Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-10-28
Storming Of Fort Pennsylvania /!
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
IL TIE FIELD.
G AT VICTORY.

PESNsYLv.NNIA, Oct II, 1868. .
To the AdjUtCtat GeterH L. 5. S. s.
Sir: have the honor to report that in
accordance with General Order No. 72O,
| set out on the 10Th of August last.
with the special corps detached for my
command, 10 reconnoitre Fort Pennsylva-
MIA, with a view to ascertain the forces
necessary to effcctually storm and carry
the works in the combined attack which
the . General Order Indicated would
certainly take. place on the 18th instant.
In obedience TO Your strict Injunction to
conduct my operations with secrecy. so
that the enemy should not be aware of
any movements, until the advance of the
large body Of troops required for the final
assault, on the eve OF the execution of
the man@uvre, should render it difficult if
not impossible to frustrate the main plan.
L deemed 1t prudent to divide nv com
maud into four separate corps, and enter
the enemy's country in four different and
distinct directions, taking care that tele-
graphic communication should be kept up
with my headquarters from each division.
The result proved the wisdom of this
strategy.
My entire command consisted of one
hundred picked men. You thought the
lumber too few. | thought them quite
enough | deem it an act of generous
justice to acknowledge in this public man
ner that l was right and that you were
wrorg.
The first division, under Major General
,,-.sl
to enter the fnemy's country by Allegheny.
and proceed east the second, under
Major General Nomuchmor, were advised
to enter By Lawrence, and proceed in a
perpendicular direction | directed the
3D., under Major General Hirela. to an
proach by Bradford and scour the country
horizontally; and the 4th, under Major
General Nola, We're ordered to proceed bv
water TO Erie, and scatter generally:
While !, accompanied by my staff. pro
ceeded to u central point, (Which | for
bear to designate for strategic reasons.
selected by me as my base, where | con-
stantly was KEEP! informed of the move
ments of my divisions.
The first dispatch l received was
highly encouraging, and l was led to be-
heve that | could report that no military
forces were necessary to carry the fortress.
My Generals, one and all, reported that
the sections Of the country visited bv
them were able to accomplish the work
with the local force at their command.
without assistance from YOU. | commu-
ncated these gratifying reports to you,
by telegraph, on the 1st of September.
with the assurance of my belief and ex-
pectation that all anxirty on vour
part might end al once. But your reply
by letter, dated September ID, cautioned
me not 10 be deceived by these premature
reports, end warned me that | might soon
expect news of an opposite character.
l soon found your predictions were veri-
fed General Noall, as early as the 9TH
September, telegraphed me that he had
advanced as far as Westmoreland in one
direction, and to Fayette and Greene in
an other, and that the entire country
seemed TO be on the alert. organizinq
their local militia TO overwhelm their
loyal opponents. GENERAL Nomuchmor.
on the 9th, reported that the favorable In
telligence he had first sent me was coun-
terbalanced by the unpleasant reports of
his scouts, who had gone in the direction
OF Centre and Cambria. The dispatches
of General Hirela, whose force had ad-
vanced from Erie into Crawford and Mer
Ger, was more encouraging but the re-
parts from Gen Nola, who had displayed
great activity and energy, and who had
detailed his forces as far as Monroe. and
thence to Northampton, and even into
Schuylkill and Berks, were truly appal-
ling.
On the 10th September sent you his
report by special messenger, with a re-
commendation to organize picked force
OF 10000 active soldiers and 10000 in
vallds, and / DESIGNATED the points at