CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Three delegates and Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey have won an online auction for a historic document signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
Delegates Elliott Pritt, Mike Hornby, and Mike Hite along with Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey all pitched in their own money to bid and win this document.
This document, dated October 21, 1861, bears the bold signature of President Abraham Lincoln and is countersigned by Secretary of War Simon Cameron.
It appointed Virginian Daniel Lamb who would be known as West Virginia’s founder as an agent empowered to equip loyal citizens with “Arms and Munitions of War” under an act of Congress passed on July 31, 1861.
Delegate Mike Hornby (R-Berkeley) tells LOOTPRESS that the race to win the document started after a Facebook comment.
“Someone on our Facebook feed posted a link to an auction album in California that was ending at 8 PM our time that day. I saw it and contacted Delegate Hite. I also reached out to a couple of other delegates to see if they’d be interested in helping me bid on this,” Hornby said.
“We met with the prosecuting attorney for Jefferson County, who happened to be co-hosting our show that day, and he overheard our conversation. He wanted to be involved, so Delegate Hite, Delegate Pritt, and I put together the winning bid that evening. We went a little over our budget, but we thought it was important to bring the document back to West Virginia.”
Hornby says that they won the auction last month but received the document on Wednesday after having it independently verified and then sealed by a certified archive expert.
Hornby said the total cost of the document ran close to $20,000.
“It was $19,500, $19,600, and we had to pay for some shipping and insurance. So, just under $20,000 in total. More importantly, it needs to be in the archives of West Virginia, maybe displayed at the Arts and Cultural Center in Charleston or something like that.”
Hornby says that this document was the original one that gave Daniel Lamb the power to organize, fund munitions, and gain immunity from persecution from the state of Virginia.
“It essentially started the secession process for Union supporters in the western part of Virginia.”
This legislation allocated two million dollars to support Union supporters residing in rebellious states, enabling them to organize for protection against domestic violence, insurrection, invasion, or rebellion.
Virginia was deeply divided during the Civil War, culminating in the formation of West Virginia in 1863.
Delegate Elliott Pritt (R-Fayette) says he was proud to play a role in getting this document back to West Virginia.
“I teach West Virginia history, so the history of our state is really important to me and I felt like for a document that is this important and meaningful for our state’s history that it shouldn’t be in a private collection,” Pritt said.
“I also set money aside from my delegate salary to help buy this with these other gentlemen. I look at it as giving back to the people I represent, the people of West Virginia.”
Delegate Mike Hite (R-Berkeley) shared the same sentiments.
“I’m proud to have been a part of the effort to return such a significant document back home to West Virginia,” Hite stated.
The document measures 16.75″ x 11″ and features the handwritten text of the 1861 law at the top.
The document is said to be in good condition for its age.
