NF Seceding from Secession: The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West Virginia

Non-Fiction

CivilWarTalk

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Seceding from Secession:
The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West Virginia
by Eric J. Wittenberg, Edmund A. Sargus Jr., & Penny L. Barrick

“West Virginia was the child of the storm,” concluded early Mountaineer historian and Civil War veteran, Maj. Theodore F. Lang. The northwestern third of the Commonwealth of Virginia finally broke away in 1863 to form the Union’s 35th state. In Seceding from Secession: The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West Virginia, authors Eric J. Wittenberg, Edmund A. Sargus, and Penny L. Barrick chronicle those events in an unprecedented study of the social, legal, military, and political factors that converged to bring about the birth of the West Virginia.

President Abraham Lincoln, an astute lawyer in his own right, played a critical role in birthing the new state. The constitutionality of the mechanism by which the new state would be created concerned the president, and he polled every member of his entire cabinet before signing the bill. Seceding from Secession includes a detailed discussion of the 1871 U.S. Supreme Court decision Virginia v. West Virginia, in which former Lincoln cabinet member Salmon Chase presided as chief justice over the court that decided the constitutionality of the momentous event.

Seceding from Secession is grounded in a wide variety of sources and persuasively presented. Add in a brilliant Foreword by Frank J. Williams, former Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and Chairman Emeritus of the Lincoln Forum, and it is an indispensable source for everyone interested in understanding the convergence of military, political, social, and legal events that brought about the birth of the state of West Virginia.

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Friends,

I'm pleased and proud to announce the release of my latest book, Seceding from Secession: The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West Virginia, which has just been released by Savas-Beatie. Written with my friends U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus and his permanent staff attorney, Penny Barrick, this book is a detailed analysis of the events that brought about the birth of West Virginia in 1863, including a detailed analysis of whether the steps taken were constitutional. This is a departure for me--it's a completely different sort of topic--but it sits at the intersection of the two most important things in my life, law and history. Ed, Penny, and I had a good time writing it.

I got my copies yesterday, so the hardcover books are available. Signed copies are available through me, or you can order through the Savas-Beatie website.

As always, I thank you for your support of my efforts. There's much more yet to come this year.

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To be honest, from me. Thanks for asking.

I'll have to remember that myself in a few weeks.

It's interesting this book has been released. I was recently loaned a copy of a biography, (could be memoir I've not started yet) called "Hanging Rock Rebel" and looking at it a few minutes ago thinking I need to start reading it, low and behold its about a West Virginia Confederate.

I've been dragging my feet about reading for a month or so, I'll see about a book review of this other book loaned to me.
 
I'll have to remember that myself in a few weeks.

It's interesting this book has been released. I was recently loaned a copy of a biography, (could be memoir I've not started yet) called "Hanging Rock Rebel" and looking at it a few minutes ago thinking I need to start reading it, low and behold its about a West Virginia Confederate.

I've been dragging my feet about reading for a month or so, I'll see about a book review of this other book loaned to me.

I just used that book in my recent project. It has some useful material in it.
 
It simply cannot possibly be a coincidence that today is "West Virginia Day", which is an official state holiday in WV marking the day in 1863 when they were admitted to the Union.

(Actually the date is June 20 but, as with Federal holidays, if it lands on a weekend they move it a day.)

State and local government offices, banks and such are closed and there are fireworks, parades and such all across the state. It's a big deal.

If this is coincidental, wow.
 
To elaborate on my prior response a bit, before COVID-19 came along and buggered everything up, we had a formal launch of the book planned that featured a speaking engagement for Judge Sargus and me in Wheeling that was to occur on June 23 (next Tuesday, in other words), all in commemoration of the anniversary of statehood. The release of the book was timed so that it would be available for that event. The event was canceled thanks to COVID-19, but the schedule for production of the book had already been set and there was no reason to change it.
 
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