The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1862-01-15

ses the regiments being on or near the Po-
tomac, have requested Mr.. Cowan, Sena-
tor, and Messrs. Grow and Wright members
Of the House of Representatives from Penn
| sYlvania, to present them in the name of the
! Con ealth.
The General Government requested that
! the States would abstain from purchasing
arms, as their competition was found inju-
rious in the market. and in view Of the large
expenditures of money in arming and equip
ping the volunteer force of the State, provi
ded for the defence of the National Govern
ment. | did not purchase any as authoriz-
ed by the 28th section of the act of the 18Th
! of May, 1861. The State has now quite as
many arms as are necessary to arm all the
/ volunteer organizations in existence but,
] influenced by the threatening aspect of our
relations with foreign Governments, have
/ directed the Adjutant General to procure
arms as soon as it can be done on reasona-
BILE terms and without injurious competition
with the Natioal Government. Arms have
been distributed among the border counties
] to all the organizations that have been form
! ed to receive them 1880 arms have been
thus distributed. / have also addressed a
( letter to the commissioners of all the border
/ counties, offering arms to them as soon as
military organizations shall be formed to
receive them.
! Besides thus complying with the require
ments of the 9th section of the Act of the
18th of May last, | have deemed it prudent
to offer five thousand arms to such military
| organizations as may be found in Phlladei-
adelphia, on plan to be offered by me as
/ Commander-in-Chief. Mcskets and rifles to
a considerable extent have been furnished
to Pennsylvania volunteers from the State
Arsenal Others have been sent by the
+ Upitad CtataS khorifias m arm than before
leaving the State. In some cases regiments
have gone without arms under assurances
from the War Department that they would
be armed at Washington or other near des-
ignated points, and that their immediate de-
parture was required.
1t was thought wise in these cases not to
insist on the arms being sent before the
regiments marched, as this would have i'm
posed on the Government an unnecessary
expense in freight, and would have been
productive of delays which might have been
seriously detrimental to the public service.
Forty-one pieces of artillery with lImbers,
caissons, forges, ammunition, and wagons,
harness, aud all the necessary implements
and equipments were furnished by the State
to the artillery regiment of the Reserve
Corps Ten of these were purchased by the
State and the cost has been refunded by the
United States. Diligence has been used 10
collecting arms throughout the State and
repairing and altering them in the most
improved manner.
The State has now
60 pieces of artillery, of which II need re
pairs.
26,753 muskets and rifles, some of which
are in the hands of mechanics being
repaired 1910 are in the hands of vol
unter corps throughout the State ; 1896
in he nf Conntv m 4
sioners, and 1000 with the reserv'
corps of Philadelphia.
In addition to this the city of Philadel
phia has
pieces of riHed artillery, and 4,976 mus
kets aud rifles.
The State has also in the Arsenal at Har
, Tisburg.
,699 sabres and swords, and l,957 pistols
and the city of Philadelphia has A
. sabres, and 326 pistols with the nsces
sary accoutrements.
, There is also in the Arsenal at Harris
burg a large amount of sccoutrements aut
ammunition for artillery and small arms.
The Adjutapt General is successfully en-
. gagged in collecting arms throughout tn
State, and it is expected that the numbe
above stated will be largely increased.
Probably, at least 5, 600 muskets and rife
and several pieces of artillery will be colleC
: ted.
= The care which has been bestowed upo
the comfort of the volunteers, and the goo'
ness and suficiency of their supplies OF a
kinds. and the excellent arrangements
the Medical Department under the cOntr
of Surgeon Henry IL. Smith. are proved b
L the fact that more than 60.00O men has
: been for various, generally. short periods
Z Camp Curtin since the 10Th of April las
and that down to the Ist January instan
there died but forty men at that Cam
viz fourty four from slcksess, two tbeloni
0 ing to regiments from other States.) wt
: had been injured on railroads, two acoidel
7 tally killed in Camp Curtin and one shot
: Harrisburg.
To facilitate the making of allotments
their pay by our volunteers in the field IL
the support of their families at home. | a.
pointed Hon Edgar Cowan, Thos. f Franz
5 lin and E. G. Humes, esq, commissions
to visit the camps of our men on and Sout
of the Potomac, and also James Park an
NJ w. Beltzhoover, esq, commissioners
3 visit those in Kentucky and elsewhere
= the western country, to call the attention
8 the troops to the system of allotment and
= encourage them in adopting practical pla
7 for carrying it into effect.
s The several reports of these commission
: ers are highly satisfactory
5 For details on the several subjects col
" nected with the military operations OF thi
State, | refer to the reports of the Adjutar
Q General, Surgeon General, QuartermastC
d General, Commissary General and Payma
d ter General which accompany this Messag
q The duties imposed on me were so one
o Gus that found it necessary to invite tn
!, temporary assistance of gentlemen on m
. staff to aid me to perform them.
# In this capacity Coils. Thomas A. Scot
!. Gideon j. Ball, and John A. Wright col
q tributed their valuable services from ii
i middle of April until they were called ava
h by other duties. Colonel Scett remainin
|. until he became connected with the Wa
b Department, Col. Ball until the first {
n June, and Col. Wright until the 23rd {
e July fer the time thus devoted to the Sc
Y vice of the State, they have refused to II
Q ceive any compensation.
Il Col. Joseph d. Potts, A. L. Russell,
Brown Parker and Craig Biddle, were
II