Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-10-17

promptly they accepted the proposition, au'
that fifty companies, or five regiments, o.
/ nine months volunteers. in lien i9l draftc,
[ militia, were raised in about thirty davs -
and that too, after our State with q pJpula
I ton Of about 3lj 900. had furnished abJu
| $1,000 three years troops for the war. ThI
/ result is a remarkable demonstration Of Oh,
unity, patriotic enthusiasm, ,indomitabe AZ,
uncOnquerable spirit of free people, WLer
/ their country is imperilled AMI calls for theil
services in its defence and the record 0I
their action IN this case, viii be u then
honor and credit So long as the page Of his
tory endures.
1t Is true that many perplexities hal % De
encountered, and difficulties surm0unted,
growing out Of the imperfect returns on
which the action both Of the State auth0ri-
ties and the people necessarily had to De lls-
ed ,inasmuch as there positively was not t.me
70 make thorough corrections Of either form 2
or recent returns. The report Of the Adil-
tant and Inspector General will dwell more
fully on these perplexities and diiicu ties
But the general result Is so creditaUle T. the
State, that We may al with caud0r and god
feeling review the ground, and be satisfied
with that result very diiiculu5 czu--
riencsd heightening It's value and effect.
About twelve thousand troops hay, been
raised IN the State since October, le1l. Tie
details Of recruiting, organizing, sudsistIns,
clothing, armmg, o4uipping, I-Yiug and
transporting them have been numerous, anI
productive Of many cares, QlnsiliIti-s,
Ierp'ezities and embarrassmeuts.
Considerable delay has been experienced
in getting the regiments of nine months
mea into camp, owing % the inability 0i the
General Government % furnish the r.qui-It.
clothing, arms and camp cquippasa wiJh i-.
spatch, from the TACT that 20 Large number
OF fresh troops had been sud n cIl.cl into
service. Requisit0ns were early made On
the QIaItermaster General Of the army iur
clothing, arms, accJutrements, and camp
and garrison cquippage but in the place Of
clothing the materials therefor were sent
forward, with the request that the Quarter
master General of the State should contract
for the making Of it-in the State. lr which
certain specific prices would De paid iy the
General Government. The tents ordered
could not be supplied, and therefore the
General Government directed barracks % be
erected, and sent an agent into the State
WHO contracted with certain parties 10 build
them, azreelt.y to specifications furnished
by him. The original design of having the
five Regiments remain awhile together n
camp In the state, was modified by sutss-
quent events, and the State authorities were
requested 10 send them forward a regiment
at time. at the earliest practicable mo-
ment Accordingly, one regiment has I-e1
forwarded, and the remaining four Will DE-
sent as expetitiously as they can be Tre0lr-
ad for marching orders.
The rank and file Of the Twelfth Eegi-
neat, which is composed Of clmpau.es
li the informed Militia. are, by an Act
entitled " An Act providing pay for the
informed Militia approved April 1j.
l>jl, clearly entitled t1 the State pay Of .
seven dollars per month, in addition TO their F.
nitei States pay, while "in active service.
But as there Is, perhaps, room for doubt, /
whether the soldiers OF the other four r1gi- I
nents of Militia are, OF are NOT, entitled % T.
.eyan dollars Ter month from the State, I'D .
addition 70 the United States pay. I respect
ully suggest that the doubt should be imme-
lately and clearly solved by some definite /
action Of the Legislature Perhaps the Act /
untitled " IN Act providing paw tor certain /
iIldieTs, and IN relation % the support ol
amihes Of Volunteers, approved Nov. ID. .
.cJl. does secure the payment ID seven dole I
lrs Per month to these troops but 10 would .
be well for the legislature % make some
.pecih. declaration in this regard.
In accordance with the directions ot l1 .
Act entitled " An Act to appoint C1mmis- .
ilners 20 adjust ana settle certain outs4nI- .
ns claims for expenditure for military pur- I
poses, approved Nv. 20, I,Jl. ami Of au I
Act entitled " An Act providing flr the im- .
mediate settlement and allow nee of claims I
10 favor Of this State against the Juitel
states, appI we'd Nov. p, lcJl. appoint ]
ID Hon. F. L. Woodbridge. Hon. Geo. T.
Elmunis. and Col. Geo. 4. Merrill. q
Board of Commissioners, with instruction, .
10 carry out the purposes -1ntemI lated ly
hese two Acts. Early in December hs-, .
he Commissioners gave notice Of times and .
places for the presentation and adjustment .
IT such claims. For each clam allowed, I.
he Commissioners gave a certihclts indicl-
ing the amount thereof, and 10 whom lay .
.ble for which, ON presentation, an orler f,
vas drawn by me, On the Treasurer of this I
state, in favor Of each claimant The az
,regate amount Oi the claims allowed was
,09l 81.
The Commissioners also made up the ac- I
cunt Of moneys expended by my predecas- /
0-, IN raising, organizing, subsistInE, cloth +
NJ, arming, equipping and transporting .
r0Ops for service under the United States,
Ioviding and arranging all necessary v1uch-
IS therefor, ani clusIuE such vouchers to
0e recorded at length IN books
repaired for that purpose, which were alter
wards lodged in the office Of Secretary of /.
State. The Commissioners subsequently, pro-
eeded to Washington, and presented the ac-
cunts and vouchers 10 the Department Of |
he Treasury for adjustment and allowance.
In October, ls6l, | appointed q Board oil
.le1lcal Examiners, for the examination Of
dndIdates for the office of Surgeons of Reg
ments. consisting Of Samuel W. Thayer,
IT,. NJ. D., Edward E. Phelps, ". D., and
'harles Allen, II. D., who have attended I
aithiully to the duties Of their appointment
Agreeably TO the Act entitled " An Act in
elation to supplies of Volunteers, approved
Gov. q. 1851. directing the Governor, uu-
er certain conditions, to supply the yolun-
eers from this State, IN the service of tie
juited States, from time to time, as their
circumstances require, with clothing, tents,
amp eluippage, provisions, medicines, and
u articles required in the medical DEPART
ieneral to furnish rubber blankets, whenever
eeied by our troops. new tents for the Third
Regiment, which were much needed, and
medicines and medical stores for the Yer
mont Brigade, which was suffering from
ickness in camp near the Potomac.
tatement Of expenses Of these supplies ap
ears in the appendix to THIS communicl-
ion.
also appointed EiWaId E. Phelps, MD,
State Medical Commissioner to VISIT tae Ycr-
mont Brigade, during the late autumn and
arly winter, when so much sickness prevail
II therein, and advise with the Regimental |
surgeons as to the treatment Of the prevail
ng maladies, and report to me what further
hOuld be done to alleviate the suffering and .
the health Of the troops. 1T his I
uggestIon medical supplies were purchased 1
md forwarded BY the QuarteTmaster General, |
md three additional Assistant Surgeons were /
ient to the Brigade, for three months service, |
o and the over-tasked regimental Surgeons.
Dr.. Phelps was subsequently appointed, by /
.he War Department, Surgeon Of the Ver- /
mont Rrira1a II i haliavad fhas r,reI homo 4