ony ▁and ▁then ▁state ▁of ▁Virginia ▁until ▁West ▁Virginia ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁union ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁state ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁many ▁individuals ▁of ▁these ▁mixed - race ▁families ▁had ▁married ▁into ▁the ▁white ▁community , ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants ▁identified ▁as ▁white . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁served ▁in ▁West ▁Virginia ▁Union ▁reg iments ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Records ▁in ▁the ▁Bar bour ▁County ▁Cour th ouse ▁indicate ▁that ▁a ▁dozen ▁men ▁successfully ▁pet ition ed ▁the ▁courts ▁to ▁be ▁declared ▁leg ally ▁white ▁after ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁for ▁the ▁Union . ▁ ▁The ▁local ▁West ▁Virginia ▁historian ▁Hu ▁Max well ▁was ▁bem used ▁by ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁these ▁people ▁when ▁he ▁studied ▁Bar bour ▁County ▁history ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s : ▁▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁cl an ▁of ▁colored ▁people ▁in ▁Bar bour ▁County ▁often ▁called ▁" Gu ine as ", ▁under ▁the ▁err one ous ▁pres umption ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁Guinea ▁negro es . ▁ ▁They ▁vary ▁in ▁color ▁from ▁white ▁to ▁black , ▁often ▁have ▁blue ▁eyes ▁and ▁straight ▁hair , ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁generally ▁industri ous . ▁Their ▁number ▁in ▁Bar bour ▁is ▁estimated ▁at ▁one ▁thousand . ▁ ▁They ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁puzz le ▁to ▁the ▁investig ator ; ▁for ▁their ▁origin ▁is ▁not ▁generally ▁known . ▁They ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁earliest ▁sett lers ▁of ▁Bar bour . ▁Prof . ▁W . W . ▁Male ▁of ▁G