[wfu_deacons]

Here is the vote by county for WV statehood:

http://www.wvculture.org/History/statehood/cc120661.html

Note, there were 65,000 eligible voters in these counties so the vote for statehood was less than 30% with the great majority coming from counties along the Ohio. Most of the counties were occupied by Union troops and even some Union troops from Ohio voted.

Virginia only sued to get back the counties of Jefferson and Berkley.

Pendleton County West Virginia is named after my Xth Great Uncle, Edmund Pendleton who, along with George Washington and Patrick Henry, represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress. Pendleton County was made part of West Virginia against the wishes of its inhabitants.

[Verginius Rufus]

I think Jefferson and Berkeley counties were originally not included in West Virginia but were added to it later--one report I saw had it that it had to do with the railroad company being able to get the insurance compnay to pay for damages if the line was in a "loyal" state rather than a "rebel" state.

My great-great-grandfather lived in Frederick Co., VA, near the border with Berkeley Co., in 1860, and served in the Confederate army. After the war he moved to Kansas but his grave has a plaque on it reading "Confederate veteran."