Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
Undated
May 1861

The depravity of the human heart is most woefully displayed in the career of the traitor Carlile. The following facts are beyond controversy as they come to us from an unquestionable source. We learn that Carlile is in correspondence with Lincoln's Cabinet, and that he now has in his possession a letter from Cameron, Secretary of War, and a member of Lincoln's Cabinet, offering to send Black Republican troops into North western Virginia for the purpose of subjugating the people, and separating this section of the State from the East. This information can be implicitly relied on, as it came from one of Carlile's supporters, who said that he saw the letter from the Secretary of War. The individual referred to here is truthful and reliable, and would not, under any circumstances, state what was not true.

What will our people think of this demon, whom we have been nurturing in our bosoms until he has become recreant to every sense of honor, and is now trying to light the fires of a fratricidal war in our midst, and backed by hordes of Abolitionists, plunder, burn and ravage the people who have conferred upon him almost an unlimited trust?

Nor is this all of the treachery and treason of the notorious Carlile. It is known that he was the first to leave Richmond after the passage of the Secession Ordinance, and although the members of the Convention were sworn to secrecy, yet Carlile spent a whole day in Washington, and was, we are told, closeted with Lincoln's Cabinet. That night, when Carlile passed Harper's Ferry the Armory buildings were in flames by the order of Lincoln. The question is, how did Lincoln know of the passage of the Secession Ordinance so as to telegraph to Harper's Ferry to destroy the buildings and arms to prevent them from being captured With what fiendish exultation must Carlile have sit in the cars and witnessed the flames lit up by his treason! How he must have looked like some exaggerated demon, raised from the purging fires of the nether world by infernal incantations!

It is reported, with what truth we know not, that Carlile has been forced to fly the country to prevent arrest for treason. Philippi, May 1, 1861.

Mr. Editor:

--We, the undersigned, do hereby certify that on the 2d day of May inst., we heard Lewis A. Myers, who has been writing in the Clerk's office of the Circuit Court of Harrison county for the last eight months, and is now at this place, say in the presence of several persons, that he had seen the correspondence from Gen. Cameron, Secretary of War of the Black Republican Administration at Washington, in which communication the Black Republican Administration promised to furnish troops to sustain the "Union men" of North western Virginia in dividing the State. Henry D. Auvil, James T. Hartman.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: Undated: May 1861