Virginia Secession Convention & Western Virginia
The Richmond convention, like the other secession conventions held from late 1860-1861, generally reflected the interests of the delegates rather than the people they represented. In the case of the future counties of West Virginia, you will find delegates voting against secession who represent secessionist counties, and vice versa. In some cases where a single county had two delegates there was sometimes a split in their votes, as in Marion County. The map of secession which is found in the Oxford Atlas of the Civil War uses the vote from the Convention on April 17 rather than the popular vote of May 23 or the final signing of the Ordinance.
The western delegates vote on April 17 against the ordinance has been used by historians as a measuring stick of Unionism in western Virginia, but that is not a reliable source. For instance, Samuel Price, who voted against the ordinance, became the Lt.-Governor of Virginia under the Confederacy. Thomas Maslin, who abstained on April 17, later signed the ordinance and had to request a special pardon from the Johnson administration after the war. Henry M. Masters voted against the ordinance but "acquiesced in the will of the majority. He fed many soldiers at his home in Franklin." (1) Logan Osburn voted against the ordinance but addressed a letter to his constituents saying "My lot has been cast. I am a son of Virginia, and her destiny shall be mine. I will return to the Convention to aid in faithfully carrying out the provisions of the Ordinance..." (2) Allen C. Hammond also voted against the ordinance, but his claim to the Southern Claims Commission was rejected "by reason of disloyalty of the claimant."(3) Currence B. Conrad, who originally voted against the ordinance also had a change of heart, and was arrested by Union authorities.(4) The most dramatic change of mind regarding his vote
on April 17 was made by Burwell Spurlock of Wayne County. On August 25, 1861, he was captured in a fire-fight at the Wayne County Courthouse, along with his son, Mr. Adkins (the Clerk of the Court), Rev. Johnson and others, and on his release he rode to Richmond and signed the Ordinance of Secession in November.(5)
(1) Moreton, Oren F. "A History of Pendleton County", 1910, pg. 255
(2)Bushong, Millard K. "A History of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1719-1940" pg. 103
(3)"Index to the Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives for the First Session of the Forty-seventh Congress 1881-'82", pg. ccliv.
(4)Linger, James Carter "Confederate Military Units of West Virginia", 2002 ed., pg. 17
(5)New York Times, Sept. 1, 1861
Thomas Maslin, Alfred M. Barbour, Benjamin Wilson, and Paul McNeil, who were absent or abstained from voting, as well as David Pugh, Samuel Price, Burwell Spurlock, Allen C. Hammond, C.B. Conrad, Edward M. Armstrong, Henry M. Masters, George W. Berlin, Alpheus Haymond, Logan Osburn, James W. Hoge and Benjamin Byrne, who had all voted against the ordinance, recanted and signed the Ordinance of Secession. A perusal of the names signed to the original document will show their signatures. Benjamin Wilson signed the April draft of the Ordinance and was not present for the signing of the final
calligraphic version of the Ordinance in June.
Starting at the first column at the left, reading from top to bottom, the names appear in this order-
Column 1: Edward Armstrong, Johnson Orrick, Logan Osburn, Samuel Woods, Henry
Gillespie, Samuel Graham
Column 2: Alfred Barbour, Benjamin Byrne, James W. Hoge
Column 3: Allen Caperton, W.P. Cecil, C.B. Conrad, Samuel Price, James Lawson,
Thomas Maslin
Column 4: Napoleon French, Cyrus Hall, David Pugh, Henry M. Masters
Column 5: John N. Hughes, G.W. Berlin, Franklin Turner
Column 6: Leonard Hall, Allen C. Hammond, Alpheus Haymond, Paul McNeil, John
Echols, Burwell Spurlock
The votes are as follows.
APPROVED SECESSION ORDINANCE---APRIL 17
Barbour-Samuel Woods
Fayette & Raleigh-Henry L. Gillespie
Jackson & Roane-Franklin P. Turner
Logan, Boone & Wyoming-James Lawson
McDowell-William P. Cecil and Samuel L. Graham
(Cecil & Graham were left out of Lewis' & Ambler's count, possibly because they
represented Tazewell & Buchanan Counties (VA) as well. In some lists they are
designated only as "Tazewell County")
Mercer-Napoleon B. French
Monroe-Allen T. Caperton and John Echols
Morgan-Johnson Orrick
Pleasants & Ritchie-Cyrus Hall
Randolph & Tucker-John N. Hughes
Wetzel-Leonard S. Hall
REJECTED ORDINANCE OF SECESSION---APRIL 17
Berkeley-Edmund Pendleton and Allen C. Hammond+
Braxton, Nicholas, Clay & Webster-Benjamin W. Byrne+
Brooke-Campbell Tarr*
Cabell-William McComas
Doddridge & Tyler-C.J. Stuart*
Gilmer, Wirt, & Calhoun-C.B. Conrad+
Greenbrier-Samuel Price+
Hampshire-Edward M. Armstrong+ and David Pugh+
Hancock-George McC. Porter*
Harrison-John S. Carlile*
Jefferson-Logan Osburn+
Kanawha-George W. Summers and Spicer Patrick
Lewis-Caleb Boggess
Marion-Ephraim B. Hall* and Alpheus F. Haymond+
Marshall-James Burley
Mason-James H. Couch
Monongalia-Waitman T. Willey* and Marshall M. Dent
Ohio-Sherrard Clemens and Chester D. Hubbard*
Pendleton-Henry M. Masters+
Preston-William G. Brown and James C. McGrew
Putnam-James W. Hoge+
Taylor-John S. Burdett*
Upshur-George W. Berlin+
Wayne-Burwell Spurlock+
Wood-John J. Jackson
ABSTAINED / ABSENT
Jefferson-Alfred M. Barbour+
Hardy-Thomas Maslin+
Harrison-Benjamin Wilson+
Pocahontas-Paul McNeil+
* attended Second Wheeling Convention as delegate
+ changed vote (or voted) after April 17 and signed Ordinance of Secession
As you can see, traditional histories of West Virginia are wrong. The majority of the 49
delegates to the Virginia Convention actually signed the Ordinance of Secession, with a final tally of 29 in favor and 20 against.
My source for the following table is from the Library of Virginia.
