Civilian Prisoners II

The following incidents are taken from James Branham's M.A. thesis for West Virginia University, "Arbitrary Arrest in West Virginia, 1861-1865", 1959, or from the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

Mr. Branham notes of the Daily Intelligencer that "the editors were champions of the Union cause and used the columns of their paper to uphold the Union in every way." The Wheeling Daily Register, however, took a more cautious view of the suspension of the writ of habeus corpus. On November 6, 1863, the Daily Register wrote "We oppose the suspension of the great writ of habeus corpus because it is unnecessary to the successful carrying on of the war-because it irritates the people-weakens confidence in the patriotic purposes of the government, and over and above all is a violation of the Constitution, in one of its most vital parts."

WDI = Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

WDR= Wheeling Daily Register

August 26, 1861 (WDI). "MORE PRISONERS. Eight or ten more prisoners were brought down from Grafton Saturday, and confined in Camp Carlile. One of the prisoners was an old man who walked with a staff."

September 5, 1861 (WDI). "AFTER JEFF MARTIN. On Tuesday, E. Morton, United States Marshal for this district, went down to 'Olney, near Moundsville', for the purpose of taking possession of Jefferson T. Martin, his illustrious predecessor, upon a charge of treason. The Marshal was advised that Martin was not at home, and after searching the premises of 'Olney near Moundsville' he discovered that it was too true. The Ex-Marshal was not visible to the naked eye. He was seen in this city the evening the contraband goods, in which his name figured extensively, were captured at the clothing house of Thomas Hughes, but since that time he has been 'non est inventus'. Martin has used his position and influence to foment and encourage treason for more than a year, and he has been well described by an Ex-Judge of this Circuit, as the 'arch-traitor of Western Virginia.' We do not know the nature of the charge, but we understand that the authorities have the 'deadwood on him'."

May 21, 1862 (OR, Series 2, Vol. 3, Part 1, pg. 560).

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, May 21, 1862.

JOSEPH DARR, Jr., Provost-Marshal, Wheeling:

The President being informed that you intend or threaten to arrest Bishop Whelan, the Catholic Bishop of your city, he directs that you take no action against the Bishop without the President's order.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

September 3, 1862 (WDI). "Two men by the name of Bedillion were brought to the Atheneum for yelling for Jeff Davis."

November 12, 1862 (WDI). "Nine prisoners, captured in Lewis and adjoining counties, were brought up last evening, crossed the river at Bellaire, and were taken over to Columbus, Ohio. They said they had not done a thing in the world. They were pursuing the peaceful avocations of life, 'holding the even tenor of their ways', and never harmed a hair of any man's head. They were out squirrel hunting, but the Federal soldiers who arrested them thought they were Bushwhackers."

November 12, 1862 (WDI). "CAPTURE OF A SECESSION SURGEON. Last evening a Dr. Knight, of Mason county, arrived in the city and stopped at the county jail. He was accompanied by a Federal soldier or two. This Dr. Knight lived at West Columbis, Mason county. When Wise commenced fifing and drumming around there, the doctor thought it would be a good thing to go and join the Quixotic Ex-Governor and attend the sick, administer quinine and salts, and make himself generally useful. He followed the Secesh until he was tired of it, and the other day, with that impudence which only a secessionist possesses, he came back to West Columbia and settled down in the bosom of his family. The Federal soldiers went down and yanked him-gobbled him and brought him here. He is very bitter and even now talks as impudent as the worst of the rebels. When he is bleached a little, perhaps he'll 'modify his views'."

December 16, 1862 (WDI). "On Saturday evening Lt. Col. Hoy, of the 6th Virginia Regiment [U.S.] brought down two prisoners, one by the name of Hughes, who was arrested near Boothville, in Marion County, on Saturday morning. The other prisoner is a sort of wild looking subject, who was captured back in the Ritchie County woods by members of the same regiment. This man, whose name we are sorry we cannot lears, for we would like to hand it down to posterity, actually acknowledges that he belonged to a guerrilla party, and has been doing all the harm he could to the Union cause. It is a remarkable fact that this wild man of the woods is the very first Secesh ever yet caught in this part of the country who would acknowledge that he had ever been guilty of anything more heinous than hunting squirrels or saying his prayers. Both of the prisoners took lodging in the Atheneum."

May 2, 1863 (OR, Series 2, Volume 5, pg. 548).

WHEELING, VA., May 2, 1863. Hon. E. M. STANTON: There are no charges against G. W. Thompson. He is held as hostage. He has been exchanged and has not violated his implied parole to Judge Turner. J. THOMPSON.

September 23, 1863 (WDR). "An old gentleman awoke one morning to see a band of guerrillas leaving his property with a team of his valuable horses. He hurriedly dressed, followed them, was captured and taken to their camp. Here he saw many of his old friends and relatives. They prevailed upon the others to return the team to the old man and this was done. On his return trip, when within a short distance of the house, he was arrested by a Federal scouting party, charges with giving information to the enemy, his wagon was confiscated, and he was sent to Washington City and lodged in jail to await trial."

October 3, 1863 (WDR). "A man was arrested in Cleveland [Webster County], on Wednesday morning, and talen to the Provost Marshal's office, for offering the Constitution of the United States for sale at auction, in the following language: 'Here's the Constitution of the United States, a document that no man dare violate except Abe Lincoln, the American Rail splitter. He thought because he could split rails, he would split the Union and the Constitution. Watch him, he will try to split the negro.' The fellow was afterwards released, without fine or imprisonment."

October 6, 1863 (WDR). "A female of the 'secesh' persuasion, named Maggie Murphy, was yesterday sent to Camp Chase. She was arrested some three weeks since, near Clarksburg, charged with attempting to burn a bridge on the Northwestern Virginia Railroad. When captured she denied the charge, but declared she was a Virginian and would stand by her friends, and all she would do to aid those in arms in the South.

    Maggie is a young miss about eighteen or nineteen years of age, rather good looking, and resided in Wheeling most of her lifetime. When the war began she left for Dixie, and it was not a great while until she was brought back, under guard of soldiers, charged with cutting telegraph wires and giving information to the enemy. She was sent to Washington City, and after a few weeks imprisonment took the oath and came back to Western Virginia. About three or four months ago she was again arrested on a similar charge, sent to Washington and released as before. She has been incarcerated in the county jail for the last three weeks and will now be accomadated with quarters in Camp Chase."

The following is from the Official Records of the War of Rebellion, Series, 2, Vol. 4,

Part 1, pg. 416

WHEELING, VA., August 21, [1862.]

Honorable F. H. PEIRPOINT, Governor of Virginia.

SIR: I have personally examined this morning twenty-seven prisoners from Ritchie and Tyler Counties. They all declare their intention to have been to avoid the draft and declare themselves determinedly as Southern-rights men. Those who do not acknowledge their resolution to have been to join the rebel army do not hesitate to say they would fight for the Confederacy if they fought at all. Under these circumstances with your approval I propose to send them to Camp Chase. I will examine others to-day and report further.

Very respectfully,

JOS. DARR, JR.,

Provost-Marshal-General of Virginia.

OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

Wheeling, Va., August 21, [1862.]

Honorable DAVID TOD, Governor of Ohio.

SIR: The sworn evidence against all political prisoners sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, is on file in my office and it is the desire of Governor Peirpoint that none be released without his sanction directly or through me. I requested Colonel Hoffman, commissary-general of prisoners, to order by telegraph the release of W. L. Goshorn, of this city, on oath and bond. Mr. Goshorn was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, for refusing at first to take the oath. He is now willing to do so, &c. He is a brother-in-law of Brigadier-General Kelley. I mention this case as I understood Goshorn to write home that some one besides Colonel Hoffman had control of his case.

Very respectfully,

JOS. DARR, JR.,

Major and Provost-Marshall-General of Virginia.

Belmont (Ohio) Chronicle June 5, 1862