The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-07-11

Fairfax Court House, but if SO it
proved only a ruse. as they now in
trenched near the town.
During this week President Lincoln
was busy preparing his message to
the extra session Of congress. which
he had called to meet on July T. There
were wild rumors about Washington
of plots to blow up the capitol building
as soon as congress should convene
On June 81 Mrs. Lincoln, with her two
sons. had narrow escape in a car
rage accident wnlle visiting the mir
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 a governor and
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 colonies
selected were Sherman. Heintzelman
and Fitz-John Porter.
On June Is Professor Lowe. by use
of light wires, successfully telegraphed
from a war balloon. the first time it
was ever done in America.
This is bare skeleton of events and
is SO dry that the bones rattle. 1t is
a mere catalogue Of deeds. each of
which was Of life and death interest.
To comprehend them even dimly we
must transport ourselves to an era
that. though only fifty years removed,
Is so unlike our own as to be scarcely
recognizable. We must see a nation
every other home in which had a hus-
band. a father or brother at the
front or preparing to go to the front.
We must see peOple-then two peo-
ples-feverish in their anxiety impa-
tent 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
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 aud much
more we must see and experience, and
then we shall not be in hailing dis
lance 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.
1t was the constant cry of the north
ern orators that not one star should be
erased from the flag. Well not one
long hidden behind the smoke of war
Indeed. a new star was added. West
Virginia being born as 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
Cod" On the Goth such progress had
been made that governor. a ieuten-
and governor and council were elected
and the governor indicted into office.
The legislature Of the new state met
on July 2.
Francis Harrison Pierpont, the first
governor Of West Virginia. was pro-
nouDced abelitionist. He was born 10
Virginia in 1914. educated at ALE
kheny college and began the prac-
tice Of law at about the age Of thirty.
Western Virginia was not at once
erected into state. but at this time
acted under the name Of the restored
government of Virginia" Pierpont
on being elected governor by the
Wheeling convention was recognized
by President Lincoln. In the fall he
was reelected for the term Of two
years and again for four years. When
the new state Of West Virginia was
created In 1868 Governor Pierpont
removed his capital to Alexandria.
opposite to Washington. At the fall
Of Richmond he again removed to that
city and was governor Of the entire
state until 1868.
Side Lights on Mcclellan.
McClellan's army had now been OPP
Grating in the vicinity Of Grafton for
about one month. winninD fha imnnr-