Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-01
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY.


Monday last, the following Message was received |
from Governor CURTIN, in reply 70 resolution
that body inquirpg why certain omcers u 'a'
Pennsylvania Artillery had not peen oohiniST
stoned c,,..o
Harrisburg August %. 1864.
To the Honorable Senate Of Pennsylvania
GENTLEMEN: received the following Pie'u'o NV
resolution on the goth of August:
SENATE CHAMBER,
Harrisburg, august 20, 1904.
"Ubaress il il alleged that the officers of the oecohu
pn.,Ivanis Artillery, or Provisional Regiment are WIN
80 commissions and the regiment, although IN tue non,
is without surgeons therefore, IN order 10
the Deglr CT is-- : !. roonestad IN
froib at his earliest convent any correspondence
the may have had with the President OK INC
partment in relation thereto
To which have the honor to reply that on the recoln
mendaton of an officer OF the War Department on Tue
18Th dsy of June 1862, appointed A. a. Giosoh' lhep
captain in the artillery service OF the United ola0s'
mel of the Second Regiment Pennsylvania Aruhe'y.
xss reprssented TO me that he very well quahneo
and elected him accordingly for this particular arm OF
tba sery;ce Early in January 1863, complaints were
da n ma by the officers of the regiment 10 reference 70
the conduct of Col Gibson and indeed charges were ao
of a serious character was extremely feiuo'aus " -
tsrfere between the War Department and Coonei OF tne
servce But these complaints continued 10 Dc rePea'eo
and in the month of May JUICE 1863 when IN W ssh
noton CITY on other business was called upon oy many
officers OF the regiment gentlemen who were personally
u me to be entirely reliable, and statements were
made 40 seriously that could not disregard then ano
addressed the Secretary War upon the subject and sent
nv communication from Wizards Hotel without having
detained COW asking that Col Gibson should be relieved
fo tho command of the regiment and ordered back TO
Nj; reomest in the army To this communication no an
~ ,,.s returned but to my surprise learned unofn-
cIv that AL that required to secure the removal OF
Col Gbson was my request to that effect On the "a OF
december 1868 again addressed the Secretary OF war
AZ follows: 900
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, HARRISBURG, DEG . 1903.
hom hsa leave to request most earnestly that you
III sus an order to Col A. A Gibson, now command
nc The Second Pennsylvania Artillery renewing MN rom
tb command and returning him to his post as Captan IN
~ sacoud Regiment Of Artillery (reguars am coz
straned to make this request from the TACT tnat oo
son has not and does not give satisfacuon 70 Dis
tbt hs oAcers-some OF them The incest IN the service
.na' ns tIv aopealng to me to relieve them Charges
f serious nature could be preferred but TINS would 10
yolye the delay attending court-narua' auu wo 49,
s.,sns;ons al of which be avoided oy Dis Deng 70
tnrn.d H. his regular rank. The most charitable CON
strncon placed upon his conduct by his omcers na nc
i. insane and under such circumstances Tue ,b
cons rs'n~o.tuly refer to papers already on file IN
vour Department with my endorsement 10 rea'on " n'
snbiac, and beg that the order may lssue
very ie'p'''' G. CURTIN.
was returned. The complaints
u continuing and bots officers ana men CONSTANTLY ~
n 20 ne AGAIN address sed the Secretary OF War on
the 10Th of january, 1864, as folows: 80,
VIC JANUARY 10, 1864.
Hon Ed,cin M Stanton, Secretary OF Var.
SIR: have upon two OCCASIONS before TINS enor
to cali your attention the propriety OF ordering Col a.
A Gibson now commanding the Second Regiment Penn
,yyans Artillery join his own regiment OF ana
rsed answer had Dctn icdIh
however unociay that letters upon TINS nave
re.cted you therefore TAKE sns o.
fnv EXPLAINS the matter and in addian 20 what there
stated il proper ray that from Information received
ASSURED tnat II Col Gibson Is no. re 's
Of that regiment will re-ep.t and inst he 10 neay DIT
Of Them will; hence the necessity for early acton
Very respectfully, your obedlent servant,
TIL. latter sent to Washington city by member Of my
,g who delivered it TO the Secretary of War in person
on the 23d January, 1854
NJ ,ion heipg taken although court of inquiry had
n IN .ss,on apon charges preferred against Col Glib
.on and the complaints still continuing on the 10Th June,
1854 addressed the President Of the United states as
follows: - 20 ,oo,
To the President
SIR Ia the .prng Of 1862 you requested me t.
volunteer Of heavy artillery, called the Second
Regime ut Heavy Artillery T. V. The call bang spe-
one there seemed to be required TO command this
simen an officer of experience that particular n- and
80 &c the ,fF GERS Of the War Department recommended
a. Capt A. A. Gibson, OF the State Of Main,
then Captain in the 81 Artillery U. s. Arny.
In compliance with this Recommendation, aud without
.nv other know ledge Of Capt Gibson, appointed and
commissio ed him on the 18th June, 1862, colonel OF
tha regiment His conduct and department since have
been itolersbe He has violated the faith OF the Coz
yerpmeu pied ged to recruits Tor gment. ~ ne held by
General order No &C. July 25, 1867 which provides that
tbev hall b. permitted 70 select any company OF the
rnent they my prefer Iu contempt of THE order be ha
orced recruit, into batteries other than those which they
ssscted In at least he has used language
To cor issioned officer OF bis regiment, 10 presrnce OF
an enlisted man. unbecoming an oicer and gentleman
and en- ted to subvert all discipline de has treated
the COM onweath Of Pennsylvania with contempt ~ re-
turu 10 her agent The hg which ne supposed to D. the
Aav the regiment by the STATE uoder the o-
r,cp of an act Of Assembly aud giving as reason for
40 done when the regiment was mustered INTO the
service United States IL ceased TO have any n0g 70
do With the Sta He hss ssDdered the whole people Of
Prnps lvaria aud epec ally her gallant sodiers IN The
hed by saying PepnJ lvauia soldiers will not haht one
South I'm solder worth three II them. The rebel OH
cer make pract Of sscerauing in whist part OF The
bat held h Prnuylva toops stationed and then
attack that Of the llse, words 10 that effect
La utter defiance and contempt Of the acts o Congress
TO be presently referred to, he took possession u first
lieut., nants commission, which had Issued to non
coumiss ned officer Of the regiment, court maraed The
Officer for having accepted IT. and retained the commission
uuul IL had beer given evidence before the court
tial he facts above recit all reported "a found
by Of inquiry assembled on January 3, 1864, Of
which Brig. Gen DeRus-ey President, which also
reported hat the opinion OF the court no further mill
tary proceeding we're necessary 10 the case
/ add that the proceedings Of Col. Gibson have been
oIIu ,Ha h.va aaad IN