“Did Virginia Commit Treason?” – Dennis Frye

738 words

https://web.archive.org/web/20190710014822/https://civilwarscholars.com/2011/06/1410/

VIDEO: Dennis Frye – Did Virginia Commit Treason? TRT: 5:46.

54: . . . when Virginia advances on the

armory at Harper’s Ferry to seize the weapons
there – to seize the machinery that belongs to the United States government – is Virginia, like John Brown, committing treason? . . .

1:16 Virginians would argue that they no longer are a part of the United States . . .

1:46 The same thing happened at

the Naval Yard, the U.S. Naval Yard at Norfolk, Virginia

2:06 But the very act of leaving the Union, was that an act of treason? . . .

2:25 Virginians would say, that, when the original Union was founded, it was a compact, it was an agreement, that they voluntarily came into this agreement. So, if you voluntarily join the compact, if you voluntarily come together to form this Union, you also have the right to voluntarily depart from it. . .

3:03 But by legal definition, any act against the United States, such as separation, could be considered treason . . .

3:49 Often this decision will be made by who wins . . .

4:31 I still think it’s ironic that when John Brown attacked the armory and the arsenal, he would be captured and he would be tried by Virginia, and one of the charges was treason, treason against the state . . .

Main References:

Guernsey, Alfred H., Henry Mills. (1894). “Harper’s pictorial history of the Civil War, Vol. 1.” Chicago, IL. : Puritan Press Co. Print.

Guernsey, Alfred H., Henry Mills. (1894). “Harper’s pictorial history of the Civil War, Vol. 1.” Internet Archives: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music, and Wayback Machine. 27 Oct. 2009. Web. 1 May 2011.

Guernsey, Alfred H., Henry Mills. (1894). “Harper’s pictorial history of the Civil War, Vol. 2.” Chicago, IL.: Puritan Press Co. Print.

Guernsey, Alfred H., Henry Mills. (1894). “Harper’s pictorial history of the Civil War, Vol. 2.” Internet Archives: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music, and Wayback Machine. 27 Oct. 2009. Web. 1 May 2011.

“Destruction of the Harper’s Ferry Armory: Extracts from Senate Rep. Com. No. 37, 37th Cong., 2d Sess.” West Virginia Archives and History. Latest update 31 July 2008. Web. 3 May 2011.

“Norfolk Naval Yard.” U.S. Gen Web Archives. Start date unavailable. Web. 3 May 2011.

Video:

Frye, Dennis. “Did Virginia Commit Treason?.” American Military University Civil War Scholars. 14 April 2011. Web. 2 May 2011.

Flickr Set:

harperphcw94and95c.jpg (two images)
“Destruction of the United States Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, by Fire, by the United States Troops, on April 20, 1861. Destruction of the United States Ships at the Norfolk Navy Yard, by Order of the Government.” (1894). Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War. Chicago, IL.: Puritan Press Co. pp. 94, 95. Print.

“Norfolk Naval Yard.” U.S. Gen Web Archives. Latest update 30 July 2008. Web. 3 May 2011.

burninggosportcopy.jpg
“Burning of the Gosport Naval Yard by U. S. Authorities.” (May 11, 1861). New York Illustrated News. Print.

“Norfolk Naval Yard.” U.S. Gen Web Archives. Latest update 30 July 2008. Web. 3 May 2011

trial.jpg
Strother, David H. (Nov. 12, 1859). “The Trial of the Conspirators.” Harpers Weekly. pp.728-729. Print.

Strother, David H. (Nov. 12, 1859). “The Trial of the Conspirators.”
Digital History. Latest update 31 July 2008. Web. 3 May 2011.