Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-01-15
VOL. S.---N0. 20.

camp equipage and cooking utensils had been
taken from them at Wiliamsport. Nd, and
| they arrived here destitute OF all means of
shelter and of preparing their food. The
| Commissary of the United States furnished
| uncooked rations, and under the circumstances
| of emergency deemed it necessary 10 make
arrangements for aiding in the cooking and
baking of the rationS, and also for furnishing
meals TO such of the regiments as arrived du-
ring the night or under circumstances requiring
| instant relief The expenses attending these
operations amounted far as asccrtained TO
S444, 20, and | recommend that the Legislature
make an appropriation TO pay them. 1t ought
to be stated that these expenses would have
been much larger, but for the liberal and
patriotic efforts of the citizens and especially
the ladies of Harrisburg their free handed
hospitality and generous aid to our wearied
and hungry soldiers, deserve remembrance
and gratitude.
At the special session of the Legislature
which commenced on the 30th of April last,
recommended the organization of a reserve
corps, to be armed, equipped, clothed, subss-
ted and paid by the State, and drilled in camps
OF instruction, in anticipation Of The eXigen-
cies OF the country, and by the Act of the
10th of May last, such corps was directed TO
be raised ,and loan of 81, 900 900 was author
lied to defray the expenses of that aud 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 4
call on me afterwards rescinded,) for twenty
five regiments, and were then already assem-
bled and subject to my control. Most of these
men volunteered for the Reserve Corps and
We're Immediately organized. The remaining
regiments were rapidly 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
h., al, l.
regiments composing the Reserve Corps were
instructed in four camps in different parts Of
the State, until they were taken into the SER
vice of the United States. Two of these regi-
ments, under the commands of Colonels
Charles j. Biddle and Seneca G.. Simmons, and
two companies of artillery under the command
of Col. Charles T. Campbell at the pressing
instance of the War Department were sent on
the 22d of June last to the relief of Col. Wal
lace, at Cumberland, and renamed for about
six weeks there, and in Western Virginia en-
gagged in active operations.
Towards the close of July the whole Corps
was called for under requistion, and taken in
to the service of the United States. Within
four days after the disaster at Bulls Run,
eleven regiments of this fine body OF men
(armed, drilled, clothed, equipped, and in all
respects ready for active service,) in
Washington. The regiments and companies
from Western Virginia and the remaining two
soon Joined them there, and they all now
in service under the command of Gen. Mccall,
who has been commissioned Brigadier
General by the Unit ed States.
These fifteen regiments contain fifteen thou
sand eight hundred and filty-six men, and con-
stitute division comprising three brigades,
regiment of Artillery and one of Cavalry.
The whole expense OF raising, clothing, equip
ping. subsisting and paying the Reserve Corps
(includiDg the expense of establishing and fit
ing camps of instruction, of recruiting, and
supplying regimental flags, and tile expenses
of the campaign of the two regiments and
companies in Mary land and Western Virginia,
which all defraved by the State) has
amounted to $3.50, ,444 81. This does not in
clude the transportation on Raj Roads, as the
separation of that account would have been a
work Of great labor, nor does 1t include the
pay of the two regiments 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 regi-
ments OF the Reserve Corps were paid, SUBJ
sisted, &c, by the State to the average date
of %, July. The two regiments in Western
Virginia were paid by the State to the date of
their departure from Harrisburg an that expe-
dition. The Cavalry regiment not paid
by the State. 1t will be perceived that the
whole average expense per man was S53,95.
Previous to the 31st of April last regi-
ment had been enlisted in the city of Erie
from Northwestern Pennsylvania. When the
call was made on me on that day, for % addi-
tional regiments, the Erie regiment was or
dered to march to Harrisburg. The call was
recinded, however, before the regiment reach
ed Piitsburg, and ordered 1t to encamp at
that city where it remained until the Both of
June. The National Government declined to
muster the regiment into service-as all exist
ing acquisitions made on the Stale were more
than filed.
Much apprehension existed in the Western
and Southwestern borders of the State, and it
was deemed prudent to retain the regiment at
Pittsburg to meet any emergency that might
arise. After the passage of the Act OF 15th-
May, 1861, it was expected that the regi-
ment would form part of the Reserve Volun-
teer Corps; but as the men had been long time
from home and remained inactive in camp,
they declined entering the service, and were
subsisted and paid up to the Both OF June by
the State. Two regiments have since been
enlisted from the same part of Pennsylvania
at the city of Erie, one of which has been at
Washington in service since September, and
the other is now ready for marching 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 Infantry and two regiments OF Cavalry were
shortly afterwards made by the War DepartS
ment. OF these, sixteen have already been
raised and are in the service of the United
States and the remaining two are in the course
of organization and nearly ready TO march.
In addition to the acquisitions on the
State, the War Department had given au-
thorities to numerous individuals to raise
volunteers in Pennsylvania. but as that
system was found TO create much embarrass-
nent, general order was issued by the War
Department the 25th of September last
placing all such organizations under the con-