Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
Undated
June 1863

Editors Intelligencer:

Dear Sirs: - Over the transparent signature "A. B." in your number of the 2d inst., my late competitor for the House of Delegates, Ephraim Bee, proclaims himself with pharisean modesty, an "uncompromising Union man," while his personal opponents are charitably designated as "the enemy." For the sake of the 245 loyal citizens who honored me with their support, I cannot silently pocket my intended share of this insidious epithet, and beg leave to refer you and the public at large, to the following figures and facts:

In the Hughes' river precinct, where Mr. Bee and myself both reside, and are best known, and where I raised the Stars and Stripes over the poll "for and against the Ordinance of Secession," while Mr. Bee laid uncompromisingly low awaiting the result, I obtained in the last contest 71 votes and Mr. Bee 17!

Far away from home where my domestic habits had cultivated no political reputation, and where Mr. Bee's characteristic talents had the fairest play, he only beat me four per cent, with 230 of Foley's votes to my skirts. This he mainly accomplished by representing me, according to men and places, as an abolitionist for predicting the triumph of the free State long before he believed it possible, and a secessionist for not cropping the noses of those of my next door neighbors' geese who peacefully disagreed with me in politics.

Yours respectfully,
J. H. Diss Debar.

[We know nothing of the merits of this controversy, but must assure our correspondent that he is mistaken in attributing the letter he alludes to to Mr. Bee. We are not aware of having ever received a communication from that gentleman on any subject. - Eds. Intell.]

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: Undated: June 1863