From Pleasants County.
October 14, 2010
Editors Intelligencer:
It seems that the reign of terror has but recently been inaugurated in this community.
On the night of the 16th of September T. D. Gorrell had a stack of hay burned, and on the 20th his barn was consumed by fire. It contained a considerable amount of oats and farming utensils. Since that time we have stood guard. One guard has been shot at the ball passing through the breast of his coat. Since that time various kinds of strange noises heard after night, such as the blowing of horns, the hallooing of voices, apparently in answer the shooting of guns, and the seeing of numerous men straggling about late at night.
A few nights since, the store of Mr. Martin, on the N. W. V. R. R. was fired, but was discovered in time time [sic] to save it.
Connect the above with the burning of St. Marys, and the shooting of J. R. Cranmer of the latter place, and things look gloomy.
I could give you further information relative to affairs here, if it was prudent to make it public. I will give it to you hereafter. We have sixty men armed with Enfield rifle-muskets at Hebron.
AN OBSERVER.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: September 1861