Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Deputy Sheriff Oath, Barbour County, West Virginia, must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Deputy Sheriff Oath, Barbour County, West Virginia, Ms2009-087 - Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Deputy Sheriff Oath, Barbour County, West Virginia was purchased by Special Collections in 2009.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Deputy Sheriff Oath, Barbour County, West Virginia, commenced and was completed in June 2009.

Biographical/Historical Information

Stingely Shaffer was born in Virginia about 1835. By 1867, he married Elizabeth C., and they had moved to West Virginia. They had two sons: Amos (b. abt. 1867) and Arthur (b. abt. 1873). The family lived in Barbour County until at least 1880.

The oath seems to be the result of the laws enacted by the West Virginia legislature following the Second Wheeling Convention in August of 1861. The Wheeling Convention brought about the creation of the state of West Virginia after forming a Committee on a Division of the State - Virginia. In addition to dividing the existing state into Virginia and West Virginia, this convention brought about the attempted relaxation of the laws against ex-Confederates.

For more information on the Wheeling Conventions see the West Virginia Division of Culture and History On-Line Exhibit .

Scope and Content

The collection contains a signed oath by the deputy sheriff of Barbour County, West Virginia, stating he had never served with or aided the Confederate Army during the Civil War. While the Wheeling Conventions helped to ease some of the laws restricting the rights of ex-Confederates, not every county was willing to do so. This oath–written in 1870–suggests that Barbour County was rather hesitant to allow ex-Confederates to take public offices. The document is signed by Stingley Shaffer and is both witnessed and signed by Louis Wilson.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by material type.

Index Terms

Subjects:

• Civil War
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865