May 11, 1863
In a few days Governor Peirpoint and Secretary Hagans will leave us for Eastern Virginia, to take charge of matters in what will then be the State of Virginia as contradistinguished from the new State of West Virginia. These two gentlemen positively refused to allow their names to go before the recent Parkersburg Convention for nomination to any place of honor or profit in the new State. There is no doubt that had either of them said the word they could have secured places on that ticket. But they both persistently refused to allow their names to be used in that Convention. Gov. Peirpoint has a laudable ambition to go and faithfully fill the duties of the place to which he was elected, viz: Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He thinks he can serve the Union cause, for the present, in that position. What Andy Johnson has done and is doing for Tennessee he thinks he can do for Virginia. At all events he intends to try. He has recently been in Norfolk, Alexandria, Portsmouth and other places of the old State setting his house in order for future occupancy and administration. He sees many difficulties before him - a repetition to some extent, only more so, of the labors and difficulties he has encountered during the stormy time he has presided in this part of the ancient Commonwealth.
We have learned that it is the wish all the loyal people of the East that Gov. Peirpoint should come among them. The leading men have so expressed themselves, and they believe that with his experience and the confidence of the National Government in him, he can be of more service to them than anyone else. We think so, too. Some such man as the Governor is needed in Eastern Virginia. The Unionism of that section has not been the kind that has passed at par here. It is a kind of Slavery Unionism that professes to be the true Government, but takes up a good deal of its time denouncing the administration. It will be the aim of the Governor to try and find more useful employment for it, and see if he can't give it a better tone and better direction.
In this expected work, Governor Peirpoint can have no more useful assistant than Secretary Hagans - a man whom we deeply regret to lose from this, his native, section. His fine address, and intelligence and capacity have been of inestimable value in the reorganization of our affairs. He is a man of thorough system and business detail - and his high moral character have lent dignity, and respect and confidence to the State administration. It is the general sentiment that no better man could have been found for the position he occupies.
The Governor and Secretary will go to Eastern Virginia about the twentieth of next month, as that is the time when our new state will go into operation. In the meantime they will be busily occupied settling up affairs here. The new State will be left in a far different condition from that of two years ago, at the time these officers entered upon their duties; when all was threatened chaos and anarchy. She will have a handsome patrimony, a full treasury:a good character and standing before the world, to commence life upon.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: Undated: May 1863