312 Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. II., page 616) put the question personally and directly to Mr. Lincoln to know what would be the result of a restora- tion of the Union, according to his idea, as to Western Vir- ginia: "Would the Old Dominion be restored to her ancient boundaries, or would Western Virginia be recognized as a sep- arate State in the Union?" Mr. Lincoln replied "that he could only give an individual opinion, which was that West- ern Virginia would be continued to be recognized as a separate State in the Union/' and he might have added, with all truth, that the "Imboden Raid" had done more to crytallize local pub- lic sentiment in favor of the separate State of West Virginia than all other agencies combined.
JOHN A. MC-NEIL. Rockbridge Baths, Va.
