The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-16

lonno SO ignorant mad foolish as to helieve
them but 80 il was. These statements
we're mace through the press and iron, ~
stump, IN the most violent and excii;nr.
I.1' sua5e. apparently with ali tho earnest
ness OF conviction, and thousands NJ honas.
but deluaed men. believed then, and ?,
80 ousnee entertained feelings Of deem
iiost,tsiy TO the Government. In thjs err
siteo state 81 the public mind secret snnio
lies were organized in many. If not All Of
'ae 10y s'i Htate-, Tie members Of which para
Nv soh,o extent secretly armed for tha
a ai. purpose OF protecting themselves
against what were called "arb;trarv A.
rests, but as am satisfied with the intan.
upoh me part OF tho leaders to Bring tha;r
Hlethnofs INTO armed collision win IN.
General government, III case any attemr,
snouio hc made to enforce the Draft. m.
natural result Of these teachings and th;s
ACTON, was seen in the bloody riots thai
occurred III the chief city of the Union and
III similar small outbreaks in other nl.cas
Under these circumstances nv dntv
seemed TO me TO be plain and clear y,ras
Dound 10 see the enforcement of tho II NC
ard the preservation Of peace and good ar.
der and when organized action WAS being
taken throughout the State to prevent Tho
one and violate the other. / did rnt ,h;~I9
my duty permitted me to wait until tha
evii was upon MS before l took steps for its
prevention. l accordingly called npon tho
loyal men OF the State, who were will;na
- AID III the enforcement Of the law ~ 80
game volunteer military companv in
each county OF the State. Such comna,,;as
were promptly organized, i'll most of the
counties, Of loyal and substantial citi,ons
and as they were organized. / placed go.
ana ammunition in their hands to make
TIER organization effective. Rv those
means sutilcent force was provided To
cNeclualiy preserve the peace OF the State
and insure the enforcement of the laws Of
congress, without weakening our army
facing tie enemy by Withdrawing any por
ton @! u for That purpose. and il, nv ii1d0-
nent, this state Of preparation to nresarva
the peace, tended largely TO prevent its vi
Oiation.
Vhere was but q single occasion in which
1t was necessary to use the force thus or
gained. About the first day Of August
last, az 81 number OF persons, who had been
attending political meeting near the viii
iage Of South English, in keokuk county.
were returning through that village, a col
Ision took place between them and other
persons in the village, in which a MIR. Tai
ly was killed. The friends Of Tally. in
stead OF appealing to the laws and the OIL
GERS OF the law for redress, chose to assume
that the officers of the law would not do
their duty. They sent runners to various
points and in a short time had gathered.
near SIgourney, the county seat Of the
county, Il large body Of armed men. who
undertook to dictate 10 the officers of the
law, for what offence and in what manner.
the persons charged with killing Tally
should be tried and punished. Much alarm
existed throughout the county. The coun-
ty funds were sent off for safety, and ar
engagements were made to send away the
county records; and orderly and law -i,bid-
ing people were in great anxiety and terror.
As soon as these facts were made known
to me, | at once ordered TO Sigournev q
sufficient number of volunteer companies,
of infantry and artillery, to give protection
to the people and the officers OF the law,
and 70 show those Assem- bled for unlawful
purposes. not only the hopelessness, but
the danger OF their attempt to overawe the
and am glad to be able to in
form you that the display of force was suf-
ticient to effect the desired object As soon
as it became known that force was being
gathered 10 sustain the law, the unlawful
assembiace quietly dispersed, order aud
were restored. and the officers
of the law were left unmolested in the per-
Torrance Of their duty.
The Companies thus organized and arm
ed are still in existence, and, should any
further legislation be deemed necessary for
their efficiency, recommend that such
legislation be had.
Iii closing this subject, l would return
by me to Sigourney aud South English, on
the occasion referred to, for the prompt
ness with which they responded to the or
der and Their soldierly conduct and bear
ing while on duty.
AT the commencement of the Session Of
the Ninth General Assembly. the State had
organized and sent to the field fourteen
Regiments of Infantry, three Regiments of
and three Batteries of Artillery;
and had in process Of organization, two
Regiments OF Infantry and one Of Cavalry
OF these Regiments, the First Infantry was
enlisted for three months, and had then
been mustered out Of service. All the 9TH
ers were enlisted for three years. Since
the commencement of that Session, the
two Regiments of Infantry and one of Cav
airy, then incomplete, have been organi-
zed, and in addition thereto, twenty-four
Regiments OF Infantry, five Regiments Of
Cavalry, and one Battery have been en-
listed, and all for three years. Besides
these complete organizations, large num-
ments in the field. ] have not been able,
as get, to ascertain whether the quota OF
This State, under the last call OF the Presi-
dent for volunteers to fill the ranks of our
veteran Regiments, has been filled. Ifit
has not. the deficiency cannot be large, if
be proper credit has been given by the
Provost Marshal General for our excesa
IAN be easily and promptly filled by draft,
Besides the troops thus furnished TO the
army of the Union, there were organized.
IS required by the Acts Of the Extra Ses-
sion Of 1862, i've companies OF mounted
men for the protection Of our north west
,rn frontier against Indians, and ten COM
,anes Of mounted men on our southern
,order, TO protect the persons and property
If our people Oh that line, against the de-
,redations of organized bands of guerrillas
rom Missouri. The Report of the Adiu-
ant General will furnish you full informa-
ion Of the number Of men that have been
,ept in active service on each Of these
ines, and of the number now in service.
'he companies on the north western from
Ter have all been disbanded. and their
lace supplied by troops Of the United
tates. While these companies were in
ervice, they were required to erect block
ouses and other buildings, at different
oints, Tor their own convenience, and to
erve as raliylng points for the people in
ase of attack. These buildings are now
coupled, in whole or in part, by the Uni
81 States troops on that line. recon-