Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-02-07
Report Of the Quarter Master Cen
eral.


COLUMBUS, ONO, Jan. &c, 1856.
NELsos II. Van voRHrs, Speaker of The House
of Rep -csentativss;
In obedience to a resolution passed by the |
House oi Representatives, Jan, 18th, 1856,
ealing upon the Quarter Master General !
to explain for what purposes and by what
authority public arms we're sent to Cincn-
Hati on the 9th Of October last, beg leave
to submit the following.
REPORT.
1t will be remembered that few months
ago, Brig. Gen. Sargent, OF Cincinnati, took
occasion to disarm large number Of troops,
then under his command, on sons pretext
that was considered without any foundation
az authority.
Some time after these troops were de-
r prived Of their arms, application was made
to me to know what could De djne to sup
ply thsm with new ones. Ny reply was
that the law required me to make my dis
r trbutions TO cOmmandants OF divisions,
and az there was no Mai General IN that
Dys on, there was ne one to receive and
receipt for arms; and further, that the FIRST
Division had already received the propor-
ton of arms to which it was entitled
1t appears, that after this information was
given, Geo. e. Pugh was commissioned as
Mai General Of the lat Division, compr-
, sing Hamilton cousty. Not long after Gen.
, Pugh was commissioned, Major Link, OF
, Cincinnati, applied to mo 10 know if arms
could be supplied to the l.t Division for tue
dissrmed troops. informed him there were
no arms due to the lst Division, aud that
/ could not supply thsm.
Hare tho Isstter rested until rbont the
goth OF September, when | received through
! mail the following rsquisitiUn from Goa,
. pugh:
, HEAD Qraarzas FiRsr DIrIsioS Ono MILITIA
, CRcINSArI, sept, 10, loJS.
STA: I enclose herewith a resuisition di-
' rectsd to we by the field snd conPsny Off
GERS Of the frat (washington) battalion,
III rd brigade of this Division. Such I'll sp-
p ication should have seen made regularly
through the commandunt of the third
brigade; but as Gen, Sargent disarmed the
:. battalion arbitrarily, and without warrant Of
y law, | have no idea that he would give at
:. tenli ion to the request here made, or accord
:, to these men uny measure OF justice.
> take the responsibility, there fore, as in case
:. Of an appeal to approve the requisition, and
a 10 designate the following as the numbers
and description OF public arms for the said
y batalion.l To the Sarsneld Guards, Sarsfed
- Artillery, Republican Guards, and Shield
:. Guards sixty musket each; and to the
~ Queen City Cadets sixty rHes. The said
arms to be percussion lock, and OF The latest
~ pattern. To each Of The Eve companies
~. l.. Ill al
. geunts swords and a full complement! OF
cartridge boxes, belts and other accture-
nents.
II you prefer sending these arms to me
General will RECEIPT for them; but the bet
ter course in my opinion would bs to de-
livsi the arms directly to the command OF
companies. Please consult Col. McCook on
the subject ard write 10 ms at once.
] atm, Sir, very respectfully.
D. Your ohedient servant
% G. E. PUGH, Maj, Gen'L
}. Gsx S. w. ASpREws, Quarter Master General,
Columbus.
&c Shortly after this requisition was received,
Capt. Iar:ndes and Capt. Burke OF Cncin-
n natl. commanding two of the companies
= named in the requisitioR, called upon vac t
my Office and represented, that they had
n been appointed committee to visit me and
request that the arms ordered by Gen. Pugh
/. shou!d be forwarded immediately, ard they
> further represented that the disarmed com
panies would net vote for William Medill,
!; unless these arms were supplied. My an
: aver wac that | could not comply with Gen.
Pugh's requisi.ion, as thsrs was nothing due
!. to his Division, unless | had order from the
j. Comm ander- in-chief.
On the a5lh day Of September, | received
% a letter from the Governor, of which the
following isa copy:
Q CIRcLlvILLE, Sept. "a, 1855.
II GEN s. w, ANpRLws, =, Nj. GEN, o. NJ
Y DEAR Sla: As u number of applications
0 have been made to me for public arms, and
= as some dissatisfaction will necessarily be
created lin relation to their distribution !,
= you will give out no more arms or accoutre-
d ments, untl see and advise with you en-
I The subject.
: am, very respectfully,
= Your obd't servant.
D WILLIAM MEDiLL.
This letter was gladly received, for it rs-
lieyed me, for tho tins beng, from the
trouble anticipated by the Governor
Ga Saturday, the 7oh day OF September,
an intelligent gentleman from Cine innati,
=. who wss a stranger 10 me, and whose name
j did not remember, called at my oiics snd
handed me letter from the Governor Of
which the following is copy:
Hamilton, Sept. ~, 1855.
GEN'L s. Nv. ASnRGws, Ca. NJ GLSLO, Nj
DEAR slk:--I am informed by commit
, tee of officers, who have just called upon
me from Cincinnati, that Maj. Gen Pugh,
;, OF the First Division Ohio Militia, has drawn
upon ysur department for quantity of arms
Tor a portion OF the troops under his con-
msnd, and that you have sons hesitation
> shout complying with the same in con-
sequence of the large quantity already charg-
: ed to that Division, without the previous
approval OF lhs Commander in Chief.
: II is only fair to presume that Gen Pugh
, would make no such rsquisition unless he
y deemed ii necessary for the interest Of that
. portion of ths military service satru.tsd to