The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-05
,p,TIoN or STATE PAPERS

PR IL
,,r,e timo sgo we printed pleasantly
;,,on letter from Capt. 6 H. MoFFETr'
Che desth Ofthe late Colonel TERRELL
wall known Virginia gentleman
Giving some "reminiscences ol
p.,rfs The story was well told and
r.s copied by many of the Virginia
.nors In that story OF Colonel Ter
.v'1,s life, Mr.. MoFFETT gave him
,.ti. with having written some OF Gov.
1,Tcggs's State papers, which
,oro models of elegance, states
m.o.bip and patriotism. The
,nf,rmstion upon which Captain
u,ryErr founded this statement was
evidently erroneous, as the following
documents clearly show. Some time
oro we received from Governor LETcHER
. letter addressed to Captain MoFFETT,
which we forwarded to his address, but
,rn,ch must have miscarried as we have
had no response TO II. The letters here
',.', attached will be- read with interest.
LEXINGTON, VA Jan. so, 1878.
Editor OF the Register.
find in your paper of the 9th OF
December, 1877, which had been Kindly
son, me by my friend j. IL. Pendieton,
E.o. of your city, an article written oy
Mr.. G.. ii. Mofiett. on the life and char
,cter of the late Col VIM. IL. Terrlll.
rho nsper was received by me on the
,oorning of the Slst ulto., and Oh that
dow addressed 70 Mr.. Moffett the letter
conv Of which will be found herewith,
c,cI6sed it 10 yourself, with q request
:, send il TO YOUR correspondent, which
rou subseouently informed me you had
:snt 70 MotF5tt, but to this hour L have
received no reply.
| wrote to Col. Munford. Secretary OF
The Commonwealth, and Col. L. Bassett
Frrpeb. whose replies will be found be-
low, who copied my official papers for the
Convention and the Legislature.
when Col. Terrill stayed a. the Exec
u.ive MansIon. he occupied a room with |
CoI R,ber. Johnston (now o. Harrison
bgrr. Va), and during the same time,
C,I French and tic late DR.. John |
Mryo occupied looms all the time IN
I'm. house and for much OF the time
l;rner,l Z. II. Smith and Colonel K. II.
Ca,,elle. They had full opportunities OF
knowing all that WAS going on.
The originals of my messages and OH
ci,l papers are, understand, now at
Washington, having been removed to
chat city after the capture of Richmond,
and can be referred 10, ! suppose.
Since the article WAS copied in the
s.sun.on Spectator, General f. IL. Smith
has voluntarily furnished me with the
letter which will be found below.
now take leave of the mstter, only
re,ret,ing that have consumed as much
o. your space in replying to charge
taat hss not the slightest foundation IN
truth. Respectfully,
john LETCHER.
Such papers as have published Motietts
Article, will oblige me by inserting my
reply. j. Il.
LEXIxGroS. Dec. 3lst, 1877.
CAPTAIN e. II. Me6stt, Wheeling, Vest
Virginia
SrR:-In the WhccI,nq Da,ly Register
of December 27th, (for which l sm in
deb,ed to y irieudl, | find an article
siynel "G. II. NJ, pUrportlng 70 be
sketch Of the lie ot the !Gte Colonel Wm.
II. Terrill OF Bath county, Virginia,
prepared by Yourself las the editor says.
It's statements So far as they refer TO me,
are entirely untounGcd in truth; and |
write. therefore, to ascertain the name OF |
your informant. Mr.. Terrill never sug.
gested, dictated, or wrote any Of my |
State papers as Governor of Virginia, |
nor was he ever consulted in regard to |
them. He had no knowledge Of their
contents or character OF any one OF them, !
until he read them in print. They were
prepared by myself, copied from my own
manuscript in my own hand writing,
either by the Secretary of the Common,
wealth, when l had no privste secretary
or by Colonel s. Bsssett French, who
wss uy private secretary after the war
commenced. If Colonel Terrill were
now alive he would repudis.e with scorn
such pretension rs you have asserted
for him. HIS reputation for intellect was
universally recognized, and needed no
false pro,ension 10 sus:sin It. Colonel
Terrill WAS not man TO claim credit tor
acts to which he was not party, and
about which he was rot even consulted.
An early answer Is desired.
Truly your obedient servant,
JoHN LETCHER.
From the Wheeling natlr Register,
Thursday morning. December =, ls0.l
During the war Co. Terrill was the
power behind the throne in Virginia.
lie wss the wsrm personal friend Of Gov.
Letcher, and spent good portion Of his
time at the Executive MsDsion, when
Le.cher was so honorsbly filing the po.
sltion of War Governor.
Some of the most finished State papers
Of American history were those emsnst-
ing from the Executive Office while Gov.
LetCher controlled the destinleS OF the
old Common wealth. Col. Terrill was
their author, SIS he prepared s)l the i'm
portsnt State papers Of thst Administra-
tiOn. But so unsmbtiCus WAS be, that
1t was matter of no consequence to him
whether he cot credit FOR il or not. If
he could serve friend, or could have an
hours social enjoyment with Jolly
crowd, he was happy
OFFICE LETcHER & LETCHEH,
CoUNsELLoRs AND ATT'Ys AT LAW,
LEXINGTON, VA. Jan. %, 1878.
Ny DEAR SIR-1 inclose you an e1-
tract, IRON Motfetts letter TO the Wheel
ING REGISTER, ard also copy of nv let
ter addressed 10 Mofiett TO which | have
received no reply. l desire you and
French to state what you know ON the
subject, as soon as possible, and send your
replies to me, at this place. The article
appeared yesterday. copied from the
REGHTERl in the Spectator, snd wish
TO reply through the last named psper.
See French on the subject.
Your Friend,
JOIN LETCHEk.
C1t. G. ". Mnyord, Richmond, Va.
COMMoNwEALTH OF VIRGISlA,