quarto, two pages, plus stamp-less address leaf, some minor wear to paper, else in good, clean and legible condition.
Pittenger writes:
“… I must confess that we
are increasing in wealth slowly. We have succeeded in getting the county
devided this winter and expect the Seat of Justice in our town. However, there
will be an election held in the Spring between new Manchester and new
Cumberland and the one that has the most votes gets the seat of justice. There
is a great stir about this subject of County Seat, the sitizens of our town
have mad up twenty five hundred dollars for the purpose of the publick
Buildings. Our countys name is hancock and if we get the seat of justice in our
town in which I think there will be no doubt we may say welcome Hancock
County…”
The Virginia Legislature
passed a bill on Jan. 10, authorizing the creation of Hancock County out of the
northern end of Brooke County. This was linked to ongoing discussion of a
division of the state, separating western from eastern Virginia. Within a month
of Pittenger’s letter, citizens of New Cumberland petitioned for an election on
the issue of locating the new county seat in their town, but the issue was not
decided until the following year, and not until the end of 1850 did the
Legislature give a grant of land to New Cumberland to build a Court House and
Jail.
The creation of Hancock County had far-reaching implications. The County boundary was sometimes considered the dividing line between the Northern and Southern states, but Hancock was decidedly linked to the North. At the start of the Civil War, some 60 Hancock residents, together with men from nearby counties, formed the First Virginia Volunteer Infantry to join the Union Army. The regiment had the distinction of fighting in the Battle of Philippi first military land engagement of the War, which catapulted General George McClellan to the national stage. The battle was fought south of New Cumberland, in an area of western Virginia, which like Hancock wanted to remain in the Union and subsequently became part of the state of West Virginia in May 1861.