On April 25, 1861, nine days after voting to repeal Virginia’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the Virginia Convention in Richmond approved ordinances ratifying the alliance between Virginia and the Confederacy and adopting the Confederate Constitution. The agreement included a provision placing “the whole military force and military operations, offensive and defensive, of said Commonwealth, in the impending conflict with the United States … under the chief control and direction of the President of said Confederate States…”
All of this occurred before Virginia’s popular referendum on secession on May 23. In that vote, a majority of the state’s white male voters approved leaving the Union. With that accomplished, Governor John Letcher issued a proclamation on June 6 transferring Virginia’s volunteer forces, along with the officers of its provisional army and navy, to the authority of Jefferson Davis and the Provisional Government of the Confederate States.
Letcher made one explicit exception for the machinery captured at the Harper’s Ferry arsenal. He intended for it to remain in Virginia. Much of the equipment was later used at the state-run Richmond Armory to manufacture Springfield Model 1855 muskets until the end of the war.
By the Governor of Virginia.
A PROCLAMATION.
The delegates of the people of Virginia, in Convention assembled, having by their ordinance passed April 25, 1861, adopted and ratified the Constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, ordained and established at Montgomery, Ala., on February 8, 1861, and the State of Virginia having been, by an act of the Confederate States, passed May 7, 1861, admitted as a State into the Confederate Government, and the President being, under the Constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the Confederate States and of the militia of the several States when called into the service of the Confederate States:
Now, therefore, I, John Letcher, governor of Virginia, by and with the advice and consent of the executive council, do hereby transfer to the authorities of the Confederate States, by regiments, all the volunteer forces which have been mustered into the service of Virginia, and do order a like transfer, by regiments, battalions, squadrons, and companies, of all volunteers or militia, as the same shall be formed, and their services may be required.
I further hereby transfer to the authorities of the Confederate States the command of all the officers, seamen, and marines of the Provisional Navy of Virginia, for service in the Confederate States.
I do further order that all officers of the Virginia service now on duty in any of the departments of the staff continue to discharge their respective functions, under the direction and control of the President, until otherwise ordered; and that all quartermaster’s, commissary, and medical stores belonging to the State and in charge of said officers, to be turned over for the use of the Confederate States, upon proper receipts for the articles turned over, to be forwarded to the accounting officer for settlement. All moneys in charge of any of the departments will be forthwith returned into the treasury of the State.
I do further order all the Provisional Army of Virginia to respect and obey all lawful orders emanating from the President, or those commanding under his authority, and that the same may be incorporated, in whole or in part, into the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, at the pleasure of the President.
I do hereby authorize the use of all public property, munitions of war, &c., captured from the United States, the machinery at Harper’s Ferry excepted, by the President or those acting under his authority, for the common defense.
Given under my hand as governor, and under the seal of the State, at Richmond, this 6th day of June, A. D. 1861, and in the eighty-fifth year of the Commonwealth.
By the governor:
[SEAL.]GEORGE W. MUNFORD,
Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Two days later, Robert E. Lee, commanding Virginia’s provisional army and navy, issued General Orders No. 25 enforcing the governor’s proclamation.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. 25.
HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA FORCES,
Richmond, Va., June 8, 1861.In compliance with the foregoing proclamation, the command of the military and naval forces of the State of Virginia is transferred to the Confederate States. All officers of said forces will obey the orders they may receive from the heads of the War and Navy Departments, respectively. Officers of the staff will receive their instructions from the chiefs of the several branches of the Confederate States Government.
R. E. LEE,
General, Commanding.
Discussion
What does this sequence of events suggest about how committed Virginia’s political leaders already were to leaving the Union?
Why might some Virginians have objected to transferring state military authority to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government?
What powers did Virginia surrender to the Confederate government through this agreement?
Why do you think Governor Letcher specifically excluded the machinery from Harper’s Ferry from Confederate control?
If Virginia had refused to place its forces under Confederate control, how might that have affected the early war effort?
Sources
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. II. With additions and corrections. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902.
Spirit of '61 