The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-01-15

mess to be ordered into actual service for
the defence of the State. And On the
llth Of that month, under authority o..
the President, | issued orders for fifty
thousand volunteer Militia, to rendezvous
at Harrisburg, for the defence of the
State This call was promptly responded
TO, and 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 transporta-
| ton provided. The command of the
whole force was taken by Brigader Gen
eral John T. 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 Commonwealth FIT
teen thousand of the Volunteer Militia
were pushed forward to Hagerstown and
! Boonsboro', in the State Of Maryland :;
ten thousand were posted in the vicinity
Of Greencastle and Chambersburg and
about twenty-five thousand we're at Har-
risburg, on their way to Harrisburg, or
in readiness and waiting fer transportation
to proceed thther. One regiment at the
request Of Gen. Halleck, was sent to
protect Dupont's Powder Mills, in the
State Of Delaware. On the oath Septem-
Der the Volunteer Militia were discharged
by me from service, having by their
spirited demonstration greatly aided in
preventing the intended invasion of this
State by the rebels, and in compelling
their sudden evacuation Of the portion Of
Maryland which they had polluted. For
these services, the thanks Of the Governor
Of Maryland and the Commander of the
Army o. the Potomac were rendered to
our patriotic troops through me. Meas
ures have been taken to procure the
payment in fut Of these troops, and Of the
expenses attending their services, by the
United States, in accordance with the
terms OF the call by the President. A
large portion OF the amount has already
been paid Having accompanied this
force to Hagerstown, | am enabled to
speak Of the courage, fidelity and cheer
tulness with which the men suffered
uuaccustomed privations, aud bore the
fire OF the rebel force, performing with
alacrity all the service that was required
of them.
On the 18th of August last, draft Of
three hundred thousand militia, to serve
for nine months, was ordered by the
President under the act Of Congress of
18th July, 1862, and regulations were
made By his authority in pursuance of
that act, under which regulations the
! a,
this State, our militia laws being found to
be defective Several counties and dis
tricts having already supplied by volun-
ieer5 their proportion Of the qnota OF this
State, were exempted from the draft, and
time was given to enable others to raise
the required number Of men by voluntary
enlis s,ments. 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 establish
ed under the regulations, where they
, were organized and elected their officers,
and have since gone forward to the
army in the field The draft was emf
nently successful, and when the men had
been marched to the rendezvous, my
agency in the matter ceased, and all
authority and control over the men
deyoived on the United States officers
! cannot but commend the people Of
Pennsylvania for their cheerful obedience
to the requirements Of the Government on
this occasion. All the expenses Of the
draft are, -ot course, to be paid By the
United States, and [ learn that officers
are now in the State charged with the
settlements and payments.
Including the three. months volunteers,
PeuuSvlvauia has furnished TO the gener-
al government, more thar two hundred
thousand men since the breaking out Of
the rebellion, besides some fifty thousand
who were in service, CT actually ready for
it, as volunteer militia under the eall OF
llth September last making in the whole
more than two hundred aud fifty thou sand
men.
In October last, a body of rebel cavalry
with battery of artillery, Suddenly
crossed the Potomac and made theig way
as far as Chanibersburg, plun6ering what
they found of supplies useful to them
and committing other dcpvedations. They
went ont OF the State by crossing the
South Mountain, aud thus reaching the
Potomac below Iarper's Ferry The
troops in the field were not prepared at
the moment to punish this attempt OF
/ her snil, aud 1t is to be much regretted
! that eiIieient measures could not have beei
taken By the arliy to capture the rebel
on their return to the Potomac, Tmme