Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-01-11

NEW ARSENAL.
The necessity for new arsenal, afording
, place of safe deposit for ordnance, ord
nance stores and a magazine, Is so obvious
rs to require nothing more on my part than
to call your attention TO the subject, and
to ask that authority be given and an APP
preparation made for the purchase oi site
and for the erection of suitable buildings
for the purpose indicated.
REYNOLDS MONUMENT.
Agreeably to the requirements OF the act
of Assembly, entitled AN Act to authorize |
the Governor to transfer to the Reynolds
Monument Committee unserviceable anc |
condemned ordnance" approved March z,
1867, l caused the ordnance in the arsenal
to be inspected and turned over to the COM
mittee Tor the purpose indicated five con-
demned six-pounder brass cannon, weighing
in the aggregate three thousand seven hum
dred and forty eight pounds.
HISTORY.
In 1864 the Legislature made OH appro-
priation for the purpose of having prepared
and published complete history of the
military operations of the State in reference
to the late war My predecessor appointed
Samuel p Bates, Esq, for the purpose oil
consummating the provisions OF that act,
who proceeded to collect the necessary ma
terials and to prosecute the work.
Although the country has again been res
tored to peace, the people continue to feel
deep interest in all that relates to the strug-
gle which so recently convulsed the nation.
In the prosecution of the war Pennsylvania,
always among the first to answer the coun-
try's call, gave additional evidences of her
| devotion to liberty and to the nations glory.
Over three hundred and sixty thousand of
her sons stood in the ranks of the Union
army. Many have fallen, and nearly thirty
| thousand by wounds and disease received
in the field, rcpose in death. To commemo.
rate their heroism, to preserve their names
and perpetuate the record of their deeds are
among the objects of the work in progress.
! In its pages will be found an account of
each and every military organization of the
State the officers aud men of whom they
were composed; the name of every individ-
ual, with his place Of residence, time of
muster, date Of discharge, and special acts
by which he was distinguished, as well of
the dead as those who have survived.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
The Department of Transportation, crca-
ted during the war, has accomplished its
purpose, and ceased to exist by the deter.
the appropriation bill, approved April II,
1867. The report of the Superintendent
shows that for the year ending November
30, 1867, the whole number of claims settled
and paid was eight hundred and eightytwo.
These were for the disntermcnt of the
bodies of deceased Pennsylvania soldiers on
distant battefclds and transportation to
the homes of their relatives, and the total
expenditures were thirty-two thousand five
hundred and twenty nine dollars aud forty
cents. There remain unsettled one hun
dred and twenty-three claims, amounting
to about four thousand dollars, for the pay
ment of which and some unsettled transpor
tation, an appropriation of four thousand
five hundred dollars will be required.
STATE AGENCY.
During the year ending December Is
1867, one thousand seven hundred anC
eighteen claims have been settled, and three
hundred and twenty one Treasury ccrtiti
Gates collected amounting to S24l ,6G0 43
Two Thousand one hundred and twenty nint
new cases remain unsettled, the most o
which will probably be settled by the 30tl
of June next, at which period the appropria
tion terminates. When this is exhausted
the Department will have doubtless fulfilled
its mission, and the documents and paper
, can be transferred to the Adjutart General
office.
CEMETERIES.
The reports of the commissioners appoint
5 ed under the act of March l2, 1867, to in
, vestigate the transactions relating to certai,
| cemeteries are herewith presented.
, The work at the Gettysburg cemetery i
! progressing, but with less expedition thai
, was contemplated, in consequence of tn
, difficulty of procuring such blocks of marbl
e rs were required for statuary.
The appropriation of three thousand dol
lars to the cemetery at Antietam has bee
withheld, as it appears from the act Of in
+ corporation by the Legislature of Maryland
and the resolutions of the board of trustees
that the rebel dead are to be inferred with
! in the enclosure and to be honored wit
the same memorials as the Union soldier
who are there buried.
The custom has ever prevailed to special
ly honor those in death who won specia
honor by meritorious lives. The monument
reared to the memory of departed wort
bear ample testimony that our people hay
not been unmindful of this custom. Blu
where were such memorials ever erected TO
! men whose actions we're infamous, and VIII
perished in an ignoble cause2 Who woul,
SlOTlly the treason o! Beneulct AruOlu VIII
such monuments as have arisen to the mem
: DRY of Washington Who would dare t
, insult the loyal heart of this nation by pro
, posing to lay, side by side, in the sam
sepulchre, the body of the assassin Bootl
and that of Abraham Lincoln2 No loys
man would take the hcartless Wirz and tn
other demons that presided over the prisol
dens of cruelty, starvation and death, ant
the executed consprators against the ma
tons illustrious chief, and deposit them il
/, the same tomb with the patriotic men VIII,
sacrificed their lives in battling for 9Th
right against tue wrong" Yet it is pro
posed that the loyal States construct GENE
, teries for their heroic dead, and then desc
crate them by the burial therein of thos
who prosecuted against the country war
fare which for its diabolical ferocty is with
out parallel in the history of civilization
, and even to erect monuments to their memo
ry. Garry out this purpose and what in
, ducement can be hereafter offered to th
loyal citizen to fight against treason, whel
he feels assured that should he fall in battl
, the traitors grave will be honored equal,
{ with his own9
, The cause of the Union was holy one
, while that which opposed it must hav
, been its converse. To one side alone tn