apprehended invasion from "the Gov-| was held at Wheeling on the follow ernment at Washington," and desig- May 6th. ing day, whereby adherence to the Union was affirmed, separation from Eastern Virginia demanded, and a determination evinced to render no further tribute, whether military or pecuniary, to the Rebel rule at Richmond. Hon. John S. Carlile was especially decided and zealous in advocacy of separation. Another great Union meeting was held at Wheeling on the 11th, which was addressed in the same spirit by Mr. Carlile, as also by Francis H. Pierpont. The response of the masses was unanimous and enthusiastic. On the 13th, a Convention of delegates, representing thirty-five counties of West Virginia, assembled at Wheeling, to reiterate more formally the general demand that Secession be repudiated, and West Virginia severed from the Old Dominion. This Convention adjourned on the 15th, after calling a provisional Convention, to assemble on the 11th of June. The delegates were to be chosen on the 26th of May; on which day, about forty Counties held regular elections, and chose delegates in accordance with the call-usually, by a heavy vote. The provisional Convention met on the designated day. Arthur J. Boreman was chosen permanent Chairman; and John S. Carlile, on the 13th, reported, from the Committee on Business, a Declaration, denouncing the usurpation by which the Convention at Richmond had pretended to sever Virginia from the Union, repudiating the idea of allegiance to the Southern Confede racy, and vacating the offices of all who adhered to the Rebellion. the debate which followed, Mr. Car 'Late a Colonel of Cavalry in the U. S. regular Army. In ORGANIZATION OF WEST VIRGINIA. 519 from the Republic they thus cling to and uphold. Congress, after dae deliberation, assented to and ratified this claim, admitting the new State of West Virginia' into the Union as the equal of her elder sisters; her people being henceforth under no other obligation to the authorities of Old Virginia than are the people of that State to the authorities of her young sister across the Alleghanies. Of course, neither the Rebels in arms, nor their sympathizers anywhere, were delighted with this application of the principle of secession. Gov. Letcher, in a Special Message, treated it as one of the chief sources of his general unhappiness. He says: "President Lincoln and his Cabinet have every provision of the third section of the fourth article of the Constitution, which each one of them solemnly swore or affirmed, in lile opposed an immediate division of the State; but Mr. Dorsey, of Monongahela, who urged it, being supported by Pierpont and others, obtained, on the 20th, a unanimous vote in favor of ultimate separationYeas 56. The Convention had voted, two days earlier, by 57 to 17, that the separation of Western from Eastern Virginia was one of its paramount objects. In the afternoon of that day, Francis H. Pierpont, of Marion county, was chosen Governor, Daniel Palsley, of Mason county, Lieutenant-Governor, with five members to form an Executive Council. These elections were all unanimous. The Convention, it will be noted, was a Convention of Virginia, wherein the loyal counties and loyal people were represented, so far as the Re-willfully and deliberately proposed to violate bellion did not prevent; and all this action was taken, not in behalf of West Virginia as such, but of loyal Virginia. The Legislature, which met soon after at Wheeling, was a Legislature of Virginia, elected on the regularly appointed day of election eastern as well as western counties being represented therein; and this Legislature, as well as the Convention, heartily assented to the formation of the new State of West Virginia. This action was taken, throughout, on the assumption that the loyal people of a State constitute the State; that traitors and rebels, who repudiate all respect for or loy-ginia is Francis H. Pierpont; and its alty to the Constitution and Government of the country, have no right to control that Government; and that those people of any State who heartily recognize and faithfully discharge their obligations as loyal citizens, have a right to full and perfect protection to Letcher as to Lincoln. Those who the presence of Almighty God, to preserve, protect, and defend.' That section is in these words: "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State, nor any State formed by the junction of two or more States or parts of States, without the consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned, as well as of the Congress."" The answer to this is ready and simple: President Lincoln and his Cabinet do not regard John Letcher as Governor of that State of Virginia which is a member of our Federal Union. The Governor of that Vir Legislature is that which, elected by loyal Virginians, assembled at Wheeling, and gave its free, hearty, and almost unanimous assent to the division of the old and the formation of the new State. All this must be as plain 4 First named Kanawha, after its principal river. 'January 6th, 1862. hold that Letcher and his fellow-con- | falsely, to the presence of a Union spirators had a legal right to precipitate their State into treason, so as to bind her loyal, Union-loving citizens to follow and sustain them therein, will echo his lamentations; but those who stand by their country and her Government take a different view of the matter." 8 All direct communication between Western Virginia and Washington was, and remained, interrupted for some weeks after the primary' Rebel foray on Harper's Ferry. The Rebels remained in force at that point, completely controlling travel and transportation on the Baltimore and Ohio road. They finally obstructed that road altogether by destroying several bridges farther west; continuing to hold and to strengthen their position at Harper's Ferry. Two companies of Confederate or State militia entered the village of Clarksburg, the capital of Harrison county, on the 20th, but found themselves speedily outnumbered by the Union militia of that place, on whose demand they surrendered their arms and dispersed without a contest. force. The Virginians who volunteered were mustered in and organized at Camp Carlile, in Ohio, opposite Wheeling, under the command of Col. Kelly, himself a Virginian. George B. McClellan, who had been appointed a Major-General and assigned to the command of the Department of the Ohio, remained at Cincinnati, his home. Three days after the election aforesaid, he issued from that city a spirited address “ To the Union men of Western Virginia,” wherein he says: "The General Government has long enough endured the machinations of a few factious Rebels in your midst. Armed traitors have in vain endeavored to deter you from expressing your loyalty at the polls. deprive you of the exercise of your dearest Having failed in this infamous attempt to rights, they now seek to inaugurate a reign of terror, and thus force you to yield to their torous conspiracy, dignified by the name of schemes, and submit to the yoke of the trai the Southern Confederacy. They are destroying the property of citizens of your State, and ruining your magnificent railways. The General Government has heretofore care fully abstained from sending troops across the Ohio, or even from posting them along its banks, although frequently urged by many of your prominent citizens to do so. "It determined to await the result of the State election, desirous that no one might be able to say that the slightest effort had been made from this side to influence the free ex Although some thousands of West Virginians had volunteered to fight pression of your opinions, although the many for the Union, none of them were encamped on the soil of their State until after the election held' to ratify or reject the Ordinance of Secession. The Government, assured that Western Virginia was overwhelmingly for the Union, doubtless chose not to have that unanimity attributed, even "A Union soldier who, having been taken prisoner by the Rebels and paroled, was, in the Summer of 1862, in camp on Governor's Island, Now-York, was asked by a regular army officer What is your regiment?" He answered: "The 6th Virginia." "Virginia?" rejoined the agencies brought to bear upon you by the Rebels were well known. You have now shown, under the most adverse circumWestern Virginia are true and loyal to that stances, that the great mass of the people of beneficent Government under which we and our fathers have lived so long." A brief and stirring address to his soldiers was issued simultaneously with the above; and, both being read Westpointer; "then you ought to be fighting on the other side." Of course, this patriot will naturally be found among those who consider the division of Virginia a usurpation and an outrage. "Night of April 18th. *May 16th. 'May 23d. PORTERFIELD'S APPEAL TO WEST VIRGINIA. to those in Camp Carlile that evening, the 1st Virginia, 1,100 strong, Col. Kelly, crossed to Wheeling early next morning, closely followed by the 16th Ohio, Col. Irvine. The 14th Ohio, Col. Steedman, crossed simultaneously, and quietly occupied Parkersburg, the terminus of the Northwestern branch of the Baltimore and Ohio road. A rebel force, then holding Grafton, which connected the branch aforesaid with the main or Wheeling division of the railroad, had meditated a descent on Wheeling; but, finding themselves anticipated and outnumbered, they obstructed and destroyed the railroad west of them, so that the Unionists did not reach Grafton till the morning of the 30th. On the 31st, both tracks having been repaired, a force of seven or eight thousand men was collected at this point, under the immediate command of Gen. Morris; the Rebels having been pushed back, without resistance, to Philippi, the capital of Barbour county, some fif teen miles southward, and entirely off the line of the railroad. From this place, Col. G. A. Porterfield, as commander of the Virginia Rebel forces, issued the following proclamation: "FELLOW-CITIZENS: I am in your section of Virginia, in obedience to the legally constituted authorities thereof, with the view of protecting this section of the State from invasion by foreign forces, and to protect the people in the full enjoyment of their rights 521 monwealth will at all times be protected by Those me and those under my command. who array themselves against the State will be treated as her enemies, according to the laws thereof. "Virginians! allow me to appeal to you, in the name of our common mother, to stand by the voice of your State, and especially to repel invasion from any and every quarter. vite invasion, or who in any manner assist, aid, or abet invaders, will be treated as enewhether native-born or adopted, will refuse mies to Virginia. I trust that no Virginian, to defend his State and his brothers against and, in due time, your common mother will invasion and injury. Virginians! be true; come to your relief. Those who reside within the State, who in Already, many of you have rallied to the support of the honor of your State, and the maintenance of your liberties. Will you continue to be freemen, or will you submit to be slaves? Will you allow the people of other States to govern you? Have you forgotten the precepts of Madison and Jefferson ?10 Remember that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.' Virginia has not made war. War has been made upon her and her time-honored principles. Shall she be vin dicated in her efforts to maintain the liberin submission to tyranny and oppression? ties of her people? or shall she bow her head It seems to me that the true friend of rational liberty cannot hesitate. Strike for your State! Strike for your liberties! Rally! rally at once in defense of your mother!" that Philippi be captured by surprise, Gen. McClellan having ordered the attempt was made on the night of June 2d. Two brigades of two regiments each approached the Rebel camp by different roads. They were to have enveloped the town by 4 A. M. of the 3d; but the roads were bad, the night intensely dark and stormy, and the division under Col. Kelly, which had to make the longer march civil, religious, and political. In the performance of my duties, I shall endeavor to exercise every charitable forbearance, as I-twenty-two miles-did not, because have hitherto done. I shall not inquire whether any citizens of Virginia voted for or against the Ordinance of Secession. My only inquiry shall and will be as to who are the enemies of our mother-the Commonwealth of Virginia. My duty now compels me to say to all, that the citizens of the Com it could not, arrive in season. The Rebels, only six or eight hundred in number, could make no successful stand against the forces already in their front, and were evidently pre 1 The omission of Washington's name here is most appropriate and significant. |