Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-01-23

large expenses consequent upon raising the
troops called for from this State. The report
I of the Loan Agents herewith submitted will
| show You the amount of bonds sold by them
in the State, and the amount of money re-
ceived therefor. g..
It will be seen that much the larger portion
ton of the bonds was taken by persons to
whom the State was indebted, and that but a
small share was sold for cash. The result was
that the officers charged with the duty of rails
| ing troops as required by the General Govern
ment were much embarrassed for want of
| means, being compelled to operate wholly up
on credit, consequently to great disadvantage.
| Whatever could be furnished by our people
was promptly furnished on the credit of the
State, but without means 10 was impossible to
procure arms, clothing, and such other articles
as our own people did not produce. After
providing clothing for the First, Second and
Third Regiments, found it utterly impossible
to provide for those subsequently raised, and
was compelled to rely on the General Govern |
ment for that purpose; and, although it was
matter of much modification to me to be |
compelled to allow our troops to leave our
State ununiformed and unarmed. yet am in |
duced to believe the result has been well for
the troops and for the Government. The
troops who left our State without uniform,
left Mt season of the year when little clothing
was needed for comfort. and they were provid |
more chcaply than ! could have provided for
them The regiments which have left the
! State more recently have been furnished with
! good clothing by the General Government
before leaving. | have not purchased for the
| State the arms contemplated by the law passed
at the Extra Session, for the reason that arms
! could be had only for money, and had not
the money wherewith to pay. Some arms
have been furnished by the General Govern
ment, but not sufficient for the security of the
| State. and / recommend the subject to your
| careful consideration.
! On several occasions during the past season
when the Rebels had or appeared likely to get
| control in Northern Missouri, much uneasness
existed along our Southern border lest they
should attempt an invasion of our State,
which, for want of arms. our people We're not
properly prepared to resist. Immediately af-
| ter the close of the Extra Session of the Gen
eral Assembly appointed Col. John Edwards
and Colonel Cyrus Bussey my Aids, with large
discretionary powers, to act for the preserva-
! ton of tranquility in the Southern border
counties. / WAS well satisfied. the peace of our
State would be more easily preserved by pre-
venting invasion than by rcpelling it, and
therefore while | could not order our State
troops beyond our State line, instructed Col
onels Edwards and Bussey, and through them
the troops under their command, that if ut any
| time the loyal men of Northern Missouri were
in peril and called upon them for assistance,
! they had as full authority as could give them
| To lead their men into Missouri TO the all of
the loyal men there, and my promise upon
their return that my power should lie used to
the utmost extent to protect them ii blamed
| for so doing. Under these circ umStanccs, and
i'm some cases at the instance of officers of the
! United States Colonies Edwards and Busscy
and Col. Morledgcof Page county, ut different
times led bodies of Iowa troops into Missouri
and kept them in service there until their
! presence was no longer needed, and l am well
assured their services were highly valuable,
not onty in preserving the peace OF our border
and protecting our own people, but in support
! ing and strengthening the Union men of Mis-
souri, The expenses incurred in these eXpe-
! ditions are, iE my Judgment, properly charge
able to the General Government and l am
now seeking their reimbursement
| Great uneasness also existed on our West
. ern and Northern border. lest the Indlns in
Dacotah and Minnesota might be led 10y dc.
signing men to take advantage of the troubled
state of public affairs, and commit depreda-
tions on our people in that region. The great
distance of that part of the State from the
place where my other duties compel me To
! keep my headquarters, and the want of the
means Of speedy communication Herewith.
either by railroad or telegraph, rendered it.
4 in my Judgment, absolutely necessary that |
I
act for me promptly in case of emergency MS
! fully as if were present to act i'm person. !
accordingly conferred such authority on Hon.
! Caleb Baldwin, of Council Bluffs, and Hon. a.
w. Hubbard, of Sioux City. Under this au.
thority bodies of mounte men were called
into service at different times for short periods
and am happy to lie able to state the tran
/ guilty of that portion OF our State has been
preserved.
| cannot permit this occasion to plss with
ont thanking MessIs Edwards. Bussey Nor
| ledge, Baldwin and Hubbard, for their efficient
and valuable services.
! At my request, the Secretary of War author
/ lied the enlistment of company of Cavalry
/ in the service of the United States, especially
/ for the protection of the north western border.
This company has been recruited and mustered
in, and L hope will be sufficient for that por-
ton of our State
Our troops in Missouri have suffered greatly
| from sickness To some extent this is attrib
utabie to the want of care and prudence among
the men themselves To u change in their
mode of life to their eating badly cooked food,
and to the fatigue and exposure OF hard labor
and severe marches, and to "a much greater ex-
tent to the want of proper hospitals, proper
comforts for the sick, proper nurses, and sutfi-
eent medical aid. Doubtless experience in
camp-life will convince our troops of the ne
cessity of guarding their health adapt them
/ to their new circumstances and make them
better cooks and | ardtntly hope the time
will soon come when those who have the pow
er so to do will provide that the labor which
has prostrated SO many of them shall be done
by the slaves of those who have forced this
war upon the country. Proper hospitals are
now provided and the women OF our State,
| following their womanly instinct to care for
| the suffering, have been and are engaged in
making and forwarding TO our troops those
delicacies and comforts not provided by the
regulations, but SO necessary and cheering to
the sick am decidedly of the opinion that
female nurses in our hospitals would render
invaluable service; and | earnestly recon-
mend that provision be made for securing such
service for the beneft of our sick and wound
ell soldiers. .
! am well convinced that the medical staff
| Ia Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon Row allow
ed by law in each regiment, is insufficient, and
| have been corresponding with the proper
authorities for the purpose OF euectinS
change in the law. l recommend that power
be given the Governor to appoint an addition
al Assistant Surgeon for each of our Regiments
in service to be paid by the State in case Con-
gress shall not by law make the necessary pro-
vision.
The law passed at the Extra Session for the
organization of the Militia, isin many respects
detective and has been in my Judgment a
hindrance instead oil an au III raising troops
for the service of the United States. Ii the
organization Of the militia is to be provided
for by State law, "a more full and perfect sys-
TEN must be devised. But the Congress OF
the United States has power ''to provide for
organizing, arming, and disciplning the mill
tia, reserving to the States re-
spectively the appointment OF officers, and the
authority of training the militia according 10
the discipline prescribed by Congress IL is
probable that Congress will at the present
Session. in view Of the necessities OF the coun-
try, provide complete system OF military
organization for all States, To the extent OF the
power thus conferred. 1t may be well to wait
such action until near the close of your session,
and conform your action to such provision, If
made.
The School and University funds require
your careful and earnest attention. "A large
, portion Of both these funds has been lent 10
individuals in different parts OF the state
, Most of the loans were made before the none
t,ry crisis OF 1857, and the securities taken ior