Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-02-08


ever, in addition to the fourteen called fo,
by the President, were organized and mus
5 tered into the service, before the order o
D General Patterson was cuuntermanded hy
him, under instructions from the War De
partment
On the l4th day of May, 1861, the Secre
, tary of War, in letter communicating the
: plan of organization for three years -regi
} ments confirmed the revocation of the order
: in the following language "Ten regi.
: ments are assigned to Pennsylvania, max.
ing III addition to the thirteen regiments of
three months militia, already called for,
twenty-three regiments. 1t is important to
} reduce rather than enlarge this number,
, and in no event to exceed it. Let lie earn
estiy recommend to you, therefore, to call
for no more than twenty-three regiments, of
} which only ten are to serve during the war,
and if more are already called for, to re-
duce the number 10y discharge"
The twenty-five regiments raised as above
stated, comprised 2O,979 men The ardor
of our p, ople was unabated Many of the
companies, under my order, had arrived in
camp at Harrisburg, and others maintained
their organizations at home at their own
expense, and by contributions from their
neghbors and friends
In the critical condition of the country.
and anticipating that, in case of reverse to
our arms. the borders of Penns ylvania
would be the portals to the rich granaries,
manufactures and store-lluuses of the
North, deemed it my duty to convene the
Legislature, that adequate provision might
he made to enable me to render the military
power Of the State as available and effici-
| ont - Oh, 10 e.. IL T.
of the State and General Government and
accordingly, on the Goth of April, 1861, is
sued my proclamation, calling for meet
ing of the General Assembly, on the 30th Of
| the same month.
In my message to the Legislature at it's
opening, l recommended the Immediate or
ganization, disciplining and arming of at
least fifteen regiments, exclusive Of those
called into the service of the United States.
The Legislature acted promptly upon this
suggestion, and made full provisions for its
ffectual accomplishment The resu was
the ear y and complete organization, cloth
ing and equipment of the Pennsylvania
Reserve Volunteer Corps, with its thirteen
regiments of infantry, one of light artillery
and one of cavalry. under the supervision
of George A. M'CalI, who was selected to
command it, with the commission and rank
of Major General This corps containtd d
1886 men, and the whole expense of rails
ing, clothing, eqnippng, subssting and
paying them, until their entry into the Uni
ted States service, was 1885, ,444 81. They
were encamped in different parts of the
State, except two of the regiments, COM
manded by Colonels Chas. j. Biddle and
Seneca u. Simmons, and two batteries of
artillery, under the command of Colonel
Charles L. Campbell, which at the request
of the War Department, were sent on the
22d of June, 1861, to the relief of Colonel
| Wallace, at Cumberland, Maryland, and re-
manned for about six weeks there, and in
| Western Virginia, engaged in active oper-
ations. Towards the close of July the
whole corps was called for and taken, on
requisitiUn, into the service of the United
States Within four days after the disas-
ter at Bull Run, eleven regiments, in all re-
spects ready for active service, were in
Washington and Baltimore.
The troops sent to Western Virginia
were recalled, and with the other two regi
ments of the corps, forwarded to Washing
ton
On the Goth of July, 1861, the Secretary
of War expressed his qualification and
thanks for the prompt response froll PENN
syIvania.
The wisdom of the Legislature in provid-
ing for the formation of this corps, for the
interests of the State and the Nation, was
fully shown by subsequent events. Most Of
the men who filled the ranks had been ac-
cepted by NE under the call for twenty five
regiments, which was afterwards rescin-
ded
. They had left their families and homes
under deep sense Of duty to their country,
and to have sent them back unacccpted
would have caused serious difficulty in
making future enlistments
BY acts of Congress of 22d and 25th Ju-
ly, 1862, the President was authorized to
call upon the several states for volunteers
To serve fer three years. Under this au
thority acquisitions were made Oh this State,
and fourteen regiments were promptly fur
nished. In the meantime authorities had
been granted by the President and the War
Department to d number of individuals to
raise regiments in different parts of the
State, which seriously interfered with the
action Of the State authorities in filling re-
quisitions regularly made under the acts of
Congress.
The embarrassments arising from this
conflict of authorities became at length so
serious that was constrained to call the
attention of the President and Secretary of
War to the subject, by a communication,
dated the lst of August 1861, and on the
oath of September following, an order was
issued requiring these independent regi- |
ments to report to the Governor, and plac-
ing them under his authority and control. |
Acting under this order, many of the indie |
pendent regiments were filled up, others
consolidated, and seventy-three regiments,
with an aggregate strength Of S9,04S men,
were promptly sent forward.
During the year 1862 draft was order |
ed by the General Government, which was
executed under the State authorities
OF the quota of the State, under the call |
of July I, 1862, forty-three regiments of
volunteers, aggregating 40,3S3 men, were
put into service, and under the draft, order
ed August 4th of the same year, fifteen reg
iments, containing an aggregate force of
$4,000 men, organized and sent forward =
During the same period nine Independent
batteries of artillery were organized in the
State with an aggregate strength of 1853 |
offirers and mon