Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
August 11, 1862

A war meeting of the citizens of Preston county held at the Court House on thereof Monday the 11th day of August, 1862.

On motion, Harrison Hagans, Esq., was called to preside, assisted by John Howard, Esq., and John J. Brown was appointed Secretary.

On motion is was ordered, that the chair appoint a committee of vie to draft resolutions for the consideration of the meeting. Under which motion, the following gentlemen were appointed, viz: John A. Dille, James C. M'Grew, James W. Brown, Wm. B. Zinn, Esq., and the Hon. Wm. G. Brown. The Chairman, in a few appropriate remarks, then introduced to the meeting our most excellent executive, Governor Peirpoint, who in a most able and eloquent speech detailed the history of the rebellion, and vindicated the General Government in all the means it has inaugurated for its suppression, and most thoroughly and successfully aroused the war spirit of the people.

The Governor was followed by Hon. W. G. Brown, whose speech was mostly confined to the new State question, giving a history of the action of Congress on that subject, and predicting the passage of the bill at the next session. Mr. Brown concluded his remarks by introducing to the meeting the Rev. Moses Titchnell who is a native of the county of Preston, and a tower of strength to the Union cause in West Virginia, whose bitter, withering denunciations of treason and secession and vivid pictures of the blessings of the Government of our fathers, awakened the devotion of every patriotic heart, and whose unbounded store of anecdote, alternately convulsed the audience with laughter, and moistened many manly cheeks with tears.

Mr. Titchnell, at the close of his remarks, moved that the Chairman of the meeting appoint a committee of one from each magisterial district of the county, to procure signers to petitions asking the House of Representatives to pass the bill which was, at the last session of Congress, voted upon by the Senate for the admission of the State of West Virginia into the Union, which was adopted without a dissenting voice.:After which the Chairman of the meeting made a short war speech, in which he said although too old to volunteer in the great army of the Union, he had already procured the services of an able bodied brave mountain boy in his stead.

The Committee, through its Chairman, John A. Dille, Esq., reported to the meeting the resolutions prepared for its consideration:and which are as follows:

Whereas, The Government of the United States, the Government of our choice, is engaged in the suppression of a rebellion, the most gigantic, and at the same time the most senseless, that the annals of history ever has or ever will record. On the one hand is presented the great problem of man's capability for self-government, the existence of and perpetuity of free government, and the preservation of that model constitution purchased and preserved by the best blood and treasures of our fathers.:While on the other, the overthrow of Constitutional liberty and the adoption of a limited monarchy or aristocracy, far inferior to the Government that oppressed and degraded the heroes and martyrs of the war of the revolution.

And whereas, It is the undoubted interest, as well as the patriotic duty of every intelligent free man in this great struggle, to take a decided stand in favor of this, the government of his choice:contribute of his means, and, if necessary, pour out his life blood in the suppression of this causeless and wicked rebellion, and in every way within his power uphold and sustain the constitutional authorities of the united States, Therefore be it

1st.Resolved, That as West Virginians, we feel proud of the patriotic stand we have heretofore taken in favor of the Government of the United States, and we are determined never to cease doing our duty, our whole duty, until this unholy rebellion shall be put down and until the flag of our country shall wave over every foot of soil belonging to the Government of the United States.

2. That we would recommend to the County Court to provide some means to aid any who may volunteer under the recent call of the President, as an additional bounty to that offered by the general government, for the purpose of encouraging volunteering, and to aid the families of any who may volunteer.

3. That we hail with heartfelt delight the action of the action of the Senate of the United States, upon the bill for the admission of West Virginia as a State of the Union, and it affords us great pleasure here to endorse the course of our Senator and Representatives in Congress, who labored so faithfully to attain that action of the Senate upon the bill.

4. That the course of the Hon. John S. Carlile upon the bill aforesaid, was wholly contrary to the wishes of the loyal people of Preston, that his speeches and votes are only approved by traitors and those who sympathize with them; and we hereby request him to resign his seat in the United States Senate.

5. That the Chief Executive of the United States, by his conservative and patriotic administration of the Government in this the hour of our country's peril, is entitled to and out [ought?] to receive the commendation of of [sic] all true and loyal freemen.

6. That the Hon. F. H. Pierpoint, the Governor of Virginia, by his patriotic and statesmanlike discharge of the duties of his office, has commended himself to the esteem of all true and loyal Virginians.

On motion it was ordered that a copy of these proceedings be sent to the Wheeling Intelligencer, with the request that they be published, and that other papers in West Virginia copy.

H. Hagans, Chairman.
J. J. Brown, Secretary.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: August 1862