Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-01-12

against 1t. This opinion Is erroneous.
But one draft was ever ordered for men
in this State, and this was under the
July call of 1854, and in the delinquent
sub.districts only. This being in acs
cordance with the express requirements
of the law, it was unavoidable while
any ward or township was delinquent.
In this connection l deem 1t proper
to state that, notwithstanding the grave
differences of political opinions enter
tanned, my efforts to procure enlistments
under the several requisitions were.
with rare exceptions, eheerfully and
cordially seconded by the leading men
of all parties. There were, however, on
the other hand quite number of inhab-
itants in different parts of the State,
who, when the probabilities of compul-
sorry enlistments became imminent.
suddenly abandoned their homes and
expatriated themselves. These persons
should be known of all men, and held
up to perpetual scorn. The citizen who,
in the hour of his country's peril will
flee beyond the reach Of law to avoid
the performance of military duty, is an
unworthy subject of the government,
ana should be rendered forever incapa-
bic OF enjoying the rights and privileges
of citizenship.
During the last year of the war the
regiments from this State being assigns
ed to 80 many Departments of the army,
became dispersed over almost the entire
theatre of military operations. This
created the necessity of an incre ased
amount of sanitary assistance, and inn
posed additional labor and responsible
ty upon the Executive department.
Every practicable effort was made to
secure proper attention to the wants Of
our sick and wounded soldiers, and, if
any were neglected, it was in most cases
because OF their remote and isolated sit.
uatiOn, or the misconduct Of Z. $. Sur
geons and other government officers
entirely beyond our reach. OF the $40
600 appropriated at the last session for
extraordinary expenses of the Executive
office and relief of sick and wounded
soldiers, up to the close of the last fiscal
term S26 500 have been expended, of
under the preceding appropriation
leaving the sum of $l3 500, undrawn up
to that date.
ARSENAL.
l desire to urge upon your attention
the necessity of Immediately erecting
a building for the safe-keeping of ord
nance stores belonging to the State,
and the preservation of our military
records. The last General Assembly
appropriated $1,000 for the construction
of an Arsenal ut Des Moines, and direct
ed the Adiutant General to commence
the building, provided the necessary
grounds for that purpose could be pro-
cured without expense to the State
The advance in prices so far increased
the value of labor and materials beyond
the estimate upon which the appropri-
alton was based, that the Adjutant
- - I,ys, II II
the work for farther consideration of tho
General Assembly.
We have now under our control about
eighteen thousand stand of arms and sew
eral pieces Of artillery, besides large
amount of ordnance stores, which can
only be preserved from deterioration by
having a suitable building in which to
place them. In addition to this, tho
importance of safe depository for the
records of the Adjutant Generals Office
must not be overlooked. These records
contain the original rolls and all tho
documents of various kinds pertaining
to the enlistment, service and discharge
of Iowa soldiers, the destruction of
which would be an irretricveablc loss to
the State. Wenow have none but rent
ed buildings for this purpose, costing
about 81 900 annually, and without any
security against fire. A proof building
of sufficient capacity for all these pur-
poses could be erected ut q moderate
cost, and it should be done without I'M
necessary delay.
MILITIA.
Early in the summer of 1864, General
Orders was promulgated as contemplate
ed by the law enacted at the last SEES
sion, for the organization of the State
Militia. Hostile Indians on the plains
and guerrilla bands i'm Missouri threat
ening our Southern and Northwestcrr
borders and the preparations OLA trea-
sonable order in the State to offer forci-
BILE resistance to the Draft, necessitated
the distribution of large quantity Of
arms and ammunition to the militia
In many localities conspiracics We're
formed for securing the control of COM
panies by excluding men of known 10y
atty, and having them commanded by
persons chosen from the reasonable or
ganizatiOn mentioned. l therefore ap-
pointed committees of prominent gem
tlcmen in nearly all the counties to as
sist in the formation of companies that
would be loyal and reliable, and l also
directed that to such companies only
were commissions and arms to be issued.
| Notwithstanding the opposition inter.
posed to those precautionary measures,
they were successful in preserving al
most unintcrruptedly the tranquility Of
the State.
The only serious outrage was perpc-.
trated in Poweshiek County, in Octo-
Der, 1864, by u company styling them
selves Democratic Rangers Captain
John i. Bashore and Josiah NJ. Wood
ruff We're brutality murdered by men,
bers of this company, while engaged in
the execution of orders from the Pro-
vost Marshal of the Fourth District
The facts connected with this attro-
cious affair are fully set forth in the re-
port of the Adjutant General for 1865 to
which your attention is respectfully in
vitcd.
Having thus presented you with such
matters as deem most important for
legislative consideration, l cannot close
this communication without cOngratll--
lating you upOn,the activity everywhere
displayed in recovering from all effects
of the recent struggle for the preserva-
| ton of the Union. Where in all history
has any nation developed such wonder
full energy and power? The foreigner
who now visits our shores will hardly
discover in the general thrift aad quiz
etude of the country the traces of that
civilized world. With no intermission
in the exercise of it's sovereign author
ity, either on land or sea, except tho
brief usurpations of the insurrectionary
States, or any material diminution in
the vast measure of its foreign COM
merce, our country has continued to ad-
vance, in all the essential elements of
national greatness, with steadiness
and rapidity unsurpassed even during
the periods of profound tranquility
Terrible and bloody, beyond all prece-
dent, as the conflict was, it had not, I'M
der COPS disposing Providence, have
been unproductive of wholesome re-
suits. For Notwithstanding the un-
paralleled expenditure of life and treas
ure incurred In its prosecution, and tho
thousands of hearthstones made desc
late, the sacrifices of the war have in
tensified the attachment of the Ameri-
can people to the Government of their
| fathers, and secured the involuntary
respect Of other nations for the exalted