He was VP when the War of the Rebellion started and favored the rebels. He became a Confederate General. Some on the other side might call him a patriot.

As Vice President, he was not very active. He even ran for a Senate seat in 1858 while he was still Vice President. When the Civil War began, he joined the Conferate cause, drumming up several revolts in Kentucky and other border states. He eventually was promoted to a five-star general by President Jefferson Davis. He fled to Europe after the surrender of the Confederacy.