The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-24
FROM HARRISBURG.
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Message of Governor Curtin.
THE SECOND PENNSYLVANIA
ARTILLERY.
A REGIMENT WITHOUT OFFICERs.
Conflict Between the National
and State Authorities.
POSITION OF TIE WAR DEPARTMENT
mrSsAGE or GOVERNOR CuRrIN

RIsBuRe, August p, ls64.-rO tho Honorable
the Senate OF Pennsyl sylyania.-Gentlcmen II re-
ceiyed the following preamble and resolution on
the Goth August -
SENATE CHANRER HAHBIsHUHg, August 20,
lS6f.-" Uheyeos, Il is alleged that the officers of
the "a Pennsylvania Artillery tOr Provisional
Regmcnt) aTo without commissions and the
regiment, although in the front, is withol. sur
geons, therefore, in order 10 ascertain where tne
neglect Is, be it
"Resolreo, That the Governor be requested TO
furnish, at his earliest convenience, any cores
pondenco that he may have had with the pr5s-
dent or the War Department in relation thereto
To which have the honor b reply that, on the
recommendation of an officer ofthe War Depart
uent, on the 18th day Of June, 1862, appointed
A. \. Gibson, then captain in the artillery ser
vice of tho United States, Colonel OF the "a Regi-
ment Pennsylvania Artillery. 1t was represented
10 me that Inc was very we'll qualified, and
selected him accordingly for this particular arm
of the service. Early In January, 1858, COM
plants were made to me by the officers OF the
regiment in reference to the conduct of Colonel
Gibson, and, indeed, charges were made of u
serious character.
was extremely reluctant 10 interfere between
the War Departmentaud Colonel OF the scryss
But these complaints continued tO be repeated
and in the month Of May OF juno, 1868, when in
Washington City on other business, | was called
upon by many of the officers OF the regiment,
gentlemen who were personally known to me 10
bo entirely reliable, and statements were ma 10
30 serious that 7 could not disregard them and
addressed the Secretary Of War unOn the subject,
and sent my commune alton from Wlllard's Hotel
without having retained copy, asking thit
Colonel Gibson should be relieved flOm tue COM
lnand Of the regiment and ordered back 70 his
regiment in the army.
To this communication no answer was re
turned, but 10 my surprise l learn un1iicially
that all that was required 60 secure the removal
OF Colonel Gibson was my request to that effect
On the the ID of December, 1868, ] again al
dressed the Secretary Of War as follows:-
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, HARRIsRuRG Deem
Der ,, lS63.-Hon Edwin VI. Stanton Secretary
Of War.-Sir II beg leave 70 request most
earnestly that yOu will issue an order TO Colonel
A. \. Gibson, now commanding the 21 Penn,yi-
vania Artillery, relieving him from the command
and returning him to his pos as Captain in the
20 Regiment Of Artillery (Regularsl.
l am constrained 10 make this request from
the fact that Colonel Gibson has not and does n u
give satisfaction to his regiment, and that his OIL
GERS, some of them the finest in the service, are
constantly appealing TO me to relieve them.
Charges OF serious nature could be preferred,
butthis would involve the delay lttendiuga court.
martial, and would create di,senSiOns all of which
can be avoided by his being returned tn his relsu
lar rank. The most chart able conStruc ion
placed upon his conduct by his officers is that he
Is insane, ana under such circumstances tue
mildcst means consistent with the good OF the
service are probably the best.
lrcspeciiully refer 70 papers already on fle iu
yonr department, with my endorsement III relA-
ton 10 this subject, and ] beg that tho order
may issue.
Very respectfully, yOur 5bcJ'oot servant
\. G. CURr.s.
To which no answer was returned. The com
plants still continuing, and bpch officers and meu
constantly appealing 20 me, again addressed the
Secretary o. War Oh the 10Th o. jnu4ry, 1864, as
follows -
JANuAHy u, ls5i-H9n. T. n. Stanton
Secretary OF War .-Sif ~ hiyG upon two occi-
,ions before this endeavored to calf your atten-
tion TO the propriety OF ordering Colonel A. A.
Gibson, now commanding The ~ Regiment Penn
sylvanii Artillery, TO join his own regiment OF
Regulars, and was surprised tha. no answer had
been returned. i learn, however, Uuoiiicaly,
that my letters upon this subject have not reached
You.
l, Therefore, take the liberty ofc1closing TO you
a copy o. my letter on This srbecs, which fully
explains the matter, and in addition TO what il
there stated II is proper 10 say, that from In
formation received l am assured thatif Colonel
Gibson 10 not removed very icT Of that regiment
will reenlist, aud thai If he is nc rly all of tlem
viii; hence the necessity for early action.
Very respectfully, your OhediGnt servant,
A. g, CURTIN.
This letter / sent 10 Washington city by a
member of my stat, who delivered ID to inc Sec
retary Of War in person on the 23l January
1864. No ac;ion having be1n taken, although a
preferred against Colonel Gibson, and the com-
plants sill continuing, on the lGth June, 1854,
addressed the President OF the United States s
follows -
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, Jun 10, ls6L-sir:-
IN the spring OF 1862 yOn requested me % raj
volunteer regiment Of heavy artilery, Cllled the
I'D Regiment Heavy Artillery PV. The cal
being special one, there seemed ~ he regulred ID
command the reghnentan officer OF experience in
that particular line, and one of the officer, OF tLe
War Department recommended Tor that purpose
captain A. a. GIBSON, Of the SGte OF Maine,
then captain in the 2d Artillery, L. S. A.
In compliance with this rccOnuen.i iatlon, aud
without any other knowledge o. Captain Gibson,
| appOiued aud commissioned HIN on the 18Th Of
June, ls62, at Colonel of the reument HI, con-
duct ana dtpOrtment since have been intoerable
He his violated the faith Of ihc Government
pledged 10 recruits for regiments in tne field Dy
General Order No. So July -, 1862, VII ch pro
yides that they shan lie pcrntJ.l % select any
company OF tho regiment they may prefer. Ia
contempt of this order he hus ,r-cd recruits into
batteries O'her tnan those WHOM they selected
In at least one instance he h43 used language
TO q commissioned officer Of his regiment ia pre-.
sencc OF an enlisted man, unne'Jming an Ifil,
and a gentleman, ana CIlcu l.al 70 subvert all
discipline. lie has treated iHc NImm lnwoath
of Pennsylvania with contempt, ny returning to
her agent the flag which he sur. ,O,ei 70 be the
flag presented 70 the regiment by the STATE, under
the direction OF an act Of Assembly, and giving
as a reason for SO doing that when the regiment
was mustered into the service of the United States
IL ceased TO have anything to do with the State.
He has slandered the whole people of Penn
sylyania, and especially her gallant soldiers in
the field, by saying :-"Pennsy soldiers will
not tight; one Southern soldier is worth three Of
them. The Rebel officers make a practice of
ascerlaining on what part of the battlefield the
| Pennsylvania troops are stationed, and then
attack their part Of the line" or words to that
effect
In utter defiance and contempt of the acts of
Congress, 70 he presently referred 70, he took
possession Ot first liCutenaut's commission,
which had Issued 10 non commissioned officer
OF the regiment, court mariialed the officer for
having accepted II, and retained the commission
until it had been given in evidence before the
couTtmaTtial. The facts above recitei were all
reported as found by a court OF inquiry Assem-.
bled on January 8, 1864 Of which BriRader-
Oeneml DE Russey was President, which also
reported that In the opinion OF the court no
further military proceedings necessary in the
case.
add that the proceedings OF Colonel Gibson
have been habituRlly 50 offensive that / have
long since ceased to hold any Communication
with him.
The heavy artillery Is known 10 be a fayorite
arm. One regiment was raised in Pennsylvania
aud when that was completed a second was
authorized TO be raised. AUTHORITY TO raise more
in this State was refused, although ia New York
no less than sixteen regiments were authorized.
In consequence Of this refusal, there was a
large surplus recruited for the second regiment
Ihis surplus amounted 10 more THAI enough h
form another regiment, and measures were taken
1 q NNaaNu NHraaW frs