Glorious New State Meeting of the Citizens of Brooke and Hancock Counties.
March 26, 1863
Pursuant to previous notice, the good citizens of Brooke and Hancock counties met at the Presbyterian Church in Hollidays Cove, on the 20th of March. Such an outpouring of the people in that section of the New State has been rarely witnessed upon any occasion, thus showing that they are awake to the great interests which are at stake in the decision of the election about to be held on the 26th instant.
The hour of 1 o'clock P. M. having arrived, John H. Atkinson, Esq., was chosen President, and Daniel Donehoo Secretary of the large and intelligent meeting of loyalists present.
Whereupon, Hon. George McC. Porter, being loudly called for from every nook and corner of the audience, took the stand, and in one of those characteristic arguments, for which he is noted, held the audience until its conclusion, when even those who had been doubters acknowledged the clearness, justice and soundness of his arguments.
Hon. C. Tarr, Jr., Treasurer of Virginia, then addressed the meeting, in which he took occasion to remind his Democratic brethren of the disloyal vortex to which they were tending by their anti-New State course.
Governor Peirpoint now took the stand, and was listened to, in a speech of two hours in length, with almost breathless silence, save the applause which seemed uncontrollable throughout the entire address, when any allusion was made to our glorious Union, or the cause lying next in the hearts of the assemblage - West Virginia. All honor to Virginia's noble Governor!
Next came E. M. Norton, Esq., who dwelt more particularly upon national affairs, but connected them so closely with West Virginia as show that disloyalty to the General Government and opposition to the New State were but twin monsters.
The closing speech, and by no means the least effective, was made by A. B. Caldwell, Esq., of Wheeling, whose time was cut short by the lateness of the hour.
Take this meeting of the people as an indication of the feeling pervading Brooke and Hancock counties throughout, look out for rousing majorities in favor of the Union, the Constitution, and West Virginia, now and forever.
J. H. Atkinson, Chairman.
Daniel Donehoo, Secretary.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: March 1863