contrary, if we speak at all we are bound to speak the whole truth. A feature of special value is the sketch of the Richmond convention written for the author by Hon. James -C. McGrew, of Kingwood, one of the few surviving members. The author's own treatment of this convention is extended; but to a strong and luminous statement of its general features, Mr. McGrew is able to add interesting details from personal knowledge and experience. There is also some briefer comment, less studied but extremely crisp and pungent, by Hon. John. S. Burdett, another of the surviving Western Virginia members, now living at the State capital at the age of eighty-two. Mr. McGrew was eighty-seven the day he mailed his paper. Appended to it he gives authentic lists of the convention showing the entire membership and in separate lists those voting for and those voting against the ordinance of secession. Perhaps no one ought ever to offer to the public without apology anything written in the first person singular; and since the writer of this book sometimes drops into that form of expression, he begs the indulgent reader to believe it is only because in such cases it seems the simplest and directest way to say what needs to be said. The author can hardly hope that much of value has not been overlooked. The work has been done under many disadvantages; and though it has waited long, the time actually given to it has been recent and brief. The plan of it is limited as to both time and detail. The narrative closes with the consummation of division. Some general comment has been indulged on subjects not closely connected with the narration. This the reader may or may not find pertinent. Questions arising in the new commonwealth during its first decade are tempting in interest; but they must be left to another time or to other pens. The breaking away of trans-Allegheny Virginia, under pressure of a tragedy national in its grandeur and its agony, is a historical phenomenon of such poignant interest as to merit treatment by itself. GLENCOE, ILL., January 1, 1902. BATTELLE'S MASTERLY PLEA FOR A FREE STATE.... 440 XVII. WEST VIRGINIA AT THE BAR OF THE SENATE...... 457 XVIII. THE LEGISLATURE REPUDIATES SENATOR CARLILE.. 471 XXIII. SOME OF THE MEN WHO FIGURE IN THIS HISTORY.... 548 THE RENDING OF VIRGINIA. CHAPTER I. A PRELIMINARY SURVEY. The General Assembly of Virginia, a biennial body, was suddenly summoned, in vacation, to meet in Richmond January 7, 1861. By it, after only a week's deliberation, an election was ordered to be held February 4th for delegates to a State convention to meet in Richmond February 13th. It was not to be a convention of unlimited powers. In electing delegates, the people were allowed to vote whether the action of the convention, if anything should be done affecting the relations of the State to the Federal Government, should be referred to the people for ratification before becoming effective; and this question of Reference was affirmed by nearly sixty thousand majority. Although a very large majority of those chosen delegates had in their candidacy pledged themselves to be faithful to the Union and were chosen on the faith of such pledges, the convention, in secret session, passed an ordinance of secession April 17th; and, without waiting for the reference of their action to the voters of the State, by |