Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, January 16, 1862, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    jH£ DOLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA :
Thursday Morning, January 16,1862.
Letter from Camp Pierpont
CAMP PIKRPONT, Va., Dec. 21,1361.
PSAR FBISSO :-Your vr, cloome letter
wa. received niglit tefore last, aud I ' m P roVe
th(f first opportunity of repljiw About 11
Sk of the night 1 recei.ed joor letter, we
recti'ed orders to b- ready, with one da, sra
St 0 march at 0 o'clock the next morn,
The morning found your humble .errant and
six other member, of our baud all ' who ere
in marching order), prepared with a. hunk_of
bread and a piece of beef, for a marcK We
got under way at 7 o'clock, a ra.. and
menced the march, the column consisting of
tbe Third Brigade, I' RC , Gen. G KD 15001
mandin", together with part of a Regiment of
Cavalry one battery of four guns and the
Bucktaii Rifles. We inarched 12 miles to
prainesville, and bad a sharp fight, as you
probably have learned by the papers long be
fore you will get this. One Regiment of our
Brigade was superintending the loading of
wagons with foruge, aud was not engaged in
the %bt— so 'hat our force was less than three
thousand men. The enemy knowing we were
coming had chosen their ground and planted
their battery. Our skiruiistiers were out and
the first intimation given was just as we were
i eoteriug Draiuesville, when one of them came
running in, saying the enemy were coming up
nas up that road. The Cavalry and Artil
,rr were in advance ; oar rear wholly unpro
iccted, save by the 12ih Regiment Baud with
cot arms or horns, (if we had had the latter
te might possibly huve scared them back.) —
The rebels did not advance upon our rear, but
opened upon us with shell from their battery.
Vou may believe there was lively work among
oar troops A line of battle was immediately
formed iu the road, by the iulautry, nearly in
the position they occupied at the tin; • the
alarm was giveu. The artillery wheeled to
take positiou, supported by cavalry, and the
' Bucktaiis came back to our left aud uiade for
the rehtls with their uuerring rifles. The ar
tillery in getting position, turned one o. their
heaviest guns clear over, it being on aside bill,
ami with it the wheel horses clear on their
backs This hindered some, hot they were
soon all right, ai d opened on them with good
effect. AH this was done iu less tune then 1
Lav. been writing H ; the rebels all the while
si'iiiliinr their shell which were whizing about
us but fortunately doing no damage. Our
Quarter Master had his cap knocked off vvitli
a piece of a shell as it burs' By 'his time
the riflemen hud s;ot up in the field near
enough to lie on their bellies and pick the re-
Ms as they showed themselves in tTie edge of
i lie wo tls The infantry, too, tiudiug the en-
I my would not leave their cover ami advance
'-pou '.liecn, made an advance, so that the en
gagement was general. The battle raged about
an hour aud a half, when there was a general
route of the eneuoy. Blankets, overcoats, hav
ersacks, Ac., being thrown iu piles by the road
<ide so that tlnir flight might lie more rapid
There weie seventy nine dead aud wounded re
bels left on the field—how many they took
*itb them of course I did not know. Our
men took eight or ten prisoners, and I think
! >ir entire loss could not have been much less
tl iu one hundred. I think there were but
* ve of our men killed, and probably twenty
rthrty wounded. It is astonishing (their
u*iog advantage of position and waiting for
oar men IO come on) how badly they were
wVpped, aud if I had not seen it I could hard
ly Mieve it.
We did uot lose a man by their artillery.—
T'H-T fired too high, while ours seat out a re
jorter to see the effect of the shots ; he came
in and said they were a little too high, the aim
*as changed and men, horses, and trees were
mowed down like grass One shot struck their
magarne causing an explosion. Trees of pine
, M large as mv body were cut dowu by the can
ton halls
A grf-at deal of credit is due the riflemen.
Th-y are always found iu the thickest of the
-•ght, and they make about every shot tell.—
d a space uot more than two rods square I
i4w I think, not less than twenty dead rebels
-hot by the Bucktaiis while lying in front of
''hem in an open fi Id, while they (the Buck
Ms) had only one man killed while in this po
sitiou—this, too, with onr men io an opeu field
Ml the rebels skulking behind trees
The brilliant result of the battle is owing, I
'hick, principally to the accurate shots of our
®"n ami the miserable random firing of the
<?nemy Our troops w< re certainly more ex
than theirs.
, m c' l ' fill pages in relating incidents of
- hatt:-, that came under my own observa
tion <} ea q K() j s deserving of a great deal
He managed the thing admirably.
' ""a? perfectly cocl, but his hawk eye seem
take iu everything at a glance, and he
5 *3"s did the right thing at the right time,
y .re were sights too horrible to describe,
j n jast in the death struggle, with terrible
-' J 'fla;ions ; boilies with their heads entirely
away—horses lying in heaps dead, and
- r s wounded, without riders, rearing and
* ;i o 1 don't think a person would ever
ur to see more thau one battle field. There
!- r !) e nothing more horrid. 1 passed thro'
( " L, "' jr t, though the balls and shells some
offles whistled thick aud fast.
ie relx-ls fought in their usual Indian fash
*"3. skulking iu the woods. One fellow, a
OiLer of the 6th Band brought in a big
e ";Uckiau prisoner, without having auy wea
tut a club—he said if he had had a gun
.7 a rev olvtr he would have brought in two or
one of them. The prisouer snid they
® beard of the Pennsylvania Reserve and
|Spo-*d two of their Regiments would whip
them, but was mistaken He
* t ®'' r force oo the field was 4,000 with a i
reserve not far back.
As soon as onr dead and wounded were car- I
■ f, the wounded rebels were brought in and j
etived the same attention as our men. The I
of tnusiciaus in battle is to bring off the
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
dead and wounded a9 fast as they tall. There
were none killed in our Regiment, and but one
wounded.
I brought off a quantity of relics. A mus
ket and cartridge box—musket aud rifle balls,
grape shot, pieces of shell, Ac., which I inteud
to take home if I live to get there. The mus
ket is ODe of our old Springfield guns that they
stole somewhere.
It was the hardest day's work I ever did.
The march out and back made 24 miles, be
sides from 1 1-2 p. m. till suu down we were
on onr feet traveling over the field and back
and forth to the hospital, so that in all we trav
eled over 30 miles, getting back to camp be
tween 9 and 10 o'clock, p. m., a tired lot of
boys. * * * *
Yours truly, L. WELLS.
THE GOVERNORS MESSIGE.
To the honorable the Senate and House of Re
presentatives of the State of Pennsylvania :
GENTLEMEN : —lt has pleased Divine Prov
idence, daring tbe last season, to give us abun
dant crops, unbroken peace within our borders,
unanimity among our people, and thns to ena
ble this Commonwealth to do her full duty to
the country, to herself, aud to posterity. For
these blessings we have cause to be grateful.
The balance in the Treas
ury on the 30th Nov.,
iB6O, was $681,433 08
Tiie receipts during the
llscal year, euding Nov.
30, 1861, were as fol
lows : •
For ordinary sources 3,017,645 57
From temporary loan un
der Act of April 12, '6l,
at 6 per cent, interest,
and negotiated at par... 475,000
From 6 per cent, loan un
der Act May 15, 1361,
also negotiated at par- 2,612,150
From society of Ciucinna
tus 500
From United States on ac
count of military ex
penses r... 606,000
From paymasters and oth
ers, refunded 32,229 45
6,743,525 02
Total in Treusnry for fis
cal year ending Nov. 30,
1861 7.424,958 10
And the payments as follows .-
For ordinary purposes... $3,111,480 $4
For military expeuses, uu
der acts April 12, 1861,
and May 15, and 16,
1861 ;
474,878 85
1,703,462 68
170.535 51
2.353,872 04
For amount ot loan under
Act April 12, 1861, re
paid 375,000 5.873,352 33
I.e.iving balance in Treasu
ry, Nov. 30,1861 $1,551,605 72
PUBLIC DEBT. FUNDED AND CN'F.NNDED.
Received from temporary
loan, under Act April
12 1861 475,000
Repaid as abo7e 375,000
Outstanding Nov. 30,1861 100,000
lOO 000
Received from loan under
Act May 15, lstjl 2,612,450
Amount of public debt,
fuuded and unfunded,
Nov. SO, iB6O 37,969.347 50
Paid during the fiscal year 101,331 42
37,863,516 08
Remaining unpaid, (ex
clusive of military loans
above mentioned,) Nov.
30, 1861 37,5§8.516 OS
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF MILITARY LOANS.
Receipts from military
loan under Act April 12,
1861 475.000
Act May 15 2,612,150
From paymasters and oth
ers, refunded 32,229 45
3,119,379 45
Paid for military expenses
as above 2,353,372 04
Paid for redeeming loan,
Act April 12 375,000
2.728,872 04
Unexpended of military
loans $ 890,507 41
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF ORDINARY REVENUE.
Balance in Treasury from
ordinary resources, Nov.
30,1860 681,433 03
Received from ordinary
resources during the fis
cal year 3,017,645 57
3,699,078 65
Paid for ordinary ex-
Ilenses, as above ... 3,144,480 34
Unexpended of ordianary
revenue 554,598 31
Received from United
States Government, on
account military expen
ditures CC6.000
Received from Society of
(Jiuciuuatus 500
Balance in Treasury, as
above • $1,551,605 72
It will be observed that the fiscal year ends
on the 30tb of November, aud the sinking
fund year on the first Mouday in September,
which accouuts for the apparent deficiency iu
the amount of debt paid as stated io the Trea
surer's report, and by tbe Commissioners ol
the Sinking Fund. The State hasou hand a
surplus of uniforms and equipments which cost
about $190,000, -which the United States
have agreed to take and pay for at cost. Ar
rangements have been made with the general
government for the reimbursement of the mil
itary t xpeuses of the State since the 27th of
July last. The bills as paid are forwarded to
Washington and partial repayments have al
ready been made.
It will be observed tbat the receipts from
ordinary sources of revenue for the year 18G1
have decreased, but as payments have been
made oo some of them since the settlement at
the end of tbe fiscal year on the first of De
cember, and more may reasonably be expected
in addition to ibe payments to be paid by the
National Government as hereinafter stated,
the balance available in the treasury will be
largely increased.
It will also be observed that it has not
yet been found necessary to call in all ol tbe
loan effected uuder the Act of tbe 18th of
May last
In some items the ordinary revenue of 1861
was in excess ot that of 18G0.
The loan authored by tbe Act of May
loth, 1801, was taken at par. This occurrence
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. 0. GOODRICH.
most gratifying under all the then existing cir
cumstances of embarrassment, affords triumph
ant evidence of the confidence of the people in
the stability and integrity of the Common
wealth, and their determination to support the
Government.
The operations of the Sinking Fund daring
the last year have been, as shown by my Pro
clamation of the sth of September last, as fol
lows :
Debt redeemed from 4th
September, 1860, to Ist
! September, 1861 $300,801 01
Of stock loans $300.050 00
" interest on certificates 3,330 01
" relief notes .... • 42100
5300,801 01
I refer to the reports of the State Treasurer
and Auditor General for the detalis of the fi
nancial affairs of the Commonwealth. The re
ports of the Surveyor General and State Libra
rian will exhibit the state of the Departments
under their care.
The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund dar
ing the last spring received from the Philadel
phia and Erie (late Sunbury and Erie) Rail
road Company forty bonds of that Company
for $lOO,OOO each executed iu conformity
with the third section of the act of March the
7th, 1861. That company has also deposited
in the State Treasury its bonds to the amount
of five millions of dollars, in accordance with
the 6th section of the same act. On the 9th
of May last I granted my warrant authoriz
ing the State Treasurer to deliver to the said
company one thousand of said bouds, being to
the amount of one million dollars. This warrant
was issued iu conformity with the law, the
five per cent, bouds mentioned in the fifth sec
tion of the act (except those belonging to the
State and now iu the Sinking Fund) having
been previously surrendered and cancelled,and
satisfaction entered on the Record of the Mort
i gage mentioned in said fifth section. Having
received notice from the company that the
bonds so delivered to the company of their
proceeds had been appropriated in accordance
! with the provisions of the law, on the 21st of
June last I appointed John A. Wright as
Commissioner to examine aud to report to me
whether said bonds or their proceeds had been
appropriated to the purposes required by the
act. His report has not yet been received
by me.
It is understood that arrangements have at
last been made under which the direct railroad
connection between Philadelphia aud Erie will
be completed within a short time. It is im
possible to estimate too highly the importance
of this great work to the Commonwealth, and
especially to Philadelphia aud Erie and the
hitherto neglected couuties near its route west
of the Snsquhanna.
By the act of the 21st of April, 1858, for
the sale of the State canal to the Snuburv
and Erie railroad company it was provided
that if that company s 1 ould sell said canals
for a greater sum in the aggregate than three
and a half million of dollars, seventy-fire per
centum of 6uch excess should be paid to the
Commonwealth by a transfer of so much of
such bonds and securities as said company
should receive for the same and payable in like
maimer.
The company sold the canals and reported
that the share of the profit on such sale, due
to the Commonwealth was $281,250 of which
$250 was paid in cash and for the remaining
$281,000 the Commonwealth received coupon
bouds of the Wyoming canal company to that
amount, being a portion of buds for $900,000
issued by that company and secured by a mort
gage of the Wyoming canal, formerly called
the Lower North Branch canal. These bouds
bear an iuterest of six per cent, per annum,
payable semi annuallj on the 15th of January
and July, and the interest was paid by the
company to January last inclusive The in
j ten st due in July last has not been paid.—
Judgments baviug been obtained against the
eompauy on some of the coupons for the un
paid July interest, a bill in equity was filed
in the supreme court by a bond and stock
holder iu which such proceedings were had that
by a decree made on the 2d September last the
property and affairs of the company were
placed iu the hands of a receiver.
A plan has been suggested for the assent of
the stock and bond holders which contemplates
a sale of the caual under lawful process and a
purchase of the same for the purpose of form
ing a new company, of which the capital stock
shall be one million of dollars, divided into
twenty thousand shares of fifty dollars each,
of which assenting holder of a mortgage bond
for one thonsauddollars shall be entitled to
eighteen shares, aud each assenting holder of
fifty shares of stock of the Wyoming canal com
pany shall be entitled to nine shares. Of course
no officer of the Commenwealth had authority
to assent to the proposal or in any way to af
fect her position. It is believed also that the
plan is not one that ought to be assented to
by the Commonwealth, and that uuder all the
circumstances, if the convenience of individual
parties roquires a change such as proposed,
the debt due to the commonwealth ooght to
be first paid or fullp securey.
I suggested that the Act passed Bth of April
1861, entitled "An Act concerning the sale
of railroads, canals, Ac.," should be modified
so that in all cases ir wuicb a debt may be
due to the Commonwealth by the company as
whose property a public work may be sold,
the purchasers thereof shall not be entitled to
tbe benefits and privileges conferred by |the
Act unless they shall have first paid the debt
due to tbe State, or secured the same by their
bonds to the Commonwealth secured by a first
mortgage on the work itself.
I commend the subject to the immediate
consideration of the L"gis'.ature, as an effort
may be made at an eraly day to enforce a sale
of the canal, and some provision by law to pro
tect the interests of the State would in that
case be necessary.
The wicked and monstrous rebellion which
broke out many months ago, has not yet
been qnelled. Every sentiment of loyalty
and patriotism demands its effectual suppres
sion.
In my message of the 9th and 30th of April
last, I set forth at length my views of the
" RE9ARDLE3S OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANT QUARTER."
character and objects of tbe contest which is
still pending. Subsequent reflection has con
firmed me in correctness of the opinions tbat
expressed and to which I refer. In addition
it ought to be understood, that looking to the
variety and character of her products and in
dustry, her material interest alone would ren
, der the preservation of the Union from the
present assault upon it.indespensable to Penn
sylvania. She cannot afford to have a foreign
power below or above or bounding her on the
Delaware, the Chesapeake or the Mississippi,
and she will never aquiesce in such a result,
whatever may be the cost in men and fc money
of her resistance to it.
On the 9th of April last, I directed the at
tention of the Legislature to the necessity
which existed for an approved military organ
ization,and on the 12th of the same month the
Act entitled " An Act for the better organ
ization of the militia of this Commonwealth''
passed, appropriating the sum $500,000 for
the purpose of organizing,equipping and arm
iug the millitia On the 15th of April the
President, by proclamation, called for a mil
itary force of 75,000 men, of which the quota
assigned to Pennsylvania was at first ents to
(afterward reduced to fourteen) regimrm of
serve as infantry or riflemen for the term of
three months uuless sooner discharged. The
call was enthusiastically reepouded to by the
people of Pennsy Ivauia. The first militia
aid from the loyal States, which the Govern
ment received at Washington, was a Pennsyl
vania corps which arrived there prior to the
19th of April. On that day the passage of
other corps from this and other States through
Baltimore was impeded by force and during
nearly two weeks afterwards the communica
tion between Washington and the loyal States
was almost entirely cut off. On the 19th I
received a request from the War Department
that the troops preparing in the State should
be clothed, armed, equipped, subsisted and
transported by the State in consequence of
the then inability of the United States. This
request was of course complied with, and
twenty five regiments, (being eleven regiments
beyond oar quota,) comprising 20,175 men
from Pennsylvania served for t'tbe term of
three monts under the President's proclama
tion above referred to. As the furnishing
those volunteers with supplies was necessarily
under the circumstances a hurried operation
and us complain s were made in regard to
them, and frauds were alleged to have been
perpetrated, I appointed a board of commis
sioners to investigate the whole subject. A
copy of their report with the evidence taken
by them has been already laid before the pub
lie. It is the intention of the Auditor General
to open the accouuts of such parties as appear
by the testimony to have bees overpaid and
this course has already been taken iu two of
those cases.
On the expiration of the term of tho threo
months men in July last, some eight or ten
thonsand discharged Pennsylvania volunteers
were thrown iuto llarrisburg without notice
and detained here, waiting to be paid, for an
average time of some ten days. Their tents,
camp equipage and cooking utensils had been
taken from them at Williamsport, Md., and
they arrived here destitute of all meaus of
shelter and of preparing their food. The Com
missary of the United States furnished uncook
ed rations, and under the circumstances of
emergency 1 deemed it necessary to make ar
rangements for aiding in the cooking and bak
ing of the rations, and also for furnishing
meals to snch of the regiments as arrived
during the night or under circumstances re
quiring instant relief. The expenses atteuding
these operations amounted so far as ascertained
to $744 20, and I recommend that the Legis
lature make an appropriation to pay them. It
ought to be stated that these expenses would
have been much larger, but for the liberal and
patriotic efforts of the citizens, aod especially
the ladies of llarrisburg; their free handed
hospitality and generous aid to our wearied
and hungry soldiers, deserve remembrance and
gratitude.
At the special session of the Legislature
which commenced on the 30th of April last, I
recommended the organization of a reserve
corps, to be armed, equipped, clothed, subsist
ed and paid by the State, and drilled in camps
of instruction, in anticipation of the exigencies
of the country, and by the Act of the 15th of
May last, such a corps was directed to be
raisrd, and a loan of $3,000,000 was author
ized to defray the expenses of that and other
military preparations. Men more than suffi
cient in number to form some ten regiments of
the Reserve Corps had, previous to the 15th
of May been accepted by me in pursuance of a
call on me (afterwards rescinded,) for twenty
five regiments, and were then already assem
bled and subject to my control. Most of these
men volunteered for the Reserve Corps aud
were immediately organized. The remaining
regiments were rapidly recruited and the corps
was thus completed, and George A. McCall,
of Chester county, was commissioned as Major-
General, and assigned to the command of all
the forces raised or to be raised under the
provisions of the last mentioned act. The reg
iments composing the Reserve Corps were in
structed in four camps in different parts of the
State, until they were taken into the service
of the United States. Two of tbese regiments,
under the commands of Colonels Charles J.
Biddle and Seneca G. Simmons, and two com
pauies of artillery under the command of Col.
Charles T. Campbell at the pressing instance
of the War Department were sent ou the 22d
of June last to the relief of Col. Wallace, at
Cumberland, aud remained for about six weeks
there, and in Western Virginia engaged in
active operations.
Towards the close of July the w hole Corps
was called for under requisition, and taken in
to the service ot the United States. Within
four days after the disaster at Bull's Run,
eleven regiments of this fine body of men
(armed, drilhd, clothed, equipped, and in all
respects ready for active service,) were in
Washington. The regiments and companies
from Western Virginia and the remaining two
regiments making the whole number of fifteen,
soon joined them there, and they are all now
in service under the command of Gen. McCall,
who has been commissioned as a Brigadier
, General by the United States.
These fifteen regiments contain fifteen tliou
-1 sand eight hundred and fifty six meD, and con
stitute a divistion comprising three brigades, a
regiment of Artillery and one of Cavalry. The
whole expense of raising, clotbiDg, equipping,
subsisting and paying the Reserve Corps (in
cluding the expense of establishing and fitting
the camps of instruction, of recmiting and sup
plying regimental flags, and the expenses of
the campaign of the two regiments and compa
nies in Maryland and Western Virginia,which
were all defrayed by the State) has amounted
to $855,444 87. This does not include the
transportation on Railroads, as the separation
of that aceount would have been a work of
great labor, nor does it Include the pay of the
regiments daring the campaign, but it does in
clude all the expenses, which were heavy, of
teams and transportation, not on Railroads,for
the two regiments on the campaign above
mentioned. Twelve regiments of the Itererve
Corps were paid, subsisted, Ac., by the State
to the average date of 22d Jaly. The two reg
iments iu Western Virginia were paid by the
State to the date of their departure from Har
risburg on that expedition. The Cavalry reg
iment was uot paid by the State. It will be
perceived that the whole average expense per
man was $53 95.
Previous to the 31st of April last, a regi
ment had been enlisted in the city of Erie from
Northwestern Pennsylvania. When the call
was made on me on that day, for twenty-five
additional regiments, the Erie RegimeDt was
ordered to march to llarrisburg. The call was
rescinded, however, before the regiment reach
ed Pittsburgh, and I ordered it to encamp at
that city where it remained until the 30th of
June. The National Government declined to
muster the regiment into service—as all exist
ing requisitions made on the State were more
than filled.
Much apprehension existed in the Western
and South-western borders of the State, and it
was deemed prudent to retain tbe regiment at
Pittsburgh to meet any emergency that might
arise. After the passage of the Act of 15th
May, 1861, it was expected that the regiment
wonld form part of the Reserve Volnuteer
Corps; but as the men had beeu a loug time
from home and remained inactive in camp,they
declined eutcring tbe service, and were sub
sisted and paid up to the 30th of June by the
State. Two regiments have since been enlist
ed from the same part of Pennsylvania at the
city of Erie, one of which has been at Wash
ington in service since September, aud the
other is now ready for inarching orders—and
it is due to the first Eric regiment to say that
most of the men are now in service.
Further requisitions for sixteen regimeuts of
lufantry aud two regiments of Cavalry were
shortly afterwards made by the War Depart
ment. Of these, sixteen regiments have al
ready been raised, and are in the service of
the United States, and the remaining two are
in the course of organization, and nearly ready
to march.
In addition to the requisition on the State,
the War Department had giveu authority to
unmerous individuals to raise volunteer in
Pennsylvania ; but as that system was found
to create much embarrassment, a general or
der was issued by the War Department, on
the 25th of September last, placing all such
organizations under the control of the Govern
or, and shortly afterwards a requision wa3
made on the State to increase her qnota to
75,000 men. These independent organiza
tions, as they were called, thus became Penn
sylvania regiments, and, as completed and
sent forward, form part of the quota of the
State.
The State regiments have been numbered,
and tbe last to this date is numbered 115.
Two of tbe three months regiments have con
tinued in service under the late requisitions,
and retain their original numbers. Deducting
the remaining twenty three three mouths reg
iments, there are ninety-two regiments in ser
vice and preparing for it. We have also in
service and preparing twenty four companies
The following table of the existing Penn
sylvania force is given for information :
REGIMENTS IN SERVICE.
66 roftlments of infautry of which 6 were
rilled regiments 71,189
11 regiments of cavalry 12,690
1 regiment artillery 1.077
84,956
COMPANIES IN SERVICE.
7 compauies of infantry 707
6 " " cavalry 578
6 •' *• artillery. 936
2,221
87,177
Enlistments iu other than Pennsylvania or
ganizations, estimated, (the officers of
which are in course of beingconsmis'ned) 6,400
Total in service, 93,577
REGIMENTS PREPARING FOR 6NKVICE.
12 regiments of infantry, 13,092
1 •' " cavalry, 1,136
1 " " artillery 1,077
15,305
COMPANIES PREPARING FOR SERVICE.
1 company ol cavalry 109
4 companies of artillery, 624
733
16,033
Tn service 93,577
Preparing tor service, 16,038
Pennsylvania's contribution, 109,615
Exclusive of 20,175 three month's men now disbanded.
The regiments preparing for service are in
complete. Those that may uot be filled by the
lGth instant will be consolidated and seut for
ward. Of tbe regiments in service, tbe 11th
aud 15th regiments of Infantry are at Anna
polis ; the 28th, 29th, 21st, GGtb, 59th, 71st,
62d and lOGth regiments and one company of
Infantry are iu the commaud of Major Gener
al Banks ; the 45th, 50tb, 55th, 76th and
100 th regimeuts of Infantry are in South Car
olina ; the 48th Infautry are at Uattera3 In
let ; the 108 th Infantry trnd 11th Cavalry are
at Fortress Monroe ; the 77th, 78th and 79th
Infantry, the 7th aud 9th cavalry, one troop
of horse, one squadron of cavalry, two battal
ions of artillery are in Kentucky ; the 84th
and 110 th Infantry are iu western Virginia, a: ;
VOL. XXII. —NO. 33.
are also three companies of Infantry, fonr com
panies of cavalry, five companies of light ar
tillery ; the 87th infantry are at Cockeysville,
in Maryland ; one company of artillery is at
Fort Delaware ; all the remainder of the vol
unteers are at or near Washington. Upwards
of 300 volunteers from Pennsylvania are now
prisoners, but as arrangements have been made
for the exchange of prisoners it may be expect
ed that they will goon be released.
In compliance with the joint resolutions of
the 10th of May last, I have procured regi
mental flags for the Pennsylvania volunteers,
and have presented them in person to most of
the regiments In other cases, the regiments
being on or near the Potomac, I have request
ed Mc* Cowan, Senator, and Messrs. Grow
and Wright members of the House of Repre
sentatives, from Pennsylvania, to present them
in the name of the Commonwealth.
The General Government requested that
the States would abstain from purchasing arms
as their competition was found injurious in the
market, and in view of the large expenditures
of money in arming and equipping the volun
teer force of the State, provided for the de
fence of the National Government, I did not
purchase any as authorized by the 28tb sec
tion of the act of the 15th of May, 1861. The
State has now quite as many arms as are ne
cessary to arm all her volunteer organizations
iu existence ; but, influenced by the threaten
ing aspect of our relations with foreign gov
ernments, 1 have directed the Adjutant Gen
eral to procure arms as soon as it can be dono
on reasonable terms and without injurious com
petition with the National Government. Arms
have been distributed among the border coun
ties to all the organizations that have been
formed to receive them. 1930 arms have been
thus destributed. I have also addressed a let
ter to the commissioners of all the border conn
ties, offering arms to them as soon as military
organizations shall be formed to receive them.
Besides thus complying with the requirements
of the 21th section of the Act of 15th May
last, I have deemed it prudent to offer 5,000
arms to such military organizations as may bo
formed in Philadelphia on apian to be approv
ed by me as Commander-in-Chief. Muskets
and rifles to a considerable extent have been
furnished to the Pennsylvania volunteers from
the State arsenal. Others have been sent by
the United States authorities to arm them be
fore leaving the State. In 6ome cases regi
meuts have gone without arms under the as
surance from the War Department that they
should be armed at Washington or other near
designated points, and that their immediate
departure was required. It was thought wise
io these cases not to insist upon the arms be
ing sent before the regiments marched, as this
would have imposed ou the government an un
necessary expense in freight, and would have
been productive of delays whmh might have
been seriously detrimental to public service.—
Forty two pieces of artillery with limbers, cais
sions, forges, ammunition, wagons, harness and
all the necessary implements and equipments
were furnished by the State to the Artillery
regiments of the Reserve corps. Ten of these
were purchased by the State, and their coat
has been refunded by the United States. Dil
igence has been used in collecting arms thro'-
out the State and repairing and altering them
iu the most approved manner.
The State has now 62 pieces of artillery, of
which 17 needs repairs.
26,753 muskets aud rifles, some of which
are in the hands of mechanics being repaired,
1910 are in the hands of volunteer corps thro'-
out the State ; 1980 in the possession of Coun
ty Commissioners, aud 1,00) with the reserve
corps of Philadelphia.
In addition to this the city of Philadelphia
has
9 pieces of artillery,
4,976 muskets aud rifles,
The State has also iu the arsenal at Ilarris
burg
1,966 sabres and swords, and
1,957 pistols, and the city of Philadelphia
has 440 sabres and 326 pistols with the neces
sary accoutrements.
There is also in the arsenal at lisrrisburg
a large amount of accoutrements and ammuni
tion for artillery aud smull arms.
The Adjutant General is successfully en
gaged iu collecting arms throughout the State
and it is expected that the uumber above stat
ed will be largely increased. Probably, at
least five thousand muskets and rifles and sev
eral pieces of artillery will still be collected.
The care which has beeu bestowed upon the
comfort of the volunteers, and the goodness
and sufficiency of their supplies of all kinds,
aud the excellent arrangements of the Medical
Department under the control of Surgeou Gen
eral Henry 11. Smith, are proved by the fact
that more than 60,000 men have beeu for va
rious, generally short periods at Camp Curtin
since the 19th of April last, aud that down to
the Ist of January Ist., there died but forty
nine men at that camp, viz : forty four from
sickness, two (belonging to regimeuts from oth
er States), who had beeu injured on ruilroads,
two accidentally killed in Camp Curtiu aud one
shot in llarrisburg.
To facilitate the making of allotments of
their pay by our volunteers in the field for the
support of their families at home, I appointed
Hon. Edgar Cowan, Thomas E Franklin and
E. C. Humes, Esq?.,commissioners to visit tho
Camps of our men 011 and south of the Potomac,
and also James Park and M. W. Beltzhoover,
Esqs., commissioners to visit those in Kentucky
and elsewhere in the western country, to call
the attention of the troops to tbo system of
allotment and to encourage them in adopting
a practical plan for carrying it iuto affjet.
The several reports of these commissioners
are highly satisfactory.
For details on the several subjects connect
ed with the military operations of the State,
I refer to the reports of the xVdjutant Gener
al, Surgeon General, Quarter Master General,
Commissary General aud Paymaster General
which accompany this Message.
The duties imposed on me were so ODerous
that I found it necessary to invite temporary
assistance of gentlemen on my staff to aid me
to perform then.