The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-12-14
WAR DEPARTMENT, A. G. o.
Washington, d. c., Sept. 26, 1862.
lis Excellency, Governor KrRKwooD,


His Excellency, Governor KrRKwooD,
Governor Of Iowa:
SHIN reply to yours OF 2lst inst,
stating the number Of regiments raised,
and to be raised, in your State, and also
making suggestions in reference to filling
old regiments, l am directed to say that
Recruits for old Regiments Of Volunteers
for three years, or during the war, will be
discharged ON the expiration of the term
for which the regiment was originally en-.
listed.
| r
By order of the Secretary of War.
(Signed) C.P. BUCKINGHAM,
Brig. Gen. and A. A. General.
This is the class of soldiers to which we
belong, and now while the regiment in
which we enlisted, has been mustered out,
ana the men are at home, we are held to
serve another year.
Governor Kirkwood and Adutant Gen.
Baker, Of Iowa, said we should be muster
ed out with the regiment, as we filed the
Eplaces Of deceased and discharged soldiers,
and should be mustered out at the time
they, (the deceased and discharged would
have been, had they lived
| They promised Us an allowance of 40
cents per day for riding our own horses
We have been compelled to sell our horses
to government, and only receive SIC, (six.
teen dollars per monthly
These officers, Governor Kirkwood,
Adjutant General Baker, Capt. Hender.
:hoit, Lieut.. Mcintyre and Lieut.. Eos
| ter, all made us the promises herein
stated.
Capt. Hcnderschodt certainly gave his
Recruiting officers authority to so enlist
men, but the permit which he has told
several persons he possessed, and which is
Of vital Importance to us, seems now to
have been entirely forgotten by him and
| his Recruiting officers. Weproduce anoth
err proof that he possessed. or pretended to
possess, authority from the War Depart
ment to enlist men in 1862 for tho unex.
pired term o! old regiments:
|, certify, on honor, that on the 10th of
September, 1862, Capt. Hendcrschodt told
me that he had authority to, and he would
muster me out of service on the 18th Of
September, 1864. ], having enlisted as
| rect nit into the lst Iowa cavalry IAN old
regiment, in 1862, asked him the question,
and he explained to the that he had spe-
cial permit from the War Department to
enlist men for the unexpired term of old
| regiments. ~
(Signed) f. II. GODFREY,
Private Co. az" lst Iowa Cavalry.
Where is that permit, and where is the
justice that once reigned supreme over our
land? Is there no honest patriot left in our
Congress, that will look after the welfare Of
the swindled soldiers, whose hands are tied
to the sabre, and dare not relax their
hold, to claim their lawful rights, for fear
a willy enemy may snatch the blade from
! their hands.
One noble officer has dared to claim jus.
| tice for u.s. Gov. MORTON. Of Indiana,
about the close Of the last Congress, ad-
dressed memorial to that body in behalf
| of recruits, enlisted into old regiments, but
| it was never acted upon. Although it fail
ed, that act of Gov. Morton will ever be re-
membered with gratitude by the soldiers Of
! the Union.
Some may ask why we signed the enlist
ment papers for three years? We at first
refused to sign such papers, until we were
assured, by the Recruiting Officers, and
| mastering officer, that it would make no
| difference in the term we would have to
serve, stating emphatically that we would
have Deserve no longer than the unexpired
term of the regiment With these assur.
| ances from old and experienced officers, we
signed the enlistment papers for three
years, and are now held to serve for the full
term. Is this doing justice to soldiers who
are fighting the battles Of powerful and
| intelligent nation!
Ten thousand keen sabres and gittering
J ,bayonets, sparkle in pride Of their true
! steel, while determined enemy approaches,
and yet the men who bear these arms are
serving term for which they never con-
tracted. Can they be expected to go boldly
forward as they have heretofore done p
Of country will not refuse to do all that is
asked. We cannot treat our Government
| as its officers are treating US.
f. Cur people establish our laws, and in
| this Instance, the executives are the first to
break them. The following paragraph, in
the Army Regulations, was framed for our
Paragraph sa5. ''They (the recruiting
eficers) will not allow any man to be
deceived, or inveiged into the service, by
false, representations, but will, in person
explain the nature Of the service. THE
LENGTH OF THE TERM, the pay, clothing. ra-
tions, and other allowances to which
soldier is entitled by law, to every man
before he signs the enlistment papers"
| We say this paragraph was framed for our
protection, but it is Of no service to US
because We have not the officers in our
| Government to enforce it.
We have received no fayors from the
War Department, and we cannot hope now,
that it viii hear our complaint. We there
fore lay our complaint before the next
Congress, and ASK our Representatives in
that body, to legislate upon our case and
do US justice. We will still push on to
victory. hoping that the right may yet
| ovt rtake US.
1t is not OF the one ears service we
| complain, but Of the injustice of holding US
to service longer than was our agreement.
We would not complain of draft, for one
| or even two or three years, for there would
be- some justice about such service and
every ihan would know it to be his duty,
and do it cheerfuly.
There is new in the Geld probably 1000
men who were enlisted for the unexpired
term Of old regiments They all tell the
! same story, concerning their enlistment,
and what so many men agree upon must
be true. We would say to all men SO en-
listed, that our only dependence. for right,
rests in the next Congress; and it is the