Jackie - Thanks for all the census records. History of the War, Chapter II Robert Reid Howison May 1862 Page 277 Virginia loved the Union, which had been constructed under her fostering care - to which she had given seven presidents, and under which the country had grown great and prosperous. She desired, if possible , to preserve it, but her determination was steadfastly fixed, to require from the North a guaranty of Southern rights and abstinence from hostile acts against slavery. Her earnest efforts to save the Union, were misunderstood by many Northern people. On the 15th of November, a Pennsylvanian, calling himself JAMES S. BRISBIN, wrote a letter to Governor Letcher, of Virginia, stating that the movements of South Carolina for secession, were to some a matter of amusement - to others of alarm - that disunion should not be tolerated - that twenty-eight millions of freemen in the North would crush it - that if worst came, brother must march against brother, and concluded by saying, that two hundred Virginians had tendered "him their command", and he was ready to give his life to maintain the Union. To this effusion, Governor Letcher replied in a tone of stern rebuke, remarking upon the excited state of the public mind, and the necessity for measures of conciliation to restore, if possible, confidence and good feeling between the two sections; censuring the denunciatory spirit of Brisbin's letter, which as far as it could have any influence, would only add fuel to flame, reminding him that his own State Of Pennsylvania, was implicated in the crime of breaking the Constitution, by laws to resist the return of fugitive slaves, and informing him, that he was certainly in error, supposing that two Hundred "Virginians" had called him to their command, as the Governor could not believe that native citizens of the State, would ever invite a Pennsylvanian to command them, even should they be willing "to aid in the ungracious work of reducing a Southern sister State to the abject condition of a conquered province of the Federal government. (b) This letter from her Governor, probably represented the feelings of a majority of the people of Virginia at that time. They knew they had been deeply wronged by the North - they were resolved that redress should be obtained and their rights secured by guaranties adequate to the end, they unalterably opposed to coercion of Any Southern State, by the Federal government, but they earnestly desired to exhaust every honorable means to preserve the Union. Their error was in cherishing any longer the idle hope of finding honor and good faith among a people, a large majority of whom were given up to the dominion of avarice and fanaticism. This error was grave, and cost Virginia dearly: it induced her to delay taking possession of the strongholds on her soil, arming her peiople and uniting at once with her more Southern sisters. (b) Letters in Whig, November 23d Anne