738 



VIRGINIA. 



provided the Ordinance of Secession was rati- 

 fied against the vote of "Western Virginia. The 

 Convention then adjourned. (See VIRGINIA, 

 WESTERN.) 



Great activity took place in Eastern and 

 Southwestern Virginia in the organization and 

 equipment of troops. It was claimed as early 

 as the 20th of May, that the whole number 

 volunteered was 85,000, and that 48,000 of 

 these were under arms, and distributed at 

 Richmond, Norfolk, Petersburg, Lynchburg, 

 Fredericksburg, Alexandria, Staunton, and 

 Harper's Ferry. These points were nearly 

 all connected by railroad. There were said to 

 be, in addition, about 8.000 from other States. 

 This assembling of troops in such positions 

 that a rapid concentration of forces could be 

 easily effected at any moment, doubtless caused 

 the authorities at Washington to make an ad- 

 vance into Virginia and occupy the heights op- 

 posite that city and Alexandria. This occupa- 

 tion was commenced on the night of the 23d 

 of May. In consequence, Northeastern Vir- 

 ginia was occupied by hostile armies during the 

 remainder of this year. At its close a great 

 battle appeared more nearly impending than 

 ever before. 'The advance of Southern troops 

 upon Washington was stayed by intrenchments 

 on the south side of the Potomac, defended by 

 at least two hundred thousand men from the 

 North. The advance from the North upon 

 Richmond was stopped by an equal number of 

 men intrenched at Manassas Junction. ' 



The advance of Ohio and Indiana and West- 

 ern Virginia troops, under Gen. McOlellan, 

 through Western Virginia towards the Poto- 

 mac was among the earliest military move- 

 ments. The sympathy of the inhabitants was 

 strongly on the side of the Union, and the 

 State troops, under the command of officers in 

 the Confederate service, were repulsed and 

 driven out. It was in the early period of these 

 operations that the Governor of Virginia ad- 

 dressed the following letter to a commandant 

 of the State troops. 



RICHMOND, VA., May 25, 1S61. 



DEAR SIR : When you get matters in proper con- 

 dition at Grafton, take the train some night, run up to 

 Wheeling, and seize and carry away the arms recently 

 sent to that place by Cameron, the United States 

 Secretary of War, and use them in arming such men 

 as may rally to your camp. Recover the State arms 

 also recently seized by the malcontents at Kingwood. 



It is advisable to cut off telegraphic communication 

 between Wheeling and Washington, so that the dis- 

 affected at the former place cannot communicate with 

 their allies at head-quarters. Establish a perfect con- 

 trol over the telegraph, (if kept up,) so that no des- 

 patch can pass without your knowledge and inspection 

 before it is sent. 



If troops from Ohio and Pennsylvania shall be at- 

 tempted to be passed on the railroad, do not hesitate 

 to obstruct their passage by all means in your power, 

 even to the destruction of the road and bridges. 



Having confidence in your discretion, I am sure you 

 will manage all things wisely and well. 



Yours, truly, JOHN LETCHER. 



Col. PORTERFIELD, Grafton, Va. 



The popular vote on the Ordinance of sepa- 

 ration was almost unanimously against it in 



Western Virginia, while with equal unanimity 

 Eastern Virginia voted in favor of it. It was 

 carried by a large majority of the votes cast. 

 The vote in the city of Richmond was 2,400 

 in favor to 24 against it, being less than half 

 the vote (5,400) polled at the presidential elec- 

 tion in November previous. 



As the troops arrived from the South, Rich- 

 mond became the general rendezvous whence, 

 as soon as inspected and properly outfitted for 

 active duty, they were distributed wherever 

 most needed. It was estimated that there 

 were, by the 5th of June, in active service 

 in Virginia, about fifty thousand Confederate 

 troops, namely : about eight thousand at or 

 near Manassas Junction ; about five thousand 

 at Fredericksburg and Acquia Creek ; about 

 twelve thousand at Norfolk and its neighbor- 

 hood ; about five thousand at Yorktown and 

 Williamsburg ; and about fourteen thousand at 

 Harper's Ferry. Of this aggregate, nearly all, 

 exclusive of the force at Harper's Ferry, were so 

 posted that they could be concentrated by rail- 

 road at any point between Norfolk and Alex- 

 andria within twenty-four hours. About forty 

 thousand, it was calculated at Richmond, could 

 be thrown almost at once upon the Union 

 troops whenever they might present them- 

 selves along the line. Such a movement, how- 

 ever, had a certain degree of hazard connected 

 with it, as any concentration by which they 

 withdrew their troops from the seaboard, ex- 

 posed them to invasion from the fleet. 



On the 15th of June the State Convention 

 again assembled. A resolution was offered, in- 

 quiring into the number of the members of the 

 Convention whose seats were vacant, the causes 

 of their absence, their attitude towards the 

 commonwealth, and proposing the punishment 

 of such by hanging or otherwise. Various 

 resolutions and ordinances relative to the more 

 efficient organization of volunteers and militia 

 companies throughout the State ; to the more 

 speedy and efficient protection of the north- 

 western counties, and " to the summary chas- 

 tisement of the cowards and traitors who have 

 entered our State for purposes of subjugation," 

 were referred to the appropriate committees. 

 Special instructions were given to the Mili- 

 tary Committee to report the best mode in 

 which it became Virginia to meet the policy 

 proclaimed by Gen. Butler, and approved by 

 the Federal Administration, in reference to the 

 slave property. A resolution placing the bonds 

 of the Southern Confederacy on a par with the 

 notes issued by the banks of Virginia, and an- 

 other authorizing military commanders through- 

 out the State to compel free negroes to labor 

 on all works of defence, were adopted. 



On the 24th, the ordinance proposing to re- 

 pudiate the payment of the interest on State 

 bonds, the property of the United States Gov- 

 ernment or any State or citizen thereof, which 

 were owned by the same on the 23d of May, 

 the day on which the Ordinance of Secession 

 was ratified, was taken up. 



