History of Preston County West Virginia

West Virginia had been truly the only state in Union to secede from a Confederate state (Virginia) throughout the United states Civil War. In Richmond on April 17, 1861, the 49 delegates from future condition of West Virginia voted 17 and only the Ordinance of Secession of Virginia through the US, 30 against and 2 abstentions.

Almost soon after the vote to continue with secession through the Union prevailed within the Virginia General Assembly, a size conference at Clarksburg recommended that every county in northwestern Virginia submit delegates to a convention to satisfy in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. If this First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties had been current, though above one-third regarding the delegates had been from northern panhandle location, but shortly there is a division of belief.

Some delegates favored the immediate development of a state, while others argued that, as Virginia’s secession had not however been passed away by the needed referendum, such action would constitute revolution resistant to the United States. It had been decided when the ordinance were adopted (that there was clearly little question), another convention like the members-elect of the legislature should meet at Wheeling in June. During the election on 23, 1861, secession ended up being ratified by a large vast majority in state as a whole, however in the western counties 34, 677 voted against and 19, 121 voted for secession.

The Wheeling Convention reassembled on August 20, 1861, and needed a well known vote on the formation of a brand new condition as well as a meeting to frame a constitution if vote should really be positive. At the October 24, 1861 election, 18, 408 votes had been cast when it comes to brand new condition and just 781 against.

On 13 their state legislature associated with the reorganized federal government accepted the formation of the brand new state. A software for entry towards the Union had been built to Congress, as well as on December 31, 1862, an enabling work ended up being authorized by Presisdent Abraham Lincoln admitting West Virginia, regarding the condition that a provision when it comes to progressive abolition of slavery be inserted with its constitution.

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Collection Details

1. EDWARD CONRAD SMITH, A. M, A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY, WESTERN VIRGINIA., THE AUTHOR, 1920
2. OREN F. MORTON, B. LIT, A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA., THE MCCLURE BUSINESS, INC, 1916
3. OREN F. MORTON, B. LIT, A HISTORY OF PENDLETON COUNTY WESTERN VIRGINIA.,
4. OREN F. MORTON, B. LIT, A HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY, WESTERN VIRGINIA (VOL 2), JOURNAL PUB. CO, 1914
5. DR. A. S. BOSWORTH, A BRIEF HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA FROM THE EARLIEST EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT FOR THIS TIME.
6. F. VERNON ALER, ALER’S HISTORY OF MARTINSBURG AND BERKELEY COUNTY, WESTERN VIRGINIA., MAIL PUBLISHING BUSINESS
7. WILLIAM P. WILLEY, AN INTERNAL VIEW ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT FOR THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, WITH CHARACTER SKETCHES FOR THE PIONEERS FOR THE REASON THAT MOTION, INFORMATION PUBLISHING CO, 1901
8. J.G. JACOB, BROOKE COUNTY (WESTERN VIRGINIA), BEING A RECORD OF PROMINENT EVENTS., HERALD WORKPLACE, 1882
9. HENRY HOWE, EXCERPTS FROM HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF VIRGINIA., BABCOCK & CO, 1845