The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-07-13

lneEe IL PROOF lnat the brigade 10 Wnlcn
the 10th belonged comprised also the Both,
AID, 40lh regiments, and the extra batta-
lion. 1t was the First Brigade NJ NJ, and
was commanded by Brig. General Forman.
The following is difficult to explain, except
on the supposition that the delinquencies
and assertions in the brigade were so numer-
GUS as TO require the consolidation of two
} regiments into one, which would, of course,
necessitate the discharge of many of the
| officers.
Brigade orders,
Hampstead Hill, Sep. 4th, 1914.
"The supernumerary officers of the Both,
10th, 42d and 10th regiments, and the extra
battalion are discharged after the 9th instant,
and have now permission to go to their
homes. But this discharge does not relieve
them from certain important duties; and
that one to which they are to turn their at
tention is imposed by the Major General
they are Immediately to collect and march to
this place, under the direction of discreet
officer all the drafts and volunteers of the
First Brigade VI. NJ. In all cases of diff
Guilty they must apply to the officer the
highest in command of their regiments or
battaons; and such commander, in case it
should be necessary, is alone TO call upon the
commanders of horse to aid and assist in
bringing these men and all deserters to the
camp al this place. But while this order is
imperative, it is strongly recommended that
every soothing and conciliatory method
should be used before coercion is resorted to.
The Brigadier General wishes the gentlemen
officers safe return and that they may find
their families and friends happy.
By order,
r. W. ARMSTRONG.
b. NJ. Brigade Major"
The following order written on the same
sheet, and explanatory of the above, applies
specially to the 10th regiment and each of
the other regiments of the brigade no doubt
received an order somewhat similar:
"Lieut. Colonel Turner, Majors Street, and
Richardson, and the staff of the doth, and
Capts. Amoss, Grafton, Mausby, Love, Mag
ness, Lieutenants Wright, Tracy, Thompson,
| Watt, McComas, Norris, Ashton, HAYS and
Ensigns Briefly, Harry, Wheeler, Renshaw,
are discharged agreaby to the above order.
The deserters which have been reported leave
the Brigadier the most melancholy prospect
of seeing some of his fellow citizens Subject
| ed? to all the penalties of military law
Death, death is the penalty of desertion, and
the law knows no distinction among men,
The commanders of regiments are directed to
order out strong guards and to have these
orders and the articles ofwar read to every
company. BY order,
r. w. ARMSTRONG,
b. Major"
The first of the two orders above given is
| by no means as explicit as it might be. 1t
| must mean, however, that the important
duties" required ofthe discharged officers are
to be performed during the five days between
| the date of the order and the time when it is
to take effect, since a discharged officer could
not possibly have any official duties to per-
form. Yet the order says that they now
have permission to go to their homes" How
they could perform these important duties
at their homes, il is difficult to see. The
closing sentence of the first order might well
be taken ironically, though probably not so
intended. And what are we to think of the
nondescript expression gentlemen officers"
as applied to those discharged?
1t is quite probable that the seniority of
commission determined which of the officers
should be retained II So there was of course
nothing Illuminating in the discharge itself |
From the supplementary order we learn the
names of five more of the lieutenants and |
four more of the ensigns, but are not in
formed to which of the companies they sew |
orally belonged. This completes the number
of lieutenants and leaves unknown the names
CT only two of the ensigns.
There is an incomplete account Che |
charges not being given of Thomas A. Hays |
as Quartermaster of the 10th against the |
United States for thirteen days pay, from |
2Sth Aug. to 9th Sep, both days inclusive"
and for ratiOns and forage for selfand horse |
| presume the militia werep paid only for actual |
service in field or camp. Hence the above |
cited account runs back no farther than the |
day when the rcg't received marching orders.
Ending thus abruptly at the critical mo.
ment when the enemy were approaching,
these papers give no account of the regiment
for a week before and during the battle which
decided the fate of the city. There is no
doubt, however, that it remained inactive on
Hampstead Hill, though in readiness to de-
iend the intrenchmcnts had they been at
tackled. From other sources we learn that
the British landed some seven thousand men
at North Point early on the morning of the
18th Sep. and at once moved on the city, and
that Gen. Stricken met their main body
four miles from the Point and fought them
almost exclusively with the City Brigade
consisting of about 5000 men. Although he
did not defeat them lie gave them such de-
cided check that they thought it prudent, be-
fore assaulting our works to await the result
of the attack made on the night ofthe 18th,
by their naval forces upon the forts and bat.
teriCs defending the harbor and the southern
side of the city. That attack being disast-
rOusy rcpulsed both fleet and army withdrew
with all dispatch from the PatapscO. And
it is to be presumed that the militia, which had
DtcI dssclnDleu lOl SpeClHl emergency, now
passed, were soon afterwards discharged and
repaired to their homes.
Although the 10th like the king of France,
only marched up the hill Hampstead Hill
in this case, and then marched down again."
due credit must be given them, lat least TO
So many of them as were presently for doing
all they were called upon to do That they
had no opportunity to immortalize them
selves was not their fault but their mis-
fortune.
The only information furnished Gncden-
tally) by these papers concerning the 42d reg
iment-also from Hartford county-is that
Capt. Hays, probably one ofThomas A. Hays
brothers, commanded company in the
regiment and that John Jolly was quarter
master from Aug. 9Th until Sep. 9TH, when
James Maxwell seems to have succeeded him.
| believe the regiment was commanded by
Col William Smith, of HCrbert's Y Roads ]
have ascertained from Dr. John Archers COM
mission, given me by DIR. James Nj. Magraw,
who recently found it among his fathers
papers, that DIR. Archer was appointed sur
gcon of the 42d by Gov. Edward Lloyd, June
10th, 1909 though how long he acted in that
capacity | am unable to say. ! recolect hay
ing long ago seen the sword which he wore
as surgeon 1t was then in the POSSESSION of
his son. the late Col, Robert III. Archer,
though of its present whereabouts know
nothing. will here state-thongh quite IT.
relevant to the subject matter of this article
that the Colonel had also the sword worn by
his Oldest brother, George w. Archer, who
was midshipman in the U. S. Navy, and
who died in 1922 and was buried at sea- And
what was a more interesting relic than
either of the above, the Colonel had--if rec.
election serves me-the sword worn by his
grandfather John Archer, NJ. B., when he
was Major of battalion of minute men in
this county during the Revolution.
N. B.-Can any of your readers say who
Lieut.. Col. Andrew Turner was-from what
part of the county-whethcr he left any
descendants, &C.?
Back and Head.
Drown is like necessity-he knows no
law" used to be said of a huge, pompous
nnnn her of the hnr of Wnsinrn NAM Nnrl,