The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-02-09

and 70 express my personal obligations
for the ready obedience and constant
support have uniformly received from
the chiefs Of the departments, and otfi-
GERS OF my personal staff.
An approximate Judgment ct the a.
mount ot labor performed by these de-
partments, and in the Office of the Sec
retary OF the Commonwealth, may be
made. when it isStated that over fGrtT-
three thousand 43,0J0 military COM
4 missions We're issued during the war.
The first request for troops from his
State was dated ut Washington, ON the
18th April, 1851, and on the 18Th the
telegraph announced to the War De
. parJmeut that over E,O39 men were at
/ Harrisburg, awaiting marching orders.
tits our proud privilege 10 have it
remembered, thai the first military
aid from the loya. states. which reach
ed Washington, was the force Of 400
+ PennsylYanians, who arrived there 0E
I the 18th day OF April, and jhat, when
the Capital OF the nation was the see
Ond time threatened, after the battle Of
! Bull Run, the regiments of the Penn
4 sylvdnia Reserve Corps We're the first
troops sent forward.
From the beginning Of the war 10
/ lis close the State has never talter@d in
its support OF the Government.
Proceeding in the strict line OF duJy,
Z the resources of Pennsylvania, Wheth-
cg in men or money, have neither been
withheld or sQGaDdercd. The history
! oi the c0nductof our peopiein 1he field
II Illuminated with incidents 0I hero
ism worthy Of conspicuous notice; buJ
ii WOuid De impossible t0meRtl0n them
( in thepr0per limits OF q message, WiCh-
I CUT doing injustice, or, perhaps, making
/ inVidiOUs distinctions. Arrangements
are in progress 70 have q complete his
tory OF our regiments, Sucn as has been
contemplated and Is provided for in an
act Of assembly already passed: and on
this subject commend the report Of
the executive military department to
your favorable consideration. itWOuId
be alike impossible to furnish a histg-
ry OF the associated bcneV0lence and Of
the large individual contributions to
the comfort 0i our people in the tleld
and hospital. or Of the NAMES aUG ser
vices, ataii times. OF our volunteer sur
geOuS. when called t0assist in the hos
pital or on the battle field; nOrjs.J Dos
Sibie 60 do Justice 50 the many patriot
ic Christian GCn who were always
ready TO respond when summoned 10
the exercise Of acts % humanity and
beneVOence.
our armies We're sustained and
strengthened in the field by the pair
Otic devotion OF their friends al home;
and We can never render fUii Justice to
the heaven-diracJed patriotic, Chris
tian 5eneVnleuce Of the women oi the
State.
During the war 1 had occasion. from
time TO time. to communicate freely
with the Legislature on subjects bear
ing upon the interests OF the mes rep
reseHting the Sta5ein the armies OF the
Republic.
1t is with ii sense OF unIeigned graf
itude that / acknOWledgchoW cheerful
IN and promptly the Legislature aEd
the people acted upon my suggestions,
whether for the support OF the govern
meut, the enlistment and organization
OF troops. or for the comfort OF oUrDeo-
pi@ already IN tha neiU.
Without this generous confidence and
liberal support, the iaborS of the Exec
utive would have been in vain: the
treasure that has been expended would
have been wasted, precious lives lost
would have been an empty sacrifice,
the bruised hearts of kindred friends
WOuid nave been without s0lace: the
! strong men. whose health has been bro
ken and whose bodies have been naiu-
. ed would have been monumenCsoi her
0ism wasted, and the honor 0f this
great Commonwealth would have been
,3a - n
institutions of the Republic.
The report Of the Hon, Thomas IT.
: BuITuWe@. shows the gratifying result,
under his active management. Of the
system adopted by the STATE, for the
maintenance and education os lue or
phans of orr soldiers. His report eN-
hibit~ the fact. that I,2i2 Orphans are
now actually admitted to the schools,
and that $40 applications IN all have
been allowed. and orders issued for their
admission. many Of whom have been
admitted since his report. 1t will also
be seen, thaJ the largest appropriation,
that ever Will be required, VIII he for
this and the two ensuing years, and lh2t
then the amount viii be gradually re-
duced. / have heretofore commended
this charity to YOU, and ] deem i un-
necessary to add another word, in ask
ing q continuation of IN appropriation,
which II 10 Drovid" for and educate the
best blood Of the Stare, and support the
living legacic~ which have been be-
queathed us by the men who laid down
their lives for the country. When we
remember that every sort Of public and
private pledge that the ejoquouce Of
man could devise uruttcr, was given 60
our soldiers as they went forward, that
if they fell, their orphans should be-
come the children OF the State, ] cannot
for IN instant suppose, that you viii
hesitate 20 continue IN appropriation,
which i to bless their little ones. pro-
viding comfortable homes, instead Of
leaving them III want and de~tjJution,
many of them 80 fail victims ln vice
and crime.
At the time of the invasion Of the
North, in 1858, by the rebel army, the
President madc Il requisiti0n on me for
militia to serve during the emergency.
The men came forward promptly, to
-. the number Of 30, ,jNe. Oi whom upwards
Of 25.0a0 refused 10 be mustered into
the service ofthe United States in con-
sequence Of circumstances OF prior oc-
currenCe not necessary to De here S,a-
ted.
In this embarrassment, the emergen-
cy being very pressing, after c0nsulta-
ton with the President. he authorized
and requested me to call them or behalf
of the State, and fer the defence of the
State, the United States paying all the
/ pXnpnSpS of their clothing eguiDmPut,