The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-05-11

Stanton and Seward. were very bitter
and uncompromising towards the
South. and that they had a remark
able influence over the president. II
was reported by marauding bands OF
Federal cavalry. claiming 20 be gath
erfng up Federal property. regardless
OF whether IL was branded u. S. or
not. that we would be banished from
our impoverished homes. imprisoned
or shot on the spot" As Governor
Price read this letter his eyes began
to sparkle. and bright smiles light
ened up his pleasant face, and, hand
ing IL to me. he said, Coleman,
good news. good newsl" Turning
quickly to one OF his servants he
said: Sam. saddle my horse quickly"
Though IL has been over forty-five
years ago. that letter is indelibly en-
graved on my mind. and I repeat Il
here almost verbatim: Il desire you
10 proceed Immediately to Richmond
and convene your legislature. Tell
your people to come back and hang
up their hats on the same peg they
hung them on before the war"
Though he was sixty years old, we
returned to Lewisburg in a rapid gal
lop. arriving after shutdown. He got
hasty lunch. a fresh horse, and rode
all night, thirty-nine miles. TO Jack
son River depot, now Clifton Forge.
The old Virginia Central railroad, now
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,
had been completed only that far west
at the beginning OF the war between
the states. The governor took the
morning train for Richmond to con
vene the legislature. When he arrived
AT Stanton. Hon. Sandy Stuart, who
had been President Buchanan's secre-
tary of the interior; John Hugh Shelf
fey. Colonel John b. Baldwin and Mr..
Niche met him at the depot They
had heard he was coming. They in
formed him that President Lincoln
had been assassinated the previous
night. Governor Price returned home
on the next train west. Soon after
this followed the infamous carpet
bag rule of plumber and murder
throughout the southern states. This
was the greatest calamity. not ex.
cepting the Civil war, that ever be
fell the south. She lamented Mr.. Lin
coins death almost as much as the
north; not so much because she loved
him, but because she hated and fear
ed Andy johnson, who had betrayed
her. Mr.. Lincoln had visited Rich
mond only two days before his death.
and was received more cordially than
he anticipated. He had already pro-
mulgated his generous and humane
policy. of reconstruction. The lead
ing men OF the south firmly believed
that had he lived ard been strong
enough to have enforced his policies
against bitter opposition. there would
never have been any "carpetbag" or
'Ku-kluxKlan" rule in the south. and
she would have been twenty-five
years further advanced in every line
OF endeavOr than she is to-day
Hon. William Smith, known as
Fighting Extra Billy" because he
had been a gallant general In the
Confederate army and an able gov
ernor once before. had been elected
governor. and Hon. Samuel Price.
lieutenant governor during the war
On the evacuation OF Richmond. April
.. 1864. Governor Smith had left with
President Davis. or at least could not
be communicated with. and the above
quoted message from President Lin
coin was sent to Cover Price. lIeuten-
ant and acting governor OF Virginia
Governor Price was the father OF the
old Virginia Central railroad" and
director in that road until it's re-
organization and changed to the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad in the
seventies under G. =. Huntington. He
was president OF the constitutional
convention that adopted the present
constitution OF West Virginia in 1871
y. He was also appointed by Gov
ernor Jacob TO the United States sen
ate in 1876 10 fill the vacancy caused
by the death OF Senator Caperton.
J. COLEMAN ANDERSON. r
Charleston. W. Va.