Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-12-07
GOVERNORS. MESSAGE.
j. ExEcuTTyE DEPARTMENT,


-,,j &. ExEcuTTvE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, s: c., November 2S, 1854.
Gentlemen of the Senate and
House of Representatives:
You assemble under circumstances Of
more than ordinary intereststo your State,
even at this time of intense excitement
throughout our land. For four years our
armies have resistedthe advance of immense
forces, performing prodigies of valor unsur-
passed in history, and withsa constancy and
devotion which no reverses could weaken.
At the same time the masses of the people
at home have chesrfulls submitted to every
sacrifice, and met every draft upon their re-
sources, which this. stnpendous war has
made. But the last inteiligsnoe from Geor-
gia indicates that the gsllantry ofour troops
and the devotion Of our people are to be put
to still higher tests. The enemy, command
ed by general Who respects neither age,
sex or condition, andawho, it is said, has
declared thatwhen he reaches South Caro-
Inns be viii burn the very stones, is ap-
proashihg our borders, burning towns and
villages, destroying agricultural implements
banishipg from their h8mes helpless women
and children, { and outing loose from his
base, subsissng himself on the country, and
destroying everything he cannot use. To
the defeat. Of ibis enemy svery energy Of
the State aad her people shouldsbe made to
bend. he-time has arrived when our peo-
pie should be called upon by the Legislature
to remove from the. ansmys line of march
all live stock /; transport beyond his reach
all provisions possible, and all else destroy !;
and every man who can shoulder . gun, to
report himself at The front, toedo or die for
the country 10 this her hour Of need.
On the fall Of Atlantis, I organized into
companies the small militia force: liable TO
duty out of their Districts, left to the, State
by the CONSUMPTION Acts Of Congress, as
will be seen by the Adjutant-G Generals re-
port, preparatory to organizing them into
regiments, Thsensmy lHging retired from
Jonesboro to Atlants,s they we're remanded
to their homes. Upon hearing of the des-
tructiou of Atlanta and the advance of the
enemy towards Augusta, ordered this force
to rendezvous forthwith at Hamburg, where
they will bsimmediately organized into reg
imsnts, for which . Brigadier General should
be provided. Should the change of our
militia organization, hereinafter suggested,
be adopted, another Brigadier General will
become necessary.
I refer to the full and satisfactory report
of the State Auditor, for information upon
various subjects embraced in this message,
and Others not mentioned. Its with regret
that l see the State is to lose his services.
1t will be perceived by his report that less
than one half of the. Military Contingent
Fund has been expended. This has arisen
from the fact that up to recent date, the
State had no troops in the 6eid, since early
in the present year. The Legislature not
having increased The permanent military
force Of fthe State, I did not deem itadVisa.
bic to retain the mounted companies of
Captains Boykin and Rodgers, but as vas
authorized to do, by resolution, transferred
them to Confederate service. I now recon-
mend that permanent military force, con.
sisting of, at Feast, one regiment of mount
ed infsntry, enc company of which should,
at the discretion of the Governor, be used
as cavalry, and one as light artillery, be
raised by draft from the militia regiments
in the State, if not furnished by volunteer
ing. Under the operations of the Conscrip-
ton Acts, the State has no force now left,
except the boys between sixteen and seven
teen, the men between fifty and sixty, and
the Confederate exempts. Of these, the
men over fifty, and rrsny of the exempts,
are, liable to service only within the District
in which they live. OF the force liable be-
yond their Districts, one-third only can be
sent beyond the limits of the State, for a
period not exceeding two months, at any
one time. I, therefors, recommend the fol.
lowing changes in our military organization,
to meet the existing condition of things:
First-All persons new held liable to
perform military duty in times of aiarm, IN.
surreetiou and invasion, or as one of the
posse consitassss, and not exempted from &C
tusl service in their respective Districts,
should be declared liable to actual service
anywhere within the State, when their ser.
vices shall be deemed necessary by the Gov
ernor, except the members of both branches
of the Legislature, aud their respective Off
GERS, including the Acknowledgement and
Solicitors, during the session, and for fifteen
days before and after. Second-That all
those, under existing laws, liable to military
service cut of their Districts, be declared
also liable to service out Of the State, for
the term of three months, if, in the opinion
of the Governor, the public exigencies
should so long require. The best defence
of the State can frequently be made beyond
her borders. I also recommend that for the
support of the militia, when in the field, the
Governor be authorized to impress supple:
at schedule prices, whenever such course
shall become absolutely necessary, from ina
bility to procure them frsm the Confederate
Government. The present condition of the
country induces me to recommend your i'm.
mediate consideration Of these proposed
changes. .
These forces the Legislature should de.
clare exempt from Confederate service, and
.a+o;n .euhiect IN her own laws, and under