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

White Oak, Ritchie County, Va.,
March 9th, 1863.

Editors Intelligencer:

Having had frequent access to your most valuable paper during the past winter, and seeing in it numerous letters from the adjoining counties concerning the New State feeling therein, which upon the whole has been very encouraging and not without an influence; but I have not as yet seen any thing from Ritchie county. Therefore, being well assured that she has a great influence on her sister counties in West Virginia, on account of the immense strength she has displayed, not only in resisting the regular armed forces of the South, but in repelling the thieving, plundering, robbing, bushwhackers of Calhoun and Gilmer counties - who, despite the untiring vigilance of Captain Nutter and his valiant little band of Home Guards, have committed numerous depredations in the vicinity of Bone Creek - I take the privilege of communicating through the medium of your paper, for the encouragement of the adjoining counties, and for the good of the cause generally, that we, on the day of election, are going to roll up a handsome majority for the New State. There is considerable enthusiasm existing here on the subject; even some of those who were the advocates of Secessionism are enough alive to their person welfare to speak in favor of it. Though the Southern sympathizers may not all vote for the New State, yet I feel pretty well satisfied here are none so blind to their local interests as to vote against it. Before this rebellion there was almost a unanimous clamor by the people of Ritchie for a division of the State, and notwithstanding there are rebels here, they are not going to permit their better judgment to be overruled by their prejudice. No, sir, let us place more confidence in our peaceable Secessionists. A greater number of them in this county are my relatives - men in whom I have ever placed the utmost degree of confidence, but now regard as having been greatly misguided, which I am happy to say has been the confession of several of them. This, sir, I think we may regard as being the beginning of better times, not only in this county, but throughout the whole of Western Virginia.

T. W. I.

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