USA > West Virginia > Barbour County > The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 27
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"All the evils which now threaten the very existence of our Government have been produced by the lawless and unconstitutional aggressions of the non-slaveholding States. For the last thirty or forty years they have persistently engaged in every species of injustice and insult toward us. They have tradueed and slandered us before the nations of the earth. They have denied us cqual participation in the common territories of the United States. They have sent their hired mereenaries among us for the express
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purpose of inciting our slaves to insurrection, and alienating the affections of our people from each other. They have sent their bands of Myrmidons among us to murder our people and steal and destroy our property, and when these infamous malefactors escape into those State they are protected by their executives from the just penalties which our laws denounce against them. In thirteen of the free States they have passed their so-called personal liberty bills by which a felon's punishment is meted out to our citi -. zens if they should go in pursuit of their property which may have escaped or been stolen from them. And finally, they have, by an exclusively sectional vote, repudiating the idea of nationality, elected Abraham Lincoln who is openly pledged to the miser- able dogina that the negrois the equal of the white man. I shall favor submitting the action of the convention to the people for ratification or rejection."
Before the close of January a mass meeting was held on Hacker's Creek, with Jacob Woodford as president and Robert Talbott as vice-presi- dent. This was designated a "State's Rights" meeting, and after endorsing the candidacy of Mr. Bradford, it passed resolutions favoring the secession of Virginia, declaring:
"The cause of South Carolina is our cause, and we will see her righted to the bitter end, and when she falls, Virginia must fall with her."
Early in February, 1861, a similar meeting was held on Stewart's Run, of which Abraham Simon was president and Anthony Reger vice- president. Milton D. Reed was secretary. There were several speeches made, all favoring Virginia's secession, or, as the minutes of the meeting show, "all taking strong grounds in favor of defending the rights, the independence and the honor of the South at every hazard and to the last extremity." Speeches were made by James D. Hall, R. D. Talbott, L. E. Gall, Granville Carlin, W. W. Carlin and Gideon Reger. In the election which followed, Samuel Woods was chosen from Barbour County. .. On February 21 he offered the following series of resolutions before the Rich- mond convention :
"Resolved, that the allegiance which the citizens of Virginia owe to the Federal Government of the United States of America is subordinate to that due to the State of Virginia, and may, therefore, lawfully be withdrawn by her whenever she deems it her duty to do so.
"That in case the State of Virginia should exercise this authority, her citizens would be in duty bound to render allegiance and obedience to her alone.
"That the State of Virginia recognizes no authority in any government, State or Federal, to coerce her or any of her citizens, to render allegiance to the United States, after she may, in her sovereign authority, have withdrawn from it; and that she will regard any attempt at coercion as equivalent to a declaration of war against her, to be resisted at every hazard and to the last extremity.
"That the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis- iana and Texas, having severally and formally withdrawn the allegiance of their respec- tive people from the United States of America, a faithful, earnest desire to avert civil war, and the sound, conservative sentiment of the country, alike, indicate to the govern- ment of the United States the necessity and policy of recognizing their independence,"
These resolutions were received in Philippi in the latter part of Febru-
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ary, and on March 7 a mass meeting was held at the court house, at which · Mr. Woods' resolutions were read and approved. That meeting went as far in its endorsement of secession as any meeting held in the South. John H. Woodford was chairman, Colonel Henry Sturm was secretary, and D. M. Auvil made the opening address. Upon motion of Lair D. Morrall a com- mittee of five was appointed to draft resolutions, and the following persons were appointed on the committee: Lair D. Morrall, D. M. Auvil, J. R. Williamson, R. T. Talbott, and Nathan H. Taft. The committee reported as follows:
"Resoved, that this meeting approve the resolution offered by Samuel Woods, Esq .. at the Richmond convention, and that we clearly and distinctly announce and proclaim the doctrine of State's Rights, State sovereignty, and our unalterable opposition to the doctrine of Federal consolidation.
"That we repudiate and denounce the doctrine of Federal coercion, as a principle fatal and destructive to the doctrine of State sovereignty, and which, if attempted to be carried out in any form, will inevitably lead to bloodshed and, in the end, to an exter- minating war of section against section.
"That in the opinion of this meeting it is the duty of the Federal Government to immediately acknowledge the independence of the seceded States.
"That in the opinion of this meeting it is the duty of the State of Virginia to imme- diately withdraw the allegiance of the citizens of this State from the Federal Govern- ment."
The records of the meeting do not show that there was a voice raised against the resolutions. Speeches in support of them were made by A. G. Reger, T. A. Bradford, N. H. Taft and D. M. Auvil. In the meanwhile supplementary resolutions were written by Mr. Reger and were adopted as follows:
"Whereas, we, a portion of the people of the county of Barbour, believe that all hon- orable means have failed on the part of Virginia to reconcile the differences between the North and the South, and that the interest of Virginia is inseparably connected with that of the South, and that the time has come when Virginia should espouse the common cause of the slaveholding states,
"Resolved, therefore, that the State of Virginia should lose no time in making common cause with her sister States of the South, who for years have borne so patiently the encroachment of Northern fanaticism.
"That any attempt on the part of the Federal Government to coerce the States which have seceded, will be regarded by us as a declaration of war upon the whole South."
One man only, a native of New England, but a citizen of Barbour, at- tempted to speak for the Union, but was driven out while a gun wasleveled at his breast .* The requirements of history do not impose upon the historian the duty, at this late day, of recording all the personal dangers and perse- cutions endured in those troubled times by men on account of their opin- ions. The statement, however, can be truthfully made that the charge of
* This man was Spencer Dayton, father of Congressman A. G. Dayton. He escaped by jumping through a window of the court house.
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tyranny, so far as Barbour County is concerned, can not be laid upon those who favored secession, without, at the same time, laying it with equal force upon those who upheld the Union. While Confederate troops were in power here, the Union citizens had a hard lot. When the Federals came into power, the sympathizer with the South often preferred self-exile to the wrongs which he must endure if he remained at home. So, upon this phase of the county's history the curtain will not be raised.
One of the most potent factors in stirring up the people of Barbour against the Government was a newspaper published at Philippi by Thomp- son Surghnor, the Jeffersonian. No paper in Richmond surpassed it in vio- lence of utterances. The editor, however, had the courage of his convic- tions, and fought and died in the war. His name will be found on other pages of this book. No better idea of the state of feeling in Barbour County, from the secession standpoint, can be given than that set forth by editorials in the Jeffersonian at the time. That which was published imme- diately after the meeting in the court house, March 7, 1861, is selected because it is valuable as an historical document.
"We have no faith in the convention .* The good men of that body are powerless, and their hands are tied by a majority of demagogues whose little, narrow souls cannot rise above party considerations. The Union shriekers hold in check the patriots who would strike for the honor and safety of Virginia. These Union-shrieking knaves and traitors care nothing about the rights and honor of the State. They are preparing for a spring campaign, and their animosity against the Democracy of Virginia is ten fold more intense than their hatred of Abolitionism. These Union-shrieking tories are divided into classes-demagogues and fools. Such men as Willey, Carlile, t and a few others, can lead their small fry into any traitorous design which their sordid natures and their hatred of Democratic principles may contemplate. How the noble spirits of Wise, Montague and Tyler and other patriots must chafe at the disgusting spectacle! It is a wonder they do not retirc and leave these base Submissionists full scope to hatch ruinous plots against the State and prepare for a spring campaign when Knownothingism will be fought over again under the Abolition colors of Abe Lincoln. #
"It never was the intention of a majority of that convention to do anything else but further their designs against the Democratic party of Virginia. ¿
The leaders are old politicians which the crisis has galvanized into life, and the black bile which has been secreted by years of disappointment will soon be poured fourth upon our people. But if the people will elect such men to office, they must abide the consequences-only it is hard that the true and the good must suffer. The crisis has swept over the country with startling effect and made two nations where only one pre-existed. The return of the Southern Confederacy is now beyond the range of any reas-
*The secession convention then in session at Richmond.
+Waitman T. Willey and John S. Carlile.
¿President Lincoln was inaugurated eleven days before this was published.
¿At that time the convention at Richmond had not passed the Ordinance of Seccs- sion, and there was a general belief that it would not do so. On March 9, (six days before this editorial was published) a test vote had been taken at which secession was defeated by a vote of 89 to 46.
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onable expectation. They are free-free from a subtle, designing foe, and by the help of God, and their own self-reliance, they intend to remain free. This is the plain statement and it is high time that it should be dis- tinctly understood. Men who continue to talk of the Union and saving the Union, are either knaves or fools. The question now is, where shall Vir- ginia go? Shall she go to the North and be ruled by the pharisaical folly that has perverted one of the best systems of government, or shall she go with the South as their co-equal, and where she will be honored and loved? The good men of the State have urged this matter upon their consider- ation; but thus far the Union-shriekers have turned a deaf ear to their entreaties; nor do we believe that any inducements will cause them to forego this purpose of Abolitionizing Virginia.
"Virginia is now contemned by the North on account of her foolish peace proposi- tions. The mighty Commonwealth which in time past was so noble and so bold, the fore- most in fight and the first in council and in field, now stands trembling before Abolition dictation, and vainly begs after compromises from her most deadly foes. Her tlireats about coercion did not deter Lincoln in his inaugural from taking an opposite position. But let the true patriots in Virginia be not discouraged. Do not leave her now, naked to her enemies. The Satanic ingenuity of those cold-blooded politicians who struggle for the ascendancy of the hour will be instrumental in opening the eyes of the people to their degradation and shame."
Early in 1861, when Virginia politicians had fully made up their minds that Virginia should secede, a close censorship of the United States mails was ordered, and papers and documents, supposed to be hostile to the cause of secession were taken from the mails and destroyed. In Philippi a bon- fire was made in the streets of papers sent to subscribers in that vicinity. The post master refused to deliver these papers to the persons to whom they were addressed, but turned them over to secessionists who publicly burned them. A similar course was pursued in other towns of West Virginia.
The inaugural address of President Lincoln was published in the Jeffer- sonian, and an editorial commented upon it, giving the editor's opinion that the President (whom he called "old Abe"), intended to use force against the South. "Too much time," says the editorial, "has already been lost in tomfoolery after visionary compromises. There can be no compromise where fanaticism is arrayed against honor and justice. Lincoln repudiates all compromise and intends to coerce." The article proceeds as follows:
"Business called us to Washington at the time of the inauguration, and we witnessed the ceremony. Would that the entire population of the State could have seen it! If there is one spark of patriotism in the bosoms of those base Submissionists, who have caused so much trouble and delay, the sight would have fanned it into flame. The mili- tary display made by old Scott was greater than when we marched into the City of Mex- ico, and the precautions taken to preserve the life of old Abe were more studied than any Scott had ever used to guard the lives of his soldiers in an enemy's country. Lincoln, weak, foolish and cowardly, was surrounded by cavalry fourdeep. Is such a creature fit to be the Chief Magistrate of a great nation? Yet this guilty, cowardiy, traitorous mis- creant is worshipped by the Union shriekers who are endeavoring to Abolutionize Vir- ginia. Mr. Lincoln designs to use the power of the Government to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the Government, and to collect the duties
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JUDGEDSAMUEL WOODS.
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and imposts. This language applies directly and unmistakably to the seceded States. and enunciates war with the Confederate States of America as plainly as language can do it."
When the Richmond Convention passed the Ordinance of Secession, the movement began in western Virginia for the reorganization of the State Government, or the formation of a new State, or both. Meetings were held in half the counties now forming West Virginia, and delegates were appointed to a convention to meet at Wheeling May 13, 1861. Circum- stances were such in Barbour at that time that a meeting of Union men could not be held openly without risk of interruption. There was no lack of Union men, but they were not organized, and in the face of the armed and unarmed secessionists in the county, they could not organize. But when the Confederate forces retired, and the Federals came in, the Union men were found to be numerous. In January 1861, the Palmetto or Con- federate flag was raised over the court house in Philippi, and remained there until hauled down by Union troops under Colonel Kelley on June 3, 1861.
Finding that no public meeting to uphold the Union cause could be held in Philippi, a small number of citizens met secretly for the purpose of appointing delegates to the Wheeling Convention. This meeting wasafter- wards styled, the "Shoeshop Convention," because it met secretly and at night in a shoeshop belonging to Martin Myers. The windows were dark- ened and the door locked, and only sufficient candle light was used to enable the clerk to do what writing was necessary. Not one word of the proceedings of the meeting have been preserved in writing. The minutes and resolutions were taken to Wheeling and were lost. Not many persons were there. The list, so far as it can be now ascertained, consisted of the names of Martin Myers, Hanson L. Hoff, William K. Hall, Edwin Tutt and Spencer Dayton. Mr. Hoff was chairman and the resolutions were written by Mr. Dayton. Delegates to the Wheeling convention were appointed, namely, H. L. Hoff, Joseph Teter, Sr., Rev. Alpheus Zinn and Spencer Dayton. From some cause the resolutions were not signed that night, and the next day Mr. Dayton carried them to Mr. Hoff, the chairman, for his signature. The chairman took the pen to sign the paper, but hesitated, and laid down the pen, saying:
"I have been thinking about this since last night. I am an old man, and all I have in the world will be taken from me and I will be driven from home if I sign this. The secessionists will not let me stay here if I sign these resolutions. Whether the good these resolutions will do will justify this sacrifice on my part, I don't know."
After a discussion between Mr. Hoff and Mr. Dayton, certain parts of the resolutions, which the secessionists might deem particularly hostile to their designs, were stricken out, and the paper was then signed. The delegates to Wheeling met in Philippi to make ready for the journey. As yet it had not become public that a Union meeting had been held, but it
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was suspected that Barbour would likely be represented at Wheeling, and the closest watch was kept to thwart any attempt in that direction. Guards were posted at the bridge and no one, suspected of being a Union man, was permitted to cross unchallenged .* When the delegates-elect had reached Philippi and held an informal conference on a street corner, and when the difficulties and dangers in the way of going to Wheeling were understood, all the delegates, except Mr. Dayton, excused themselves from going. Mr. Dayton said he would go if it cost him his life, The other delegates returned to their homes, and that night Mr. Dayton prepared to leave Philippi. He saddled his horse and waited till long after midnight when the streets were quiet, and he supposed the guards at the bridge would be asleep. It was his intention to dash past the picket, if chal- lenged. When he reached the vicinity of the bridge, he laid whip to his horse and went through at a dead run, and out upon the pike to Webster. He saw no picket and never learned whether a picket was on duty at that time. At the Wheeling convention Barbour was accredited with three members, Spencer Dayton, E. H. Manifee and J. H. Shuttleworth. Mr. Manifee lived in the Coves, and Mr. Shuttleworth had a farm on Gnatty Creek near the line. Neither of them had been appointed by the meeting of Union men at Philippi. When Mr. Dayton returned from the conven -. tion, he reached home late at night, and hoped to enter his house undis- covered; but in this he was not successful. The next day the soldiers went to his house to arrest him, but he was in hiding up stairs and they did not find him. That evening, at dusk, he escaped to the hill back of his house, and succeeded in making his way to Grafton which had been occupied at that time by the advance guard of Mcclellan's army.
Confederates Occupy Philippi.
Governor Letcher issued a call May 1, 1861, for the militia to take up arms. Four days later Colonel George A. Porterfield was appointed to the command of the troops in Northwestern Virginia, and about the middle of May he reached Philippi and began to organize his troops.+ Companies of militia were already there, or joined him within a few days. After his retreat he wrote a letter (June 6) to General Garnett in which he spoke in
*The guard was stationed at a small store at the east end of the bridge, kept by Charles W. Russell, a native of Winchester. He also kept the toll-gate at the east end of the bridge.
+On May 14, Colonel Porterfield reached Grafton on his way to Philippi, and the same day wrote to General Lee that volunteers and officers whom he expected to find there had not put in an appearance. He was on the point of setting out for Philippi, and said, "There is great dissatisfaction in this and adjoining counties, and opposition to the law- ful action of the State is certainly contemplated. Please direct my letters to Fetter- inan, one mile west of Grafton, and the only post office in the county to which letters can be sent with safety." It was the intention of the Confederate authorities to have Colonel Porterfield's force in Grafton in time to influence the vote for Secession, on May 24. (See Records of the Rebellion, vol. 2, page 848.)
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disparaging terms of the character of the troops which had joined him, saying:
"This force is not only deficient in drill, but ignorant, both officers and men, of the most ordinary duties of the soldier. With efficient drill officers they might be made effective, but I have to complain that the field officers sent to command these men are of no assistance to me, and are, for the most part, as ignorant of their duties as the com- pany officers, and they as ignorant as the men."
A company of militia, called "the Barbour Greys." afterwards must- ered into the Confederate service, was early in the field. Captain A. G. Reger was in command, but later Captain Thomas A. Bradford took charge. The troops were quartered in the court house before Colonel Port- erfield came. On May 14, 1861 this company's roll was as follows: Thomas A. Bradford, Captain; George P. Thompson, First Lieutenant; James C. Cline, Second Lieutenant; Micheal M. Rider, First Sergeant; Hiram Smith, Second Sergeant; Hanibal Hill, Third Sergeant; Obediah Phillips, Fourth Sergeant; William D. F. Jarvis, Fifth Sergeant; Edwin D. Williamson, First Corporal; William J. Bonner, Second Corporal; Lemuel Poling, Third Corporal; James E. Hall, Fourth Corporal; George Armstrong, William Barrett, John H. Campbell, James H. Campbell, John J. Golden, James M. Golden, George W. Henderson, David W. Harris, James P. Heckman, Wil- liam M. Humphreys, Lorenzo D. Humphreys, William Isner, William F. Holt, Mortimer C. Johnson, James E. Lynch, Hickman Minear, William Mustoe, Franklin A. Poling, Allison D. Robinson, Patrick Riley, Fredrick Sandridge, Emanuel Stone, Andrew J. Thompson, Josiah Thompson, George W. Thompson, Perry M. Talbott, Alexander Whiteley, John C. Wallace, Anthony H. Wells, David Wagoner, John Woodford, David Wilson, Henry H. Barron, John Berry, Charles B. Carter, Eldridge Golden, Thomas B. Johnson, John T. Kent, John M. Sturm and Albert C. Wilson .*
The oldest commissioned Captain of cavalry militia in Virginia at the commencement of the war was Captain W. K. Jenkins, of Barbour County. His troop of cavalry was organized September, 1858, and he was commis- sioned Captain October 12, 1858. This cavalry was called out by Governor Letcher, and was mustered into service at Philippi, under Colonel Porter- field, May 22, 1861. The roll of the company was as follows:
W. K. Jenkins, Captain; Hanson L. Cross, First Lieutenant; Cregan
* This list is taken from the original muster roll of the company dated April 30, 1862. Some of the orignal members of the company may have been killed or may have left the company before this roll was taken. Those who joined the company between May 14, 1861 and April 30, 1862, were as follows: W. H. Benson, W. E. Campbell. James P. Cal- lihan, Elam T. Corder, Francis M. Cunningham, David Dilworth, Granville Evick, Elliott Jones, Isaac Jones, John W. Jones, Joseph M. Jones, William D. Kelley, Joshua Lunsford, John A. Marshall, Franklin Marshall, Oliver Mullennix, William B. Poling, Harrison Paugh, William Sibert, Charles C. Slenart, Mathias Turner, Sinclair Turner, George W. Trimble, F. M. Trimble, Benjamin Varner, John F. Varner, Hezekiah Bow- ers, John Beveridge, Cornelius Colan, Daniel Colan, Joseph Church, Solomon Flesher, George Hanger, Abraham Life, Champ Thornhill, Jacob Peck, John W. Lemmons, W. F. Varner, Solomon White, Peter White and George Wymer.
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Burner, Second Lieutenant; William Hall, Third Lieutenant; Thompson Surghnor, Fourth Lieutenant: Edward Corder, First Sargeant; Wesley Dilworth, Second Sargeant; Philip A. Reed, Third Sargeant; Samuel Mar- teney, Fourth Sargeant; James Smith, First Corporal; Jeremiah Harvey, Second Corporal; John M. Radcliff, Third Corporal; Wilson Paugh, Fourth Corporal; S. M. Callihan, First Bugler; Wesley W. Hudkins, Second Bugler; Samuel Cleavenger, Saddler; Adam O. Starker, Farrier; John H. Hite, James P. Callihan, Benjamin J. Cleavenger, William Bartlett, John Cooper, Squire Crouso, Isaac Jones, Elliott Jones, William Reed, Benjamin J. Knight, P. G. Chislip, John Cleavenger, Robert J. Humphreys, Ruben Waldron, Wesley Waldron, George M. Yeager, Van Buren Ward, Champ Thornhill, Worthington Teter, Martin Reger, M. D. Reed, Felix Stewart, Alpheus Corder, Nathan Reed, E. G. Chrislip, Noah Welch, Hezekiah Sar- geant, John Welch, Charles Callihan, William Lemmon, Lewis Hickman, Wellington Hickman, Jacob Thrasher, Enoch Talbott, Middleton Jenkins, Dod Long, Gideon Reger, Demetrius Dickenson, Allen Simon, Lemuel O. Marks, John N. Heatherly Elijah Cotteral, E. B. Ward, W. W. Daniels, Richard Hudkins, William H. Dougherty, Daniel Reed, John Pickens, Ben- jamin J. Rohrbaugh, Alexander Wiley, John Powers, James Teter, George W. Kerr, George Burner, Joel Reger, William Mouser, John Wells, San- som Zinn, Anthony Zinn, H. L. Shaw and Hanson Mowry.
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