Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
May 28 1863

The new State of West Virginia held its first election of State Legislature and county officers on Thursday, May 28th. The Union State Ticket, which was placed in nomination on the 6th ult., was elected without any opposition. A few of the counties being held by the rebels, no election was held in them except for State officers, etc., belonging to the rebel order of things.

The newly elected officers of the new commonwealth are favorably known. The Governor elect, Arthur I. Boreman, is said to have been a member of the convention that carried Virginia out of the Union - he opposed the secession movement with all his energy. He has been indefatigable in his exertions to recruit soldiers for the Union Army. The Treasurer and Auditor just elected, Campbell Tarr and Samuel Crane, held the same positions in the government of old Virginia. Mr. Crane is one of the ablest Orators of the new State, and signalized himself a year ago by delivering a series of public addresses reviewing the public career of Senator Carlile. He is an able man, statesmanlike and thoroughly loyal. The other officers elect are J.E. Royers, Secretary of State; A.B. Caldwell, Attorney General; and Judge Ralph L. Berkshire. William A. Harrison and James H. Brown, of the Court of Appeals.

There is to be a contest now for State capital between Parkersburg and Charlestown, with probabilities in favor of Parkersburg. Two United States Senators are also to be chosen.

The thirty-fifth State is now added to the American Union. Born amid the turmoil of civil war, and cradled by the storm, we expect from her a robustness, a tone and energy to which the Old Dominion has been a stranger. She has begun well.:With a loyal population of only two hundred thousand, she has sent twenty thousand soldiers into the field.

The result of Thursday's election is a most complete and gratifying triumph of the Union sentiment of Wheeling and Ohio county. With a single exception (believed, for at the hour of this writing the vote of the third ward has not all been counted) the straight Unconditional Union ticket is elected all the way through by splendid majorities; and this exception is no triumph for the anti-New State men, and is not claimed to be.

Henceforth the loyalty of Wheeling is like Caesar's wife, "above suspicion," and the Copperhead element amongst us is demoralized and broken down for all time.

The full vote of the county will be found on our next page.

It is provoking how slowly the election returns come in. This is the fifth day since the election and we have the full returns from but a single county south of Marshall. We publish the full vote of Marshall and Taylor this morning, the vote of Morgan for State officers and Senators, and the vote of Doddridge for House of Delegates.

For House of Delegates, Wm. L. Crawford is elected in Hancock, Col. H.W. Crothers in Brooke, Daniel Lamb, Prof. A. Ross and Wm. N. Shriver in Ohio, Jos. Turner and Michael Dunn in Marshall. L.E. Davidson in Taylor, Ephraim Bee in Doddridge, Lee Roy Kramer and John B. Lough in Monongalia. Further than this there are no returns.

For Senators, C.D. Hubbard of Wheeling, and J.H. Atkinson of New Cumberland, are elected from the 1st district. - There are no full returns from any other district, but James Burley of Marshall is certainly elected for one from the 2nd district, and probably John J. Brown of Preston, and E.C. Bunker of Monongalia from the third.

E.H. Caldwell of Marshall, is elected Judge of the 1st Circuit. There are no full returns from any other circuit, but John A. Dille of Preston, is thought to be slightly elected for the 2nd Circuit, he having no opposition.

We hope by to-morrow morning to have returns from most of the counties within convenient reach.

From Mr. G.F. Taylor, who left Sutton on Saturday, we learn that at that time a force of 2000 rebel cavalry was reported to be at Summerville, the county seat of Nicholas, and thirty miles from Sutton. Gen. Averill with several regiments was at Weston.

The election passed off quietly at Braxton. Felix Sutton was elected to the House of Delegates. Dr. D.T. Farnsworth of Upshur, and W.D. Rollyson of Braxton are believed to be elected Senators from the 6th District, comprising the counties of Upshur, Braxton and Lewis.

The country out there was flooded with an address to the people of Western Virginia, by Imboden.

Murder Near Point Pleasant. - On the last election day, David Bailey, a private in Company B, 13th Regiment Virginia Infantry, went to Leon, near Point Pleasant, and during the day became engaged in a discussion in regard to the Government policy with a number of Copperheads from the vicinity of Ten Mile, which resulted in an altercation, the soldier proving to be the best man. Later in the day, William Shields, Louis Shields and Columbus Greenlee, waylaid Bailey on his road home. William Shields struck the soldier on the left temple with a rock, or some other hard substance, and fractured his skull. The murderer escaped during the confusion, and is now in all probability within the rebel lines. His accomplices were arrested and are now held for trial.

The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the petition of Christiana Bailey, of Mason County, West Virginia, praying for a pension, have considered the same and submit the following report:

Petitioner is the widow of David Bailey, late a private in Company B, Thirteenth Regiment West Virginia Infantry Volunteers, who entered the service on the 5th day of August, 1862, and died, while on furlough, 28th May, 1863.

It appears from the evidence on file in the Pension-Office that petitioner's husband, being sick and in the regimental hospital at Charlestown, W. Va., was furloughed to go to his home, near the town of Cologne, and was placed under the care of Duncan C. Forbes, of the same regiment; that he (David Bailey) went to the town of Cologne on the 28th day of May, 1863, where a general election was being held, and during the day was drawn into a dispute with one Williams Shields, a rebel-sympathizer, on political topics, when blows passed between them; that later in the day, when the said Bailey was alone on his return home, he was set upon by the said Shields and two other men and so severely beaten that he only survived a few moments.

Petitioner applied for a pension under the act of 14th July, 1862, but her claim was rejected on the 24th August, 1864, because it was shown by the testimony filed that her husband was at the polls without authority, and in violation of the orders of the person in whose charge he had been placed, when he engaged in a dispute on account of which he was attacked and beaten so severely as to cause his death.

Duncan C. Forbes testifies that he was charged to look after him (David Bailey) and others by Dr. Shaw, surgeon in charge of the hospital at Charlestown; that he did so, and reported him (Bailey) as unfit for duty; that the day previous to that on which he was killed, witness ascertained that Bailey was suffering from inflammation of the brain and advised him not to join his regiment, (which he was anxious to do,) but to remain about home and keep quiet.

The majority of the committee are of opinion that, upon the state of facts here given, the widow of the soldier ought to be pensioned. They lay great stress upon the fact that her husband was suffering at the time from inflammation of the brain, and ought not to be held, for that reason, to the strictest accountability for disregarding the advice to stay away from the polls. While there his feelings as a loyal man and soldier were grossly insulted by Shields; the cause he was serving was denounced and the vilest epithets heaped upon him as a soldier in that cause. He bore this as long as it was possible for flesh and blood to do it, and then struck down the rebel. For this he was waylaid and murdered. We commend him for his patriotism, and think he deserves to be enrolled as one of the country's martyrs as much as if he had fallen in battle. The committee therefore report the accompanying bill and recommend its passage.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: May 1863