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Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
June 1861


June 1
A mass Union meeting was held on the farm of William Hunter in Wood County.

Two Confederate companies were raised in Greenbrier County.

June 2

June 3
The first land battle of the Civil War was fought at Philippi on June 3, 1861.

June 4
An election was held in Ohio County to select delegates for a "Convention of the loyal people of Virginia," to be held on June 11 in Wheeling.

Militia in Monroe County formed at Centreville in anticipation of an attack by "Northern barbarians."

June 5
A flag was presented to a company of soldiers being mustered into service.

Major A. Loring, Ohio County sheriff, was arrested as a suspect in aiding secessionists.

June 6
A company of Mountain rangers, armed with rifles and homemade butcher knives, marched from Lewisburg to reinforce Confederate troops in Barbour County.

June 7
A flag raising ceremony was held in Fairview, Marshall County, to show support for the Union.

June 8
A Union meeting was held in Ritchie County.

The Honorable George W. Summers made a speech to the militia on parade in Kanawha County.

June 9
Several bridges on the Potomac River between Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry, and a number of canal boats found between Harpers Ferry and Point of Rocks in Maryland, were destroyed by Confederate soldiers.

June 10
Volunteers assembled for drill in Greenbrier County.

June 11
The Second Wheeling Convention assembled at Washington Hall in Wheeling.

June 12
The Second Wheeling Convention met for a second day. Arthur Boreman was chosen as president of the convention and took the oath of office.

Southern rights advocate Captain John Boring was arrested in Bethany.

The White Sulphur Rifle Company was created at Lewisburg for the protection of Southern interest by the people of Greenbrier County.

June 13
At the Second Wheeling Convention, John Carlile presented "A Declaration of the People of Virginia," a document that called for the reorganization of the government of Virginia on the grounds that due to Virginia's decision to secede from the United States, all state government offices had been vacated. Other resolutions were also offered.

Union troops under General Lew Wallace drove Confederate troops from Romney in Hampshire County.

June 14
Governor Letcher of Virginia issued a proclamation "To the People of North-Western Virginia," calling on them to rally behind Virginia.

Confederate troops, who had controlled Harpers Ferry since mid-April, destroyed the B&O Railroad bridge over the Potomac River and burned many buildings in the lower part of town before leaving for the Winchester area.

At the Second Wheeling Convention, an ordinance for the reorganization of the government of Virginia was debated.

The Ladies Wheeling Union Aid Society held a Strawberry Festival for the benefit of Union soldiers.

June 15
The Second Wheeling Convention met for a short session on June 15, 1861.

June 16
Confederate forces under Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett occupied Camp Laurel Hill in Barbour County.

June 17
At the Second Wheeling Convention, the Declaration of Rights was the order of the day. Francis Pierpont spoke at length on the subject.

The County Court of Kanawha appropriated $15,000 for the defense of the State, and a public meeting proclaimed that, although the county had voted against the Ordinance of Secession, they would support Virginia.

June 18
Members of the Second Wheeling Convention left Wheeling in a special B & O train and visited Union soldiers in Benwood and Bellaire, Ohio.

A skirmish erupted between scouting parties in Barbour County in the evening.

June 19
Members of the Second Wheeling Convention voted in favor of the ordinance reorganizing the government of Virginia.

The Virginia Convention meeting in Richmond passed an ordinance adopting the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.

Confederate troops from the Thirteenth Virginia and Third Tennessee regiments skirmished with Union troops at New Creek, burned a railroad bridge, and captured the Union flag.

June 20
A small detachment of the 20th Ohio was fired on from Pete Righter's house near Fairmont.

The Second Wheeling Convention elected officials to represent the Reorganized Government of Virginia. Governor Francis H. Pierpont of Marion County was unanimously elected as governor. He took the oath of office the same day and made a speech to the convention.

Under orders from Gen. Joseph Johnston, Col. Thomas J. Jackson began destroying the B&O Railroad yards at Martinsburg.

June 21
At the Second Wheeling Convention, the Ordinance relating to the Receipts and Disbursements of the Public Revenue, and Providing for the appointment of an Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Commonwealth was passed.

June 22
A detachment of Union soldiers from a company of the 2nd (West) Virginia Infantry disarmed militia at Bethany.

A flag was presented to Captain Hollister's company of the 2nd (West) Virginia Infantry from the boarding house of Mrs. Whitten in Wheeling.

A large crowd gathered in Harrisville, Ritchie County, for a flag raising celebration.

June 23
General George B. McClellan issued a proclamation to the "Inhabitants of Western Virginia."

June 24
The Second Wheeling Convention met.

June 25
The Second Wheeling Convention adjourned until August.

General George B. McClellan recommended the promotion of Benjamin F. Kelley to brigadier general.

June 26
Mounted picket under Col. Lew Wallace skirmished with Confederates near Frankfort, killing eight of them, and again near the mouth of Patterson's Creek before being driven off.

Confederate Brigadier General Henry A. Wise arrived in Charleston with the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.

A meeting was held in the Marshall County community of Limestone for the purpose of recruiting for the "Carlile Guards."

June 27
The Virginia Convention passed an ordinance prohibiting citizens of Virginia from holding office under the United States Government.

June 28
The Virginia Convention passed an ordinance suspending work on the Northwestern Lunatic Asylum at Weston, Lewis County, and repealing a loan to West Liberty Academy at West Liberty, Ohio County.

June 29
According to the Louisville Journal, a skirmish took place 12 miles from the Cheat River bridge between Union and Confederate troops.

Thomas A. Roberts of Roane County, a delegate to the Second Wheeling Convention, was captured by Confederate troops. He eventually ended up at Libby Prison, where he remained some time before being exchanged.

Sixty to seventy Mercer County citizens enlisted for service in the Confederate army.

Lt. Robert McChesney of the Rockbridge Cavalry was killed by a Union party in Tucker County.

Francis Pierpont, governor of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, wrote to the sheriff of Morgan County, informing him he was required to take the oath of affirmation.

June 30
A Union regiment marched to Weston and seized $27,000 in gold from the bank.

Troops under Gen. W. S. Rosecrans occupied Buckhannon.

Undated Events, June 1861


Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood

West Virginia Archives and History