Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-15

War Department to be raised are still in pro-
gress Of organization.
On special acquisitions from the War De.
partment there have been raised, and are now
in service, five additional regiments, and three
companies of cavalry two batteries of heavy
artillery, and one battery of light artillery
A battalion of heavy artillery is being raised
by Major Joseph Roberts, U S. A, with my
assent, also under special authority of the
War Department.
Early in September last the rebel army
crossed the Potomac into Maryland, with the
design of invading this State On the 4th of
that month | called upon the people by proc
lamation to organize into companies and hold
| themselves in readiness to be ordered into act
ual service for the defence of the State And
On the llth Of the month, under authority of
| the President, issued orders for fifty thou-
sand volunteer militia, to rendezvous at Har-
risburg, for the defence OF the State. This
call was promptly responded to, and a large
/ force was sent forward to the Cumberland
Valley and its vicinity. The first part of this
! force consisting of one regiment and eight
companies of infantry, moved from Harrisburg
on the night OF the 18th Of September, and
were followed by other regiments as rapidly
as they could be organized and transportation
provided. The command of thu whole force
was takeA 10y Brigadier General John f.
Reynolds, who left his corps in the Army of
/ the Potomac at my urgent request, and hurried
! to the defence Of his native State, for which
| he is entitled TO the thanks of the mmon.
wealth. Fifteen thousand Of the volunteer
militia were pushed forward to HagcrSt0In
and Boonsboro', in the State Of Maryland
ten thousand were posted in the vicinity Of
/ GFcencastle aud ChambeTSburg, and about
! twenty five thousand were at Harrisburg on
Their way TO Harrisburg, or in readiness and
waiting for transportation to proceed thither.
| One regiment, at the request of General Hal
eck, sent to protect Duponts powder
mills, in the State of Delaware On the oath
! OF September the Volunteer Militia were dis
charged by me from service having by their
/ spirited demonstration greatly aided in pre-
venting the intended invasion of this State, By
| the rebels, and in compelling their sudden
| evacuation Of the portion Of Maryland which
! they had polllted For these services the
! thanks of the Governor Of Maryland, and the
Commander of the Army of the Potomac,
were rendered 10 our patriotic troops through
me- Measures have been taken to procure
the payment in full Of these troops. and Of the
| expenses attending their service, by the Unit
ed States, in accordance with the terms of the
call by the President. 4 large portion of the
amount has already been paid. Having ac
companied this force to Hlgerstown, an en-
| abled to speak of the courage, fidelity, and
cheerfrIneSs with which the men suffered un
accu toned privatioos and bore the fire of
( the rebel force, performing with aarcty all
/ the service that was required of them
/ On the 4th Of August last, a draft of three
hundred thousand militia, to serve for pine
months was ordered by the President, under
! the act Of Congress of the l7jb Jaiy, 1862
aud regulations were mad by bis authority, in
/ pursuance of that act, under which regulations
the enrolment and draft were conducted in
this State, our militia laws being found to be
defective. Several counties and districts hay
! ing already supplied by volunteers their pro
portion of the quota Of this State, were eX-
/ empted from the draft, aud time was given to
enable others to raise the required number Of
men by voluntary cHli>tmentS The draft was
generally proceeded with throughout the State
/ on the 10th day of October last, and the
drafted men were directed to be placed in the
several camps Of rendezvous established IN
der the regulations, where they were organ
lied and elected their officers. and have since
gone forward to the army iu the field. The
draft was emiuently successful, and when the
men lad been marched to the rendezvous my
/ agency in the matter ceased, and all aulhor.-
| ty and control over the men devoIyed on the
| United States officers. | cannot tut com.
mend the people of Pennsylvania for their
cheerful obedience to the requirements of the
Government on this accession. All the expcn-
/ tl l,,f If tn !, hy,
the United States, and learn that officers
are now in the State charged with the settle
ments and payments.
Including the three months volunteers,
! PENNSYLVANIA has furnished to the General
Government more than two hundred thousand
men since the breaking out of the rebellion,
besides some fifty thousand who were in SER
vice, or actually ready for it, as volunteer mi
! tia under the call of the lth of September
! last, making, in the whole, more than two
/ hundred and fifty thousand men.
La October last, a body of rebel cavalry,
with q battery of artillery, suddenly crossed
the Potomac, aud made their way as far as
ChamberSburg, plundering what they found of
supplies useful to them, and committing other
depredations. They went out of the State by
crossing the South Mountain, and thus reach.
ing the Potomac below Harper's Ferry. The
troops in the field were not prepared at that
moment to punish this attempt on her soil,
and it is to be much regretted that efficient
measures could not have been taken by the
army to capture the rebels on their return to
the Potomac Immediately after | received
notice that this force had crossed the line of
the State, called into service the Anderson
Cavalry, then encampCd at Carlisle, and two
companies of regulars at the barracks at that
place These troops were pushed forward in
the direction OF Chambersburg and South
Mountain The cavalry at Camp Curtin, con-
sistiDg of one full and two imperfect regiments,
were armed as infantY and, together with two