Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-16


in Maryland ; one company of artillery is at
Fort Delaware all the remainder Of the vol
unteers are at or near Washington. Upwards
of 800 volunteers from Pennsylvania are now
prisoners, but as arrangements have been made
for the exchange of prisoners it may be expect
ed that they will soon be released
In compliance with the joint resoIu tions of
the 10th of May last, | have procured rcg-
mental flags for the Pennsylvania volunteers.
and have presented them in person to most of
the regiments In other cases, the regiments
being on or near the Potomac, have request
ed Me- Cowan, Senator, and Messrs Grow
and Wright members of the House of Repre-
sentatives, from Pennsylvania, to present them
in the name of the Commonwealth.
The General Government requested that
the States would abstain from purchasing arms
as their competition was found injurious in the
market and in view of the large expenditures
of money in arming and equppng the volun-
teer force of the State, provided for the de-
fence of the National Government, did not
purchase any as authorized by the 28th Sec
tion of the act of the 18th of May, 1861 The
State has now quite as many arms as are ne.
cessary to arm all her volunteer organizations
in existence but, influenced by the threaten
ing aspect of our relations with foreign gov
ernments, have directed the Adjutant Gen
eral to procure arms as soon as it can be done
on reasonable terms and without injurious COM
petition with the National Government Arms
have been distributed among the border coun.
ties to all the organizations that have been
formed to receive them 1880 arms have been
thus distributed. have also addressed let.
ter to the commissioners of all the border coun-
Off fo
organizations shall be formed to receive them.
Besides thus complying with the requirements
of the 9th section of the Act of 18th May
last, have deemed it prudent to Offer 5000
arms to such military organizations as may be
formed in Philadelphia on plan to be approx
ed by me as COMMANDMENTS Chief Muskets
aud rifles to q considerable extent have been
furnished to the Pennsylvania volunteers from
the State arsenal Others have been sent by
the United States authorities to arm them be.
fore leaving the State In some cases regi-
mentS have gone without arms under the as.
surance from the War Department that they
should be armed at Washington or other near
designated points, and that their immediate
departure was required 1t was thought wise
in these cases not to insist upon the arms be-
ing sent before the regiments marched, as this
necessary expense in freight, and would have
been productive of delays which might have
been seriously detrimental to public service
Forty two pieces of artillery with limbers, cais-
sions, forges, ammunition, wagons, harness and
all the necessary implements and equipments
were furnished by the State to the Artillery
regiments of the Reserve corps. Ten of these
were purchased by the State, and their cost
hoc oA hv tho taH of
ligence has been used 10 collecting arms thro'-
out the State and repairing and altering them
in the most approved manner.
The State has now 81 pieces of artillery of
which II needs repairs.
28,753 muskets and rifes some of which
are in the hands of mechanics being repaired,
1910 are in the hands of volunteer corps thrO'-
out the State 1880 in the possession of Coun.
ty Commissioners, and l,0O) with the reserve
corps of Philadelphia.
In addition to this the city of Philadelphia
has
8 pieces of artillery,
4,916 muskets and rifles
The State has also in the arsenal at Harris
burg
1866 sabres and swords, and
1857 pistols, and the city of Philadelphia
has 440 sahres and 326 pistols with the neces-
sary accoutrements.
There is also in the arsenal at Harrisburg
a large amount of accoutrements and ammuni-
tion for artillery and small arms.
The Adjutant General is successfully en-.
gagged in collecting arms throughout the State
and it is expected that the number above stat
ed will be largely increased. Probably, at
least five thousand muskets and rifles and scv.
eraI pieces of artillery will still be collected.
The care which has been bestowed upon the
comfort of the volunteers, and the goodness
and suficiency of their supplies of all kinds,
aud the excellent arrangements OF the Medical
Department under the control of Surgeon Gen
eral Henry II. Smith, are proved by the fact
that more than 60, 900 men have been fo1 va
rious, generally short periods at Camp Curtin
since the 9th of April last, and that down to
the 1st Of January lst, there died but forty
nine men at that camp, viz forty .four from
sickness, two belonging to regiments from 9th
er States, who had been injured Oh railroads,
two accidentally killed in Camp Curtin and one
shot in Harrisburg.
To facilitate the making of allotments of
their pay by our volunteers in the field for the
support of their families at home, l appointed
Hon Edgar CowaD, Thomas + Franklin and
E. G. HumeS, Esqs., commissioners to visit the
camps of our men on and south of the Potomac,
aud also James Park and NJ W. Beltzhoover,
Esqs., commissioners to visit those in Kentucky
and elsewhere in the western country, to call
the attention of the troops TO the system Of
allotment and to encourage them in adopting
practical plan for carrying it into affect.
The several reports of these commissioners
are highly satisfactory
For details on the several subjects connect
ed with the military operations of the State,
/ refer to the reports of the Adjutant Gener-