The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-13
THE PENNSYLVANIA REsRRvrs
General Meade,s Last Order..A St.te.
ment of the Difficulty.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE Porou.c,
May 2, 1864.
General Orders, No. %.
The commanding General has learned that
Notwithstanding the caution contained in Gen.
eral Orders No. ~, of April %, 1864, from these
headquarters, there are meE in the army who
refuse to do duty on the ground that their term
OF service has expired. 1t will be made known
10 such men that their conduct being open mu
tiny, they will be punished with death, without
o,iM, unless they return to duty; and hereafter
any soiaier who refuses to do duty on similar
tu,o VIII instantly be shot without any form of
me houor of the service and the necessities
s Ur io nour admit OF no other disposition of
Inc Commanding General again exnresses
Tue nope That the soldiers of this armv will re-
sptcuu'iy ask and cheerfnlly abide bv the de-
cislon OF the War Department. Nth resnect to
tnelr term o1 service, but he has no further
woro or warning for those who, at tire like
a amS ptesens, choose to defy authority. Corps
ana other independent comm ,nders are CHARGED
with the execution Of this order
By command of Major General Meade
.. WILLIAMS, A. A. G..
WASHINGTON, May 2.-The Times dispatch
says: There Is trouble brewing in the army
among the Pennsylvania Reserve troops. 4
knowledge of the facts which underlie the DIFF
Aoi"uco ocswecu tnein ana the War DEPART
ment mPy become both useful and interesting
In May 1861. Pennsylvania organized {. Re-
serve Corps, OF fifteen regiments, and swore
them In for her service for three years, sub
ject to the call fthe President. In July. after
the battle OF Bull Run the President called for
them. They were sent to Washington and
soon thereafter were mustered into the service
OF the United States. The men claim that their
time will be up in May 1864. They seek to
oirtlfy this claim by citing an order of the War
department and the practice of the Pension
bureau dating the term of service from the
date OF enrolment. The War Department
rules, however, that troops must serve the
United States three years from the date OTHER
muster into the service of the United States.
This would seem TO be law and common sense,
and the Government will undoubtedly adhere
to Its expressed purpose to retain the troops in
the service.
They, to be sure, will feel FESTIVE under the
prolongaliOn of the term for which they in.
tended originally to contract. But they did
deliberately contract with the government for
three years service, and it would seem as if
there was nothing for them to do but to stick
to the bargain manfully and to look to their
state authorities and to their own officers for
any satisfaction they may crave for not having
the two months they had served in Pennsyl-
vania allowed upon and deducted for the time
1or which 1t was notorious that the United
States alone made contracts with soldiers. 1t
Is said thai the privates in the Reserve regi-
ments have unanimously determined to quietly
lay down their arms and refuse to perform fur
ther duty when their time is up, as they mea-
sure it. IL is to be hoped they will be dis
suaded from this action Gen. Meade has ad-
dressed to them q circular, in which kindness
and trmness are well blended, and in which he
entreats them to patriotic behavior.