Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-07
The War in Western VIRGINIA.

-
The War in Western Virginia.
IntereGttnR;:'C CorresiPI resiI ON dencs-T [..t
oiHang Union 0dleefs-lett tier or !
Gon1ederatel OmHsr-GanG MIirov,s
80 .ar yf3nt fH47g q u .a4.f4;
The following correspondence lately
took place between Gen: R. 3. !. MilrOv. ot
the Federal, and Col, Imbodsn, Of the Con.
federate army: ,'''sl1'l'
- sHtlADQu4ETERs CoNIEDERAIE RORcEs,
3. Shenandoah Mountains, Jan. 26, 1858.
BFigadier General r. II. 1IIroy, Command
ing 2. 8. Forces, ,Winehester, Ea.:r
SlR:--0n the 1lthl iDst,,, by my order. a
man named Trayborn, exercising the Office
.otsSherit of BaEbour,i county, ;Va.Ijunder
the psurped Government, at w healing. was
arrested and sent bylme to the Governor
OF Virginia, as a prisoner, u have infor-
nation which ] deem perfectly reliable
IN consequence of this arrest; your troops
stationed at Phillippi, have murdered, by
shooting, Henry Wilson aud Henry Bow.
man, two Unarmed and dupresistingC citizens,
who were 5qpietly ut their homes, ana
whose only alleged ofense was a, failure.
on their part, ito comply with an order is,
sued by you in November last, requiring
the oltl8ens to give your troops informa-
ton Of fcthe approach OF Confederate troops.
i amb further informed that fifteen other
citizens have been arrested aRd ordered to
be shot at the end of fifteen days, If Tray-
born. is not released and sent home, within
that ltime.s Your G Government inaugurated
and has PeraeVeTed'in the. practice, uuWar-
.ranted by tbs usage of civilized warfare, of
arresting and 4imprisopinE not only civil
officers, but private non. .combatents, citi-
'zenss of the GonfederRte States, hundreds
OF, whom, from the boy of tender age to the
decrepid old man, are now incarCerated in
Camp, Chase, OhnsOnis Island and else
where. =rr 35.tfi q Ss,I:,..4 -
% MygoVernmeuth has protested against, this
6arbarous system of arrestiug men. and
boys, and women, too, merely because
they exercise the right of free opinion and
free speech; but in vain have, there
fore, ordered that within the limits of the,
pretended State of West Virginia, where
may be in command, Iwill arrest and i'm
prison, as dangerous enemies to my State
and country, every man l can lay nv
hands upon;who holds an Office under the
usurpedt State GOvernmen: at Wheeling,
regarding such arrests las legitimate, irre-
spectiVei of the acts ofiYopri government,
and as nm absolutely necessary, justifable
retaliatory4 act for, the arrests made yby
yOHr government. Aud now notify you,
that Trayhorn will not be returned within
the fifteen, days mentioned, nor at any
time, unless the Governor end other law
fbllY certified authorities Of the State, of
Virginia, shall order III ia seharss; aud if,
upon further investigation, the fact of the
murder of Wilson and Bowman by your
forces is established, shall order the i'm.
mediate execution of two of the prisoners.
of highest rank belonging to your COM.
mapdi captured by my forces, and whose
names i now enclose. to you; and il the
fifteen citizens arrested in Barbour county,
or. any more of them, are executed, l. i will
Immediately, upon being assured of that
fact, hang ,twos of yours for each one so,
executed The lives of these prisoners
are in your hands Il they will be held as
hostages for the liberty and safety of my,
tSl SlloWrcttizens who rare arrested and in
your power. Yours, 80, ii gnf. iia5,
1satot Colonel Commanding, &c.
IL. GENERAL MILRoI's REPLY.
!. ra III Binchestsr, Va; Jan. ~, 1861.
Z, SIR Your Communication, dated JAM
uary 20, 1868, is received. am net, and
have not been, for the last month, in COM
manu- Ol Auy flOECCS NfeSGeEn aflcR1nl0.4fl
therefore have no Jurisdiction or control
over the matters referred to in your letter,
and have forwarded the same for the con-
siderstion of my government. l. have no
information oflthe shootingOf Bowman, and
Wilson and entertain, therefore, no doubt
your information lis erroueoHs 81 Neither
theyiuor any one else have been shot, ex-
cepti in battle, by my order.' Ih0Ve, noticed
in the papers that the authorities of West
ern Virginia contemplate retaliatory mcasL
iures, intconsequeuce. of the arrest and abb,
'duction of Tray horn, but whatImeasures,
if any, have been adopted, Il am not fuform-
ed!a Western Virginia has been recognized
by my, government as a a-separlte and tiude-
pendent State of the Union; astsuch the
citizens arc entitled to its protection ~. The
course which you propose to apursuo to-
ward u certain class Ofg citizens of that
State necessarily induces a retaliatory one.
: pam not, however, authorized to sny
what will be the action of my government,
in the event that sthe coursel Indicated in
your letter is fPersisteduinsEa You threuten
to hang an officer ands certain priyates of
this commands now IN your power. You
cannot be ignorant that a much 3 larger
number ofrebelprisoners areiui mypower,
and yon mustqnobpresume so far upon the
t1E tAu6
Federal authorities as to put that threat
into executions. Ifbope you will not com.
pei me to that painful alternativeswhich
that exechtionso of your threat will render
inevitable. i.Io notice that the Confederate
government is aboutito offer ten thousand
dollars for myIhead.l Had you not better
come down and make the speculatiou2ov
, -oiGHYours, ,gYst r.. II. 3MlIRoY, ins
! .L1'Hse7 sdi syRa fBrigadier General. l.1gi
o. D.sImbodsns Zstyl ling himself Colonel
Commanding. siaic 0sg 20 81 soyai III y
! sif ~ E7-7.T-Hag I
,. -Eige from the. New: York Post. q gsf,.s
/ htcan the ROuthybes esOOnIueredt!si o
IS You cannot conquer sthe South,n is a
cuckoo note that VIC have card ever since
the war began: twas prediction, indeed;
before the war and is now believed by
many from mere repetition. To give it
greater force a sayiDpaOf Napoleon. to the