The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-10-31
PENNSYLVANIA.

Y. Times.
From the Harrisburg Telegraph.
PENNSYLVANIA.
When the war of the rebellion was
preCipitated, the then authorities at w ash
ington, calculated that sixty thousand
men and three months would be sufficient
force md time to crush the plot of treason.
1t is not necessary now to refer to the
fact that this calculation of force of neces-
sity to arrest rebellion was wofully wrong,
and that instead of requiring three months,
four years, four terrible, weary, bloody,
and self-sacrifcing years were consumed
in the struggle to restore the Union to
peace. But it is curious fact that one
of the States of the Union has furnished
almost five times as many men to aid IN
crushing rebellion, as was at first demanded
Of all the States, to accomplish that result.
i On inquiry 10 the Office of the Adju-
liant General, A L. Russell, for lntorma-
ton relative to the full number OF men
furnished by the State of Pennsy ylvania,
as recruits for the armies of the Repub-
lie, we were placed in possession of the
following letter:
! WAR DEPARTMENT, PRo. MAR. GEMS OFFICE.
Washington, D. c., Sept 2, 1895. )
His Excellency, a. G. CURTIN, Gov Of Pennsylvania
Sir have the honor TO inform you that the mum
Der of men furnished by the State of Pennsylvania
from April IT, 1861 to April 90 1862 Is three hundred
and sixty-one thousand nine hundred and thirty
(3Gl 939j without reference to periods OF service,
which varied from three months to three yegrs,
Please acknowledge the receipt.
have the honor to be, sir very respectfully, your
obedient servant. JAMES B. FRY, Pro. Mar. Gen.
The number of men credited to Penn
sylvania, in the foregoing official account
taIies so closely with the records that we
are willing to accept it as correct. But
there are other official records besides
those kept at Washington of men fur
nished by Pennsylvania, to aid in crush
ing the rebellion, which greatly swell the
aggregate force we sent into the fields.
These records show, that for State defence
and in response to the demands Of sudden
, emergencies, Pennsy ylvania put into the
; field at various times a force of between
$4,000 and 10000 men. On several &C.
casions we had a Gordon of bavonets
stretched along the southern border Of the
} State. Then again, the number of men
who were induced to leave the State for
5 enlistment In other States, was very large.
. The border counties of New York along
: the entire border line, were paying heavy
= bOuntIes before the counties in this State
along the same liue, offered pecuniary
: inducements for enlistments. The same
inducements were offered to citizens of
! Pennsylvania by other border States.
' An entire regiment was raised in the
! western counties of Pennsylvania for
e Western Virginia. In New Jersey, for
: time enlistments were largely discour
aged by the copperhead leaders, so that
e loyal men 10 districts in that State, anx-
: ious to fill up their quotas, were COM
e PEELED to find substitutes through the In
e fuonce of heavy bounties offered to the
S people of Pennsylvania. Nor was it only
: the States Immediately y on our border
: that filed their quotas from among oui
: citizens. States on the Pacific coast did
r the same; in proof Of which we need
only tG refer to the fact that full regl
:, meut was recruited in the city Of Phila
S delphia, for the State of California q reg
+ iment afterwards commanded by one oI
: the California United States Senators
S Carefully estimating the men thus raised
5 and enlisted in various localities, We pu
d down the aggregate number Of troops
/. thus furnished by Pennsylvania at 20,
q 900. Indeed so great was this drain OIL
our military resources that the Legisla
q ture passed law sternly forbidding the
J. enlistment Of men within the borders o
j. The State for service in the organizations
y of other States, and districts emphatically
C declared that the families of those thu,
y leaving the Commonwealth, shonld not
o receive the benefits of the relief offered
# to the families Of those thus leaving the
It Commonwealth, should not receive the
e benefits Of the relief offered to the fami
/ lies Of soldiers in Pennsylvania organiza
:, tions. Nor mnSt we forget the large
g number Of colored troops that were co
0 listed in Pennsylvania for other States
t At least 2, 800 coored troops went into
- service in other States, who were takeu
: out of Pennsylvania. Taking these fig
s ures as fair estimates we have the fol
= lowing:
It Rscapit,lation Of Troops Furnished By the Stat
/. of PennsyLUania, TO Aid IN Restoring the No
4 ti0nal authority in the Rev0lted States:
!. Number Of men regularly furnished and
counted ror by the Pro Mar. of the Z. S.--561 93
o Number of men in the aggregate called at yari-
. Gus times to meet emergencies growing out Of
Y the attempted invasion OF the North by the
n rebel army of Northern Virginia 60 0O
y Number of men who left Pennsylvania to enlist
y IN other states Zo OU
=, Number of coored men who left Pennsylvania
to enlist in the organizations of other States,
e on account of there being no opportunity
for coored troops to enlist in this 5O