Year: 1878

enlistment of the three months for three years
very wisely suggested by General Patterson What was
done with the men who had volunteered and reached
Harrisburg in obedience to Governor Curtns procama-
ton is thus stated in his next message to the Legislature


Men more than sufficient in number to form some ter
regiments of the Reserve Corps had previous to the call
of 18th May, been accepted by in pursuance of call
afterwards rescnded) for twenty-five regiments
and were then already assembled and subject my
troll Most of these volunteered for the Reserve
Corps, and were Immediately organized


The refusal Secretary Cameron to allow the three
months men in General Pattersons command to enlist
for the war was urged 10y Senator Sherman made
the army slow to accept discipline and unwilling TO
main in the service after their terms expired General
Patterson the Secretary of War from Charestown,
Va, the nth OF July that the terms of service Of
the Pennsylvania troops eighteen regiments) expire with
in seven days can rely ON none OF them renewing ser
vice. Again. the 10th of July, he advised Secretary
Cameron that " almost all the three months volunteers
refuse to hour their time On the 2lsiof
July the disastrous battle of Bull Run fought and
the Union army hurled back upon Washington in utter
demorazationsome of the Pennsy vana troops having
left the field on the eve of the conflict because their terms
had expired and the War Department had refused to
cept their enlistment under PatteTsons order and advice
to for the war"


The troops reectedby Secretary Cameron accepted
by Pennsylvania and organized under special law Of the
State directing the creation of the Pennsylvania Reserve
Corps The State assumed all responsibility for the Re-
serves appropatng three millions of dollars for the pur
pose the Secretary of War, himself Pennsy vanan
only revoked the order calling for their service but
declared that they not needed Most of these regi





the country how the national authorities had failed TO APP
preoate the magnitude of the war; and the President the
Secretary of War aud every sincere patriot in the land
trembled for the safety of the capital There
any place which had been provided by the Secretary
Of War, for they uniformly declared to be
sary 1t then that the hearts of loyal sweled
up with gratitude General Patterson and Governor Cur
tin the lightning flashed the from State TO State
that the Pennsylvania Reserves were in readiness and on
their march to Washington to reinforce the routed army
of Bull Run and sneh grateful music heard by
President Lincoln Secretary ameron and the afrghted
host of Congress- that of the steady step Of the Penn
sylvana Reserves they marched along Pennsylvania
to reinspe the decimated and almost desparng
army that clustered on the Virginia heights opposite
Washington eY4


Until January, 1867 when Governor Curtin retired from


the gubernatoria chair the orders of the Secretary
War and the correspondence between the State authorities
and the War Department relating the acceptance of the
additional troops called for by General Patterson
profered by Pennsylvania, file in the Military
Department of the Commonweath but they have since
then been absracted from the records both at Harrisburg
aud at Washington. BY whom it done and why il
done, do not decide; but in the light
the undsputed events of the war; it is most mprob
able that General Patterson Governor Curtin in
stumenta in abstracting those important pages from th
military archives Of the State and nation.