Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-01-25
West Va. Legislature.


Senate, was reelected. In the House,
Mr.. McWhorier. of Kanawha, was elected
Speaker.
We give below extracts Of Gov. Bore
mans message:
CONDITION OF TIE STATE.
Order has r-igned during tie year
Throughout, the greater par, of The State.
In two or three localities, however, the
! peace has been disturbed, HE laws have
bt Ell set at nsught and The officers resist
ed, and. indeed ,iorcIbIy driven away from
the performance Of their duties.
During the war, and since. there has
b, Ell band OF aimed rebels in The coun-
lies of Wayne and Logan, led by fellow
known and notorious as ''Capiain Bill
| Smith" numbering, rUbblng aud pIundeI-
ing the people Of that region. Some oil
this band were indicted in the courts for
various offences, and was urged 10 offer
rewards for them. finally lin November.
1861 did offer a large reward for the ap-
preheuson of Smith himself, but the civil
officers had NOT force sufficient to arrest
him. and he was regarded as such des-
persdo that others would not undertake ii.
even for The reward offered, and this prov.
ed unavaiIng. During last winter, this
band, several times, robbed pesceable
citizens and committed olber depredaions
in Wayne county, and near the FIRST of
! March. by force and violence. they put
the officers Of the county in fear and drove
them away from the performance Of their
! duties al the court house, the latter ieel'
ing themselves unsafe in resuming their
Offices without protection; and again, this
band took possession Of the jail, oVerpow-
cred the TAILOR, put him under restraint,
and released one of their associates, who
was confined therein on criminal charge.
/ II was also made known 10 me, by evil
dence that could rot disregard, that The
! State and other taxes could not be safely
collected in considerable portion of The
county, unless the collecting officers had
protection and aid. Under these circum-
stances, and upon the urgen, application
of officers and other good citizens Of the
counties interested, asked the proper au-
,horities OF the United States for small
body OF troops, and company was sent
into Wayne county early in the spring-a
detachment Of them being afterwards sta
toned at Logan Court House. These
troops have remained in that portion Of
| lhe State unul the present time. and since
/ they have been there the peace Of the
community has been preserved and the
officers have uninierrup,edly performed
their duties. In Logan county there had
been no taxes collected since the war, eX-
cepl few hundred dollars in small por
ton Of The county. In other portions OF
| the county, there were many that had re-
turned from the rebel Amy, bringing
their arms with them. who denied The au-
,horily Of the State Government, and III
lerly refused 10 pay taxes for its support
or for the support OF the county orgsnlza.
ton under itand threatened to resist with
arms, and to the death, if the collection OF
taxes should be attempted. The conse-
quence was that no officer would 60 into
those portions of the county, and, indeed,
no person could be induced 10 hold an
office in The county which devolved on
him the collection of the taxes. Since
the troops have been stationed IN the
county, the taxes OF 1865 have all been
collected and psdJ into the Treasury,f
which, am assured, could not have been
done had there been no troops there. |
think ! am not in error when express
the opinion that the better portion of the
people Of the region interested, wi,hoV
regard TO political parties, are now salts
fed that The circumstances demanded the
presence OF iroops.an tina, their presence
has greatly cOnduced 10 the security OF
life and property and 10 The promotion OF
the peace and harmony, and. by conse-
quence. the prosperity Of The community.
In another section OF the Sate--in the
three adjoining counties of Randolph,
Tucker and Barbour-ihere have been
very decided manifestations Of opposition
to the execution Of the registry law during y
the year. In The two former, officers and
other Union men who took an interest in
and supported the registration Of voters,
were threatened and menaced by open de-
monstra,ions, and also by written cOmmu-
nicalions, in which they were notified 10
leave the country or they mus! suffer in
Jury 10 their persons aud property, in
consequence Of which many officers were
in,inida'ed and resigned, and il has been
with much difficulty tina, persons could
be induced 10 take upon themselves The
execution Of The law. In the latter
part of September | was officially in
formed that the subordinate officers OF
registration in Barbour county were OPP
posed by such force aJd violence, that
unalded. they could not proceed
in the discharge Of their duties ;
that in three townships they had
been actually set upon and assaulted
Ill some instances with fre-srms-snd
forcibly driven away ; and threats were
made that the County Board would moi be
allowed to sill for the transaction OF bust
mes. epjoined upon them by The law,
with an apparent determination on the
part of those making the threats TO carry
them into execution. These facts were
represented TO me by The President Of the
Board Of Registration and others OF the
most intelligent. and respectable citizens