EXHIBIT 99.4









              PRELIMINARY COPY OF LETTER OF SHAREHOLDERS OF FIRST
                      COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL CORPORATION

 
           [Letterhead of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation]


                                 October __, 1998

Dear Shareholder:

A Special Meeting of the Shareholders of First Commonwealth Financial
Corporation ("FCFC") will be held on December [8], 1998 at [10:00 A.M.], at the
First Commonwealth Training Center at 654 Philadelphia Street, Indiana,
Pennsylvania.

The purpose of the Special Meeting is to consider and vote upon the Agreement
and Plan of Merger (the "Plan of Merger") providing for the merger of Southwest
National Corporation ("Southwest") with and into FCFC.  Southwest is a bank
holding company with its principal office in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.  Through
its subsidiary, Southwest Bank, it provides a variety of banking services.

If the merger is approved, Southwest shareholders will receive 2.9 shares of
FCFC Common Stock for each share of Southwest Common Stock owned by them.  Your
attention is directed to the attached Proxy Statement/Prospectus which contains
a more complete description of the terms of the proposed merger and provides
detailed financial, business and other information concerning Southwest and
FCFC.

The Board of Directors of FCFC has carefully considered the Plan of Merger and
believes that the proposed merger is in the best interests of FCFC and its
shareholders.  ACCORDINGLY, YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
YOU VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE PLAN OF MERGER.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of FCFC Common
Stock voting at the Special Meeting is necessary for approval of the Plan of
Merger.  Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you own.  We
urge you to participate in this significant development by marking, signing,
dating and returning promptly the enclosed proxy card in the accompanying
postage paid, pre-addressed envelope, whether or not you plan to attend the
Special Meeting.  You will retain the right to vote your shares in person at the
Special Meeting if you so desire.

                                           Sincerely yours,

                                           -----------------------------
                                           Joseph E. O'Dell, President
                                           and Chief Executive Officer