None of these men had been elected. According to historian Charles Ambler, they were chosen ‘in mass meetings, others by county committee ‘s, and still others seemingly self-appointed.’ Some of them had been stating representatives. Historians claim that they ‘represented’ 32 West Virginia countries, although 9 of those countries had just the previous month voted in favor of secession from the United States. This was before the West Virginia day occurred. So, when is West Virgina Day in 2019?
Historical facts
The delegates then chose Marion County lawyer Francs H. Pierpont as ‘Governor of Virginia’ and Daniel Paisley as Lieutenant-Governor. The delegates were uncertain just what course to take. Some maintained that they were to provide Virginia with a Union government. Others pushed to form a separate state of the western counties.
While began to cement their hold on power. In Jackson County, the army arrested nearly two hundred citizens and replaced elected officials with Wheeling appointees.
In Wheeling, soldiers went house to house forcing oaths of allegiance to the Pierpont government and arrested all who refused.
Judge George W. Thompson of Wheeling, whom Pierpont had called the only loyal judge of the Virginia circuit court, was arrested numerous times by Pierpont. Judge Thompson believed the Wheeling government was usurped and illegal and consistently refused to take any oath that included support for Pierpont’s regime.
The Catholic bishop of Wheeling Richard V. Whelan escaped arrest by Pierpont only by the intervention of President Lincoln. Whelan like Judge Thompson, believed the Pierpont government to be usurped and refused the oath to support it. But what day West Virginia Day in 2019? It is on June, 20th.
On January 29, 1863, Whelan wrote to a friend in New York that the Reorganized government of Virginia is revolutionary in character and in no sense represents the Government of Virginia and since does not fairly represent the people in the western part of the state.
But west Virginia historians have perpetuated the idea that West Virginia’s delegates ran back to West Virginia when the Ordinance of Secession was passed. They did not. A few did, a baker’s dozen or so but most delegates stayed and most signed the Ordinance, 29 of the 49 delegates.
Interesting Holidays:
Missing from the June calligraphic copy of the Ordinance is the signature of Benjamin Wilson of Harrison County. He was arrested at his home in Clarksburg before he could reach Richmond for the June session. But his name is signed on the April copy of the Ordinance.
Delegates for the counties in blue all signed Virginia’s Ordinance of Secession. Counties in purple had one of two delegates sign the Ordinance. Counties in the white show no delegate signing. Reading more, we can learn when is West Virginia Day 2019?
Public votes and the sense of holiday
When the public vote on Virginia’s secession from the United States took place on May 23, 1861, the total vote in the future west Virginia was roughly 33 000 against and 20 000 in favor. But the vote was regional with most negative votes coming from the countries along the northwest borders. In most of West, Virginia secessionists outnumbered Unionists. At least 24 countries voted in favor of Virginia’s secession.
While the secession vote was a ‘hard vote’ the anti-secession vote was a coalition of unconditional Unionists, conditional Unionists and votes for the status quo.
Much of this vote faded when Virginia’s secession became official and further when Ohio troops entered western Virginia.
Also unconsidered in the debate on the vote are about 25 thousand non-practising voters an unknown quality who nevertheless acted on their own principles.
The conflation of the anti-secession vote with Unionism is one of the biggest unaddressed errors of West Virginia history. If the anti-secession vote had been a Union vote then Wheeling would have had little of the troubles they had volunteerism would have been large and the reorganizing of country government very easy. It as anything but.
Many countries that had voted against secession often 3 to 1 nevertheless gave half their men to Richmond Wayne Cabell Jackson Putman and others. Jackson County voted a little less than 2 to 1 against Virginia’s secession yet gave the equivalent of half a regiment to Richmond and the Confederacy about half its available manpower.
This is the broadside issued by the Union commander in Jackson country on June 7, 1862, and a few of its directives. Nevertheless, what is the date of West Virginia Day 2019?
Union troops were pulled from Jackson County in the fall of 1862. The future governor Arthur Boreman wrote to Pierpont on Sept. 22.
The counties in green voted for secession from the United States on May 23, 1861. So how did these countries end up in west Virginia? The willing delegate Peter van Winkle explained it very clearly.
Interesting data about the day
The voting constructed by the Wheeling government was never meant to include anyone other than supporters of the Wheeling government. A large number of West Virginians loyal to Virginia and the Confederacy were non-participants. That Gordon Battelle explained to his fellow delegates in wheeling on December 9, 1861. When is West Virginia Day in 2019, calendar can show you that?
On June 5, 1863, the Judge Advocate General of the United States Joseph Holt wrote to the Secretary of War to complain about Pierpont’s interference with the Federal prisoner exchange and his abuse of power.
Pierpont war was conducted against West Virginians and when he was not arresting citizens other Union authorities were. The graves of West Virginia civilian prisoners range from Johnson’s Island and Camp Chase in Ohio to Fort Delaware. Men women children and invalids were arrested.
The delegates then chose Marion County lawyer Francs H. Pierpont as ‘Governor of Virginia’ and Daniel Paisley as Lieutenant-Governor. The delegates were uncertain just what course to take. Some maintained that they were to provide Virginia with a Union government. Others pushed to form a separate state of the western counties.
Whitman T. Willey finally became clerk of the county court. Their former enemies were now assuming leadership of the state.
