Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-06-30
WARTIME PICTURE "A, WHICH
rnNFEDERATE FORCES WE'RE INTRENCHED YEARS AGO

riage accident while visiting the mill
tary camps on the Virginia side of the
Potomac.
The most important event OF the
week concerned western Virginia. On
June 20, the very day that Mcclellan
left Cincinnati for Grafton, the Wheel
ing convention elected governor ana
other officers for what eventually be-
came the new state of West Virginia.
There were skirmishes during the
week near Leesburg and on the Rap
pahannock river. Washington an
nounced the name Of officers appoint
ed to the newly created regiments OF
the regular army. Among the colonels
selected were Sherman, Heintzelman
and Fitz-John Porter.
On June 1S Professor Lowe, by use
of light wires, successfully telegraphed
from war balloon, the first time 1t
was ever done in America.
This is bare skeleton Of events and
is so dry that the bones rattle. 1t Is
mere catalogue of deeds, each OF
which was Of life and death interest.
To comprehend them even dimly we
uuSC transport OURSELVES " an Ca"
that. though only fifty years removed,
is so unlike our own as to be scarcely
recognizable. We must see nation
every other home in which had hus-
band. a father or brother at the
front or preparing to go to the front.
| We must see a people-then two peo-
ples-feverish in their anxiety, impa-
tient in their zeal and played upon in
turn by patriotism, anger. elation and
despair. We must see them eager for
every scrap of news. torn by thou
sand wild rumors, fearing the loss of
loved ones. the capture of their capt.
| tai, the destruction of the nation itself.
! We must walk with Lincoln in the
still nights back and forth through
| the silent White House or to the tele-
! graph Office and go with him through
his days Of conflicting advice and heart
breaking reports. All this and much
more we must see and experience, and
then we shall not be in hailing dis
tance Of the realization. We must be-
| hold our own fathers. sons, brothers or
husbands at the front, our own flag in
peril, before we can even begin to un-
derstand.
It was the constant cry of the north
ern orators that not one star should be
erased from the flag. Well, not one
star was erased, although eleven were
long hidden behind the smoke of war.
Indeed, a new star was added. West
Virginia being born as q direct result
Of the conflict.
West Virginia Born.
On June 20 fifty years ago the new
state was taking form. On assembling
in convention at Wheeling nine days
earlier the delegates had taken the
following oath: I'VE solemnly declare
that we will support the constitution
of the United States and the laws
made In pursuance thereof as the su
preme law of the land. anything In
the ordinance of the convention that
assembled in Richmond on the 18th
day of February last to the con
trary Notwithstanding, SO help US
God" On the Goth such progress had
been made that governor, lieuten
and governor and council were elected
and the governor inducted into Office
The legislature of the new state met
on July g
Francis Harrison Pierpont, the frs
governor Of West Virginia, was q pro
pounced abolitionist He was born IL
Virginia In l614, educated at ALE