The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-14
Letter from the State Capital.
AUGUSTA. April 10, 1866.

~
To the Editor of the Press:
The following commissions have been is
sued since my last, viz:
Unassigned Infantry-David B. Chesley,
Lincoln, Capt. 18th Co.; Jordan M. Hall, Cas-
co, I'd 1t. 26th Co.
Three hundred and ninety-seven men were
sent away Monday. They were Capts. Brown,
Bray, Barrows and Fickett's companies.-
There are six companies left in camp here.
Capt. Gilmore's company raised some time
since is detained here by Col Littler for duty
at the post. They are engaged on guard, Is
cort and provost guard duty, &c.
The second company for Hancock'a corps,
9S men, will leave for Washington next Mon
day under command of Lieut. Lord. The
third company for that organization is now
being organized and has some twenty men al
ready enlisted for it.
The unassigned companies in camp here and
ready to go forward in few days are Captain
Wardwelrs of Oxford, Captain Chesley's, Capt
Rings of Portland and Capt. Gilman's.
Since the first of January six thousand ac-
tual enlistments, of Maine men, have been put
into service in this State. Only about two
thousand more are due from the State on the
last call. The I'd and Sd Districts are nearly
full and all Of them have done well. Colonel
Littler, Provost Marshal General of the State,
is anxious to have the men raised during this
month and he regards the stopping of local
bounties, in towns whose quotas are not full,
as mistaken policy. The call was made in
good faith and will have to be filled. Undoubt-
eily this is the last call that will be made up
on them, but this one will have to be filled by
volunteers or there will be draft. The wisest
course towns can take is to fill their quotas
Men are cheaper now than they have been for
long time or than they will be in case Of
draft. Neighboring States have still some
men to furnish and unless our towns pay the
men bounty they will go where they can get
it. Ii young man gets his mind set upon
going to the war the failure of his own town
to pay bounty will not prevent hin from going
and for getting his pay for it too.
All our infantry regiments are being filled to
the maximum. There is now no object for
recruits to desert, since by Col. Littlers order
their bounties are deposited here, assigned to
their friends and by orders of the War depart
ment cannot be sent away till the men
reach the 'front.' Bounty jumpers, therefore,
do not infest this State much latterly, but we
have been putting in substantial, reliable men.
The vocation of substitute broker is also
about gone. One from here closed up its bust
ness yesterday afternoon and dissolved by
mutual consent"
The Court-martial is still in session. Capt.
Bunker, who has lately been commissioned as
| Commissary of Subsistence has been relieved
| from the Court-martial and gone TO Washing
| ton to enter upon his duties. Capt. Gilmore
and 1t. Rice have been detailed for duty on the
court.
Col. Littler has sent to the President of the
| Freedmen's Relief Association two boxes con-
| tanning between two and three hundred coats,
pants and vests. They are citizens clothing
collected at headquarters here from recruits,
together with those the Colonel took off rom
the bounty Jumpers on the steamer last fall.
Robert Dixon of Gardiner, very estimable
man and a member of Hancock's Corps, lost
his right hand and forearm by the premature
discharge of cannon while firing the salute
on Monday His arm was amputated just be
low the elbow, at the Cony Hospital. He had
served three years in the navy without injury
and was married few weeks since. Colonel
Littler has just started a subscription paper
which promises to realize nice little sum for
him.
The post band here made its first appear
aace with fifteen pieces on dress parade at
Camp Coburn, Tuesday. Their instruments
arrived at nine o'clock A. NJ, and they made
successful debut at five P. NJ. 1t promises
to be an excellent band. Their instruments
are all nice, new pieces.
The Governor left for Washington on Mon
day and will be absent about ten days.
Augusta was not behind any place in the
State in celebrating the surrender of Lee on
Monday or the fall of Richmond the week
previous. The Insane Hospital, State House,
Provost Marshal Generals offices, all the pub
lie buildings and most of the private ones,
were illuminated Monday night very hand
somely. Every body was in the best of spirits,
the town looked beautifully and all passed of
WELL II ads
Chaplain Merrill OF the 1st Me Cavalry
few days since, presented the flag OF that reg
iment to Gov. Cony. 1t has been borne in
every engagement in which the regiment has
participated up to a late date and is inscribed
with the names of thirty battles in which the
men particularly distinguished themselves. 1t
bears marks of severe and long continued ser
vice. The regiment bears the very highest
reputation the army and the highest am
bition and boast Of other cavalry regiments
there is to do "as well as the First Maine."
HELIos.