The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-27
WEST yInorNIAw WAR FOOTING.


to be PsndeFcd over.
West Virginia Is a State possessing great
resources. No doubt the patient reader
has often read this statement and heard it
remarked before and knows It to be true,
but the prediction is made, that the average
reader does not know the extent Of one or
two Of West ViEinla's resources, and It Is
for the purpose Of giving publicity to IN i'm.
portant resource that this article Is written.
The military resources OF this State! Do
the free mountaineers Of this Switzerland
Of America know that within their borders
there is n vast standing army Of about 400
men? It Is fact, according to recently
published official document, that this NUM-
Der Of armed men, less about % per cent,
are ready to rise ip their might and sit
down on any uprising that the wild.eyed
coal diggers oil the kanawha Valley rnny
lnaugurate. Every State should possess q
militia force. Noonewill deny that, but
force Of 400 men ina little State like West
VirginiA-ls not that paiterning too much
after the United States Navy and will this
Bourbon.ridden State for ane instant agree
to anything that aims to copy after the
General Government?
The above figures were obtained after q
careful perusal Of document recently sub
mitted 10 His ExcellenCy, the Governor, by
W. F. Butler, Jr., "Adjutant General, and
A. Q. NJ. G.h Ir. u. Is entitled to no
pity. The handle 10 his name Is CONGO
infant evil which he had to assume when
he accepted the office. Ep.l The docu-
ment was q report Of West Nirglnla's
military movements during the past two
years, and with the accompanying papers
was very interesting.
The military history Of this State dates
back some eight years, when Uncle Dayy
GoG, in the Senate made his memorable
speech In favor Of bill that should pro-
vide for the maintenance oi militia; q
militia that would muster" One grand
general muster with accompanying cider
and gingerbread horses was what ho want
ed 10 see and then he would depart In
peace. That speech famed the slumbering
embers, and when the brilliant Mathews
ascended tho Executive platform and
placed that dashing cavalier General Ned
Woods in charge Of the ancient war records,
then the flower and chiyalry Of this Young
State rose, and, with cry OF ITO arms To
arms!n Organized companies, regiments and
battalions; wore gay uniforms with gold lace
and ieather; were petted and praised until
It tseemed that some Of them would explode
and vanish. Then came the cruel milroal
war. Let veil be drawn over this dark
and bloody period Of West ViIginiA's his
tory.
Then, peace being declared, grim.visagcd
war smoothed hiswrinkled front and those
/ ,lar1tnv paIu aha Matl,ousa tUbl EU,H,I5
capered nlmbly 10 the lascivious strains OF
Kramer at "The White" At this time the
military fever was becoming popular.
There was, so 10 speak, tendency towards
Capitalization Of power and the tide must
be turned. For some mysterious reason
murmurings began TO be heard In
the land and the companies ono
by one, began to disband. The
brave "soger boys" said Il was because
they received no encouragement from the
State. There must have been some mis-
take about this, for State that keeps 400
men, or rather allows them TO keep them.
selves, could never bo accused Of such
negligence. This may be somewhat Of
paradoxical statement, but Il has TO 20
with the rest Of the article.
To resume, and that briefly, the FiBt
Regiment gradually melted away, and 10
quote from GeneTal Buffers report, "the
cause assigned for this want Of military
spirit in our State Is, 50 ] am told by those
directly interested In this matter, an ap-
parent indifference on the part Of the State
10 give substantial aid and support to her
volunteer sOldlery.
"0ur volunteer militia at present num-
beH about four hundred, which | think
could soon be increased TO one thousand
by the re-enlistment Of dlsbanded COM
panieS, II the State would render reason
able aid In the premises.
1.-THE Second Regiment, West VirSinia
Volunteers, commanded by Colone' ]. W.
Appleton, headquarters at Charleston, W.
Va, Is the only regiment In tho State. This
regiment has, on several occasions, proved
to be very prompt in responding TO the call
Of the Executive for the purpose Of sup
pressing lawlessness in certain sections Of
our State. There are, at present, eight
companies In this regiment, all fully equip
ped and armed. We have also four c0tn-
panies unattached organizations These,
100, are armed with improved, breOcii.
loading rifles"
1t will DO surprising 10 many Wheeling
ties to know that Mr. S. A. Miller, Of tho
Auditors Office Is a warrior In Disguise
he Is quartermaster Of tho Second Rpgi.,
ment. Then there is that statesman from
Berkeley-Ilon. G. F. Eyans-he Ia lieu.
tenant Of artillery. And Lowry, tho fire.
eating gentleman from Summers, the hero
Of the cuspidor fight at the National Hotel
In Washington, Is Captain Of the Hereford
GuArds-a company by any other name
would fight as well.
General Butler has not sent his report to
other States. II Is not desirable that our
full strength should be known. He deyotes
several pages OF his report 10 the report Of
Col. Appleton, commanding the Second
Regiment, Of the war on the KAnAWha dur
Ing November, 1881, with list OF the spec
Iai orders and dispatches issued and re-.
ceiyed during that time They arc all
spirited, and bring wildly before on0's
mind the stirring events ol those days.
Regretting that all can not be given, two
samples are published:
tspecial Order, No. ~
Major j. w. i. Ford, LeiiiJurg, ". Va;
Organize company II you can. and be
ready to Join me at Connection, II needed.
Tell Withthrow count on him.
]. NJ. W. APPLETON,
Colonel Second ", Va. POLG