Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
July 16, 1862

Executive Department, Wheeling, Va, July 16th, 1862

To the People of Virginia:

The large area of territory won by the arms of the nation requiring numerous garrisons to hold the military positions thereof; the casualties incident to war, together with the threatened interference of two or three of the great Powers of Europe to destroy our greatness and diminish our power, have caused the President of the United States to call for 300,000 men, to secure the nation's integrity and, if needs be, to punish properly the impermanent Intermeddling with our national affairs. Of this number, the State of Virginia has been called upon to furnish 2,000 men, as her proportion, for the term of three years or during the war.

To aid and assist in the work of furnishing the States quotes, I desire all the Senators and members of the House of Delegates to act as agents in procuring volunteers in their respective districts and counties, that they associate with themselves discreet persons in each magisterial district in their several counties as recruiting committees; that they recommend active, intelligent, and brave men to be commissioned as second Lieutenants of the companies raised therein; and that they exercise their discretion as to the most effective means of obtaining volunteers, by holding public meetings and otherwise.

Volunteers from the counties east of the Chesapeake bay, and south of the Rappahannock river, and cast of the Blue Ridge, will rendezvous at Norfolk, and from the residue of counties east of the Blue Ridge at Alexandria. Those from the Valley district will rendezvous at Martinsburg; and those from the Wheeling Congressional district, (except the county of Pleasants) at Wheeling and Grafton. Those furnished by the residue of the counties of the State will rendezvous at Charleston, Guyandotte, Parkersburg, and Clarksburg, as may be most convenient.

A premium of $2 will be paid for each accepted volunteer, and upon his acceptance by the regimental surgeon $25, (part of the $100 bounty,) and $13, (one month's pay,) will be advanced, thus enabling the volunteer to leave $38 with his family or friends, should be desire to do so.

Loyal men of Virginia! although internecine war has devastated our lands, brought grief to our homes and sadness to our hearts, yet I do not doubt that you will voluntarily respond to this call, and fly to assist your brave brethren in this last struggle for home, country, and constitutional freedom, and secure forever, to ourselves and to our children, the priceless legacy bequeathed us by our fathers. Your sister States are nobly responding by voluntary enlistment. Let it not be said that it was left for Virginia to furnish her quota by resorting to a draft.

F. H. Pierpoint, Governor.

By

the Governor:

L. A. Hagans Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Governor Pierpont, of Virginia, issued a proclamation calling upon the people to furnish the State's quota of troops, under the call of President Lincoln for three hundred thousand men. To aid the work, he desired the Senators and members of the House of Delegates to act as agents in procuring volunteers in their respective districts.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: July 1862