Shinnston West Va Oct 6th 1863
A I Boreman Gov.
Dr Sir
I take this oppertunity to write you concerning the Shinnston State Volunteer Companie that is attached to my Regiment It was Organized more than 1 year ago According to Law & the have Drilled regular ever since untill they have become as well drilled allmost as soldiers & have Scouted whenever they thought they was danger in the Country; and have been ordered out Some three times for regular Service & they have responded to the Orders like Men they have served Some 18 day alltogether without counting their Scouting (in one of their Scouts they captured a very important prisoner A Sturms) & they never have received one Cent of pay, but still they has not been much dissatisfaction untill after Mr S S Fleming (Our Delegate) Came home to raise an indipendiant Comp. of Scouts at the headquarters of their Comp. it has caused a great deal of dissatisfaction especially among the Officers they contend (which I think wrongfully) that they have been treated ungreatfully intentional after doing so much Service without pay to have a Comp. got up rite in their midst to be paid for the very thing that they Organized to do & held themselve in readiness to do whenever ordered & upon this they have tendered me their Commission & resignations; but I have declined receiving them untill I hear from you. I am satisfied if they resign that the comp will go down & it is my wish and desire for it to exist & I believe it is the wish of all good union men in this Section of the Country it has don a great deal of good I know in keeping down outbreaks & intimidating & keeping out horse thiefs & c for to the best of my Knowledge they have not been one hourse Stool in the bounds of this comp. Since it was got up with the exception of Jones raid, the Officers thinks it is a reproch upon them in having this Scouting comp got up in their midst without letting them know Something about it before hand & they say they Honorably compelled to resigne but I feel satisfied when the Order was given that it never was the intention to reflect reproch upon them.
Gov. your answer I think will set every unright & in commissioning the Officers Elect of the Scouting Comp (which I have reported to Mr S S Fleming for him to log before the ajt general) if you will allow me the Suggestion I think it would be best to have them attached to the State vol. comp. at Shinnston but have them indipendent in their Scouting unless the whole of them was out I think they would work together in case of necessity much better & would be much better to the protection of the Community at large
Your Very Obedient Servant
Luther C Shinn
Col. 138th Regt West Va Militia
Ref 6
Adjt. Genl.
You will order Col. Shinn to accept the resignations of the officers of the Home Guard Co and immediately call the Company together to select new officers- first giving reasonable notice- and send the resignations- and the certificates of ___ Election here so that Comm may issue- and send a roll of the Company. Write to this Col. Saying that I did not know there was such a company until I rec' his letter & there fore could not have intended to cast any reproach on the company. My only object was to given protection to that section of country.- A I Boreman
Gov
Oct. 8/63