John Carlile
State Archives Portrait File

Carlile, who resided in Clarksburg, served as a state senator, a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850-51, and congressman. He voted against secession in 1861, and headed the movement to break away from Virginia. He was elected to the United States Senate, where he drafted the statehood bill for West Virginia. By this time, Carlile had changed his mind regarding statehood. He sought to sabotage statehood efforts and voted against the bill.