Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-30
COL. ROB'T P. DECHERT,
Democratic Candidate for Auditor General.

Colonel Robert Porter Dechert, who
is the nominee Of the Democratic party
for the Office of Auditor. General Of
Pen ennsylvania, is a resident OF Phlladel
phia and "a member Of the bar in that
city. At the breaking out OF the Re.
bellion he was only eighteen years OF
age, but yielding TO his patriotic i'm
pulses, he enlisted as a private soldier
in the Twenty ninth Regiment OF
Pennsylvania Volunteers. Before the
Regiment took the field, Col. John X.
Murphy, commanding, appointed young
Dechert to the position Of Sergeant.
Major on his staff. This position he
filled with great credit until February,
1862, when he was promoted 10 be
First Lieutenant OF Co. G Of the same
Regiment. His promotion was made
over all of the Second.Lieutenants OF
the Regiment by the selection OF the
Colonel, and was considered 10 be mer.
tied by his ability and attention to
duty. In this rank he served with his
Regiment in the campaign Of Major.
General Banks in the Valley of the
Shenandoah in Virginia, and in the
memorable retreat of that General. He
also served with his company in the
Army of Virginia under Major General
Pope, including the battles Of Cedar
Mountain, Second Bull Run and Chan.
tilly, and subsequently at Antietam and
Charlottesville. Immediately after the
battle of Antietam, he was selected by
Brigadier General George l.. Andrews,
now a professor at West Point, 10 serve
as his Aid. de. Camp and Assistant Adju.
tant General, and on that office being
transferred to the Department Of the
South, Lieutenant Dechert performed
the same duty on the staff OF Brevet
Major. General Thomas ii. Ruger, now
n Colonel in the regular army, and
prominently named for the position Of
Chief of the Signal Corps TO succeed
the late Brigadier General Myers--bet.
known as " Old Probabilities. At the
great Pennsylvania battle of Gettysburg
Lieutenant Dechert served as Assistant
Adiutant. General OF the First Division
of the Old Twelfth Corps at Culp's Hill,
and was honorably mentioned for gal.
liant service in the official report of that
important engagement
Immediately after the battle the
Western troops of the Army Of the
Potomac were sent to the City Of New
York under the command OF General
RugeI to enforce the draft that had been
temporarily suspended by reason of
the removal of the troops from that
city for the defence Of Pennsylvania
in the Gettysburg campaign.
The draft being successfully accom-.
plished, these troops were returned TO
the Army of the Potomac on the Rspa
dan, in Virginia, and few days after.
wards, in consequence OF our repulse at
Chicamauga, the llth and 18th Corps
were transferred TO the Western Army
No time was lost in their transportation,
and disembarkipg from the cars at
Nashville, Tenn, they were marched 10
Chattanooga In December of the year
1868, The Twenty. ninth Regiment was
the first in the army TO accept the
offer of the government TO re. e.enlist for
another three years, and Lieutenant
Dechert concluded to ejoin his regi.
ment for that purpose, and he was
Immediately promoted TO the Captaincy
of his company. The return of this
Regiment to their homes, on availing
themselves of the veteran furlough for
thirty days, has not been forgotten by
by the survivors or their friends. They
were received in public by the official
authorities of the City Of Philadelphia
at Old Independence Hall and at the
Cooper Reireshment Saloon, and after
recuperation and additional enlist
ments. the regiment was sent 10 the
Hospital building at Chester, Penn'a,
and then was removed TO the scene Of
its former labors at Chattanooga, Tenn.
For several months Captain Dechert
was stationed at Philadelphia for the
purpose of enlisting additional recruits,
but he reioined his regiment in the
Atlanta campaign, having been relieved
from recruiting duty at Philadelphia at
his own request.
After the capture of Atlanta, he was
again selected by his Commanding Gen.
eral for important service. Major.
General II. w. Slocum appointed him
the Assistant Adiutant General OF the
Twentieth Army Corps that Corps
being the result Of the consolidation OF
the llth and 18th Army Corps which
had been shortly before commanded ky
Major General Joe Hooker.
When Major General A. S. Williams
was advanced to the command of this
Corps, by reason of the promotion of
General Slooum, he retained Captain
Dechert in the same position on the
Corps staff.
During the eventful march OF Major
General w. T. Sherman "to the sea"
and at Savannah, Ga, General Slocum
again recognized the efficient service of
Captain Dechert by appointing him
Assistant Adjutant General OF the Army
OF Georgia on his staff, which position
he retained until after the surrender of
General Joe johnson, at Raleigh, and
after the Grand Review of Sherman's
Army at Washington in May, 1855. lie
was meanwhile promoted to be Major
of the Twenty ninth Regiment, and at
the close of the war he was brevited by
the President of the United States on
the recommendation Of Generals Slocum
and Sherman TO be Lieutenant Colonel