Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-01-10


beyond our quota, comprising 20 l75
men from Pennsylvania served for the term of
three months under the Presidents proclama-
ton above referred 10. As the furnishing those
volunteers with supplies was necessarily under
the circumstances hurried operation, and as
complaints were made in regard to them, and
frauds were alleged to have been perpetrated |
appointed board OF commissioners to investi-
gate the whole subject A copy OF their report
with the evidence taken by them has been al
ready laid before the public. 1t is the intention
OF the Auditor General to open the accounts of
such parties as appear by the testimony to have
been overpaid and this course has already been
taken in two of those cases
On the expiration of the term of the three
months men in July last, some eight or ten thou
sand discharged Pennsylvania volunteers were
thrown into Harrisburg without notice and de-
tanned here, waiting to be paid, for an average
time of some ten days. Their tents, camp eauip-
age and cooking utensils had been taken from
them at Williamsport Md ,and they arrived here
destitute OF all means of shelter and of preparing
their food. The COmmissary of the United
States furnished uncooked rations, aud under
the circumstances of emergency | deemed it ne
cessary to make arrangements for aiding in the
cooking and baking of the rations, and also
for furnishing meals to such of the regiments
as arrived during the night or under circum-
stances requiring instant relief. The expenses
these operations amounted SO far as
asCertained to $744 20, and | recommend that
the Legislature make an appropriation to pay
them. II ought to be stated that these expenses
would have been much larger, but for the lib
eral and patriotic efforts of tue citizens and espe-
cially the ladies of Harrisburg their free hand.
ed hospitality and generous aid to our wearied
and hungry soldiers, deserve remembrance and
gratitude.
fl,a, IS
commenced on the Both of April last, recon.
mended the organization of reserve corps to
be armed, equipped, clothed subsisted and paid
by the State, aud drilled in camps of instruct
ion, In anticipation of the eXigencies of the
country, and by the Act of the 18th of May last,
such a corps was directed to be raised, and
loan of So 600, 900 was authorized to defray the
expenses OF that and other military preparations.
Men more than sufficient in number to form
some ten regiments of the Reserve Corps had,
previous to the 18th of May been accepted by
me in pursuance of call on me afterwards re-
sCnded,) for twenty five regiments, aud were
then already assembled and subject to my CON
troll. Most OF these men volunteered for the
Reserve Corps and were Immediately organized.
The remaining regiments wererapidiy recruited
and the Corps was thus completed, and George
A. Mccall, Of Chester county, was commissioned
as Major General and assigned to the command
OF all the forces raised or to be raised under the
provisions of the last mentioned act The regi-
ments composing the Reserve Corps were in
stlucted in four camps in different parts of the
State, until they were taken into the service OF
the United States. Two of these regiments
under the commands of Colonels Charles j. Bid
die and Seneca G.. Simmons, and two compa-
MES OF artillery under the command of Col
Charles T. Campbell at the pressing in
stance OF the War Department were sent on the
I'D of June last to the relief of Col Wallace, at
Cumberland, and remained for about six weeks
there, and in Western Virginia engaged in act
i've operations.
Towards the close of July the whole Corps
Was called for under requisition, and taken into
the service of the United States. Within four
days after the disaster at Bulls Run, eleven
of this fine body of men (armed,
drilled, clothed, equipped, and in all respects
ready for active service,) were in Washington.
The regiments and companies from Western
Virginia and the remaining two regiments
making the whole number of fifteen, soon
jolned them there, and they are all low In
service under the command of Gen. Mccall,
who has been commissioned as a Brigadier
General by the United States.
These fifteen regiments contain fifteen thou
sand eight hundred and ifty-six men, and con-
stitute division comprising three brigades, a
regiment Of Artillery and one of Cavalry. The
whole expense of raising, clothing, equippng,
subSsting and paying the Reserve Corps
(including the expense of establishing and fit
ting the camps of instruction, of recruiting, and
supplying regimental flags, and the expenses of
the campaign OF the two regiments and cOmpa-
nies in Maryland and Western Virginia, which
were all betrayed by The State) has amounted to
S855, ,444 81. This does not include the trans
portAtion on Rail Roads, as the separation of
that account would have been a work of great
labor, nor does it include the pay of the two re-
giments during the campaign, but it does include
all the expenses, which were heavy of teams and
transportation, not on Railroads, for the two
Regiments on the campaign above mentioned.
Twelve regiments OF the Reserve Corps were
paid, subsisted &c, by the State to the average
date of q, July. The two regiments in Wes-
tern Virginia were paid by the State to the
date of their departure from Harrisburg
on that expedition. The Cavalry regiment was
not paid by the State twill be perceived that
the whole average expense per man was $53 80.
Previous to the 3lst of April last, regiment
had been enlisted in the city of Erie from North
western Pennsylvania When the call was
made on me on that day, for % additional re-
giments, the Erie regiment was ordered to march |
to Harrisburg. The call was rescinded, how
ever, before the regiment reached Pittsburg,
and | ordered it to encdmp at that city where
it remained until the Both of June. The Ma |
LlOnaI Government declined 10 muster the regl- |
ment into service AS all existing requisions |
made on the State were more than filled.
Much apprehension existed in the Western |
and South western borders of the State, and it |
was deemed prudent to retain the regiment at |
to meet any emergency that might |
arise After the passage of the Act of 18th |
May, 1861, it was expected that the regiment |
would form part of the Reserve Volunteer Corps; |
but as the men had been long time from home |
and remained inactive III camp, they declined |
entering the service, and were subsisted and |
paid up to the S0th of June by the State. Two
have since been enlisted from the |
same part of Pennsylvania at the city of E lie, |
one of which has been at Washington in service |
since September, and the other is now ready for |
orders-and it is due to the first Erie |
regiment to say that most of the men are now |
in service.
Further acquisitions for sixteen regiments of
N nd of ~