Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-05

know that any amendment or revision
would aid in the accomp mplishment of its OBJ
jects. The conflicting constructions of its
provisions have, L believe, become recon-
ciled. AS a general thing the county Off
GERS have performed their duties under it
with reasonable promptitude. Numerous,
and in some cases serious, complaints have
been made against Township Trustees, in
regard to the distribution of the fund. The
military committees have rendered very
valuable assistance in investigating these
complaints. In some cases the omissions were
found to be accidental; in others they arose
from the insufficiency oftlie fund to meet the
expectations of the parties; in very few
theywere found to be eXag rated and fraud
ulent; and in many, far too many, they were
found to be correctly stated, and properly
attributable to the political hostility of the
officers, not only to the provisions of the
law, but to the prosecution Of the war, and
the cause of the country. In no case re-
ported to me did this amount to absolute re-
fusal to perform the required duties; but in
some instances they were tardily perform
ed; in others, women were required to walk
long distances to get signatures to orders;
in others, again, the payments to them We're
accompanied with harsh, and in some cases
ungentlemanly language, which in many
instances deferred females from second ap-
plications. 1t is painful to be compelled to
record these facts; yet it affords Inc pleas
ure to state that such conduct has not been
generally manifested in the political party
opposed to the government. The cases are
isolated, and have usually been found con-
nected with ignorance or intense partisan
bitterness.
Township officers are under the immcdi-
ate control Of the county authorities. 1t is
only when the latter refuse to act, and cor
rect abuses, that the Executive is authorz-
ed to assume control of the fund. But one
case of this kind has been reported to me.
The commissioners were Immediately nOti-
fled that the provisions Of the law would be
enforced; upon which the matter was adjust
ed between them and the Military com
mittce, and further action was thus avoided
The reports required by the seventh Sec
tion of the law are not made with sufficient
promptitude. At the present time of writ
ing, reports have been received from only
twenty-five counties; and many of these are
defective, bv reason of reports not having
been made by trustees to county ollicers.-
In numbep of the counties reported, very
considerable balances of the fund remained
on hand in October. In the remainder the
balances are small, except the counties of
Holmes and Marion, Ngrh have paid out
| 4
very important to the Sr>r" officers and the
Legislature. The ncglect or delay of them
defeats one of the most Important purposes
of the law. | suggest Jha5 Il reasonable
penalty be attached to the neglect to make
them, either by TOWNSHIP or county oili-
GERS.
OF the counties repo@,~, Columbiana,
Cuyahoga, COshocton, iuiUI. Guernsey,
Huron, Hamilton, Lawrence. Marion, Per-
ry, Preblc, Stark, Summit, Van Vert and
Wood made county lcvies in aid of the
fund, and to cover deficiencies in previous
years.
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
The militia system of the State was put to
a severe test during the year, and am hap
py to say that it passed the ordeal in the
most satisfactory manner. In the month of
| April, at conference Of the Governors OF
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wiscon-
sin, it was determined to offer to the Gov
ernment the services of cighty-1ive thou
sand militia for the term OF one hundred
days-the quota of Ohio being fixed at
thirty thousand. The policy of this move
ment did not admit of doubt or hesitancy.
The summer campaigns were about to open
in Virginia and Tennessee. Both of them
must necessarily operate upon continually
|
quirng large forces to protect them. AT
the metime it was necessary that the Vir-
ginia army should cover and protect the
National Capital, and that OF Tennessee
hold safe the border. In previous cam
paigns we had suffered from this species of
depletion to an extent that seriously i'm
paired the value of our successes. At the
| time of considering this proposition large
body of hardy and veteran troops were en-
gagged in garrison duty, and guarding lines
of communication, which could be as well
done by less experienced men. To relieve
these, and throw them forward, was to give
to each of our operating qrpes large re-
serve force. The time before the opening
of the campaigns was too short to admit of
q call, with its attendant OF draft, even if
the legislation of Congress, not then COM
pleted, had admitted of such a MEASURE
The policy was, therefore, apparent, of
supporting our active armies by the mill
tia, until legislation could be perfected, and
an additional call be made.
The States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
had another manifest interest in this move
ment. In order to save our southern bor-
ders from incursions and raids, it was evil
IDENTIFY sound policy to so strengthen our
main armies as to furnish full employment
for the rebel forces in their own territory.
In this particular the result fully justified
the wisdom of the movement. But one
raid was attempted during the season, and
that was checked and overwhelmed in Ken
lucky before reaching. the Ohio river.
This offer of the States was promptly ac-
cepted by the President on the 26th of April,
and this fact .(being then in Washington,
| communicated by telegraph to the Adju-
tant General. He Immediately issued his
order for the assembling of the National
Guard at their respective places of rendez-
vous on the I'd day OF May. On very in
clement day, amid storm of snow and rain,
there met and reported Tor duty nearly for
ty thousand men, who, without question or
reservation, offered their services to the
country i'm its hour of need From these were
organized forty-one regiments and one bat
talon, with an aggregate strength of 35,9S2
men. OF these, one regiment and the bat
TALON were reserved at Johnson's Island,
one regiment at Camp Chase, one at CALI
polls, and two at Camp Dennison. The re-
naming thirty-six regiments, embracing
an aggregate strength Of 3l,051 men, were
sent out of the State into Virginia, Mary
land and the District of Columbia. Six of
these regiments went to.the front under
General Butler; two OF them were in the
battle of Monecacy, where they suffered a
loss of four killed and seven wounded, and
a number of prisoners; orewas stationed at
Martinsburgh, Virginia. where it suffered q
loss of over two hundred prisoners, who are
still in rebel hands; one regiment was with
General Hunter in his, severe march to
Lynchburgh and back. rs porting the loss of
only one man; other regiile IS were station
ed at Baltimore and Was',ins on, and saw
active service in the raid upon the latter