s -
zzz -
j ' ' ' ' ' ;
vTer, editor and Proprietor.
KinTClJISOX, IMiUllsIier.
I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT THAN PRESIDESIWHekry Clay.
T ? R. M S J lSl
" T ,V k a-, vk.
- -
4DVAXCE.
3$I
olume-,7;
.... l
12,,
indrriT G. CurtlU.
sar of Pennsylvania.
lo.
18.
20.
20,
2i
'-t
lot j
- i
fritbl
jsora H;rsES pr the legislature,
tttccTivs Chamber, Harbisbttrg, V
January 30, 1866. j
jwia.'tf anJ Ifouse of Representa
t, the Commonwealth of Pa.:
rtfLKMEN We have cause to be
t'al to Divine x'roviaeuce ior iue
p n;t;n nnr borders.
1 cor.
.3 0J peace ii""" '
ra;
:Jsnl crops, unanimity among uui
'e ana mat inua iuis ju"i"ju "
;uQ enabled to do her full duty to
.suntry, to herself, and to posterity.
re;
is v
:int;
pprised you in ray message in
if November, 18G5, and delivered to
,t W Winning of Your session, ot
oecessity under the pressure ot which
, comne ed.ior the restoration ot uiy
) to sojourn for a time in a warmer
te. I returned from Cuba refreshed
. 1 J I 1 At-
to
1 1 t
lnvigoraiea, anu nave resumeu me
jre of my duties. I cannot omit
knowledge, with profound gratitude,
kind, considerate and affectionate
$ which you pursued during my con
ned absence. A heavy addition has
u thus made to the debt which I al
lowed to the people of the Common
Jiind their Representatives.
a
r
en
ret
M
. ta!ir.ce in the Treasury,
oreruber 30, 1S64 -
eipts during fiscal year en
.nz November 30, 16G5
$1,942,203 63
6,219,989 67
x in Treasury for fiscal year
jr payments for the same pe-
laJ hiive been o,B3,oi3 it
IT
en' he
Tre.isurv Novcm-
:r30, 1S6-5 - 2,373,668 14
he operations of the sinking fund du
: the year ending on the first Monday
epteUiber last, as stated in my procla-
...3. were as iouows
of debt reduced, $745,811
10, as
r?t
r
:::cent $43G,S24 .62
:aloan 230,000 00
j?.n
st certificates
76,400 00
2,003 64
sue creditors - 58 00
1
I
."ie discrepancy between the reduction
o public debt, as shown by the state-
at tha close ef the fiscal vear, and
that in my proclamation at the close
e sinking fund year, arises irora the
that one closes on the first Mondav ot
!emcr, and the ether on the 30lh day
lOreznber.
A.uiouat of tho rublic debt of Penn
:aaia as it stood on the firt day of
::-siberf 1SG4, $Gl),o70,603 94.
Eour.t redeemed at tf.o State Treasu
kring the fiscal yrar ending with 2sTo
T.lcr oO, 1805, viz :
fpif cent, stocks -$1,703,517 S3
rar.d half per cent, stocks- ' 20,000 00
nestle creditor certificates... 573 CO
:t;rv loan, act Mny 15, 179,250 00
U5
4
t
$t,S03.34S 83
.:!c fit bt Dec. 1, 1S65. $37,476,2-58 00
:fts in the Treasury :
if
1 ennsvlvama railroad
jm?any $6,700,000 00
:1s Philadelphia an.l f'r!,.
Iroad comjtany 3,500,C00 00
cat on bonds Phila. and
trie railroad comoanv l.onO.nnfi no
':h In Treasury....." ;.. 2.373. C68 14
IS'
' ?'
..4
i'l
13,C23,6C8 14
--tics ia excess of assets.. 23,S52,589 S2
iV;i;
"C3 in excess of asset3,
-30, 13G0
.$26,408,163 94
!'i!itiea in excess
of assets.
23,852,539 92
fjfovement in condition of . . .
rrea3. since Nov. 30, I860 2,555,579 02
By the report of the State Treasurer,
will be observed that the extraordinary
I
1
tit
-pc-uaitures growing out of the war, not
Vundci bv the Cn0r,l n-
IC
e been W,02A.f,-27 -i tk;
L V Sea.es by
(:
vw tiiiii ii I nni vai i ii
. . 'i"uurwaoie.
T
DaiailCe IS lnclnrlnd tV CC7l l-rc
'1
to tne nuiitia. whinh. ir.K
7 ...bu a v vu
My due the State from W onir,l
,l'u" o wie remaining. VTn.nJu :
!
nment.
fcWveC?Mit3r fcr "'ordinary pen
ff 2?,'TIB? c.?ased wh the suppression
i
aC , r?telhon, measures should be
a o examine nnr rcmir j
Tt . fcupuj are suDjcctea.
Jfias been the habit, of late years, to
Se,' freel annual 8ums the
rS 0Cal charities and such appro-
"'"Ons are nlmnet.
Jioer and amount. Houses of llef
;? "stitutions foi-the Deaf and Dumb
i ,0r the Blind. T
, J t U lLI
bounty because a few of rh em ai-a
for the wbrd Sof or,l .
be provided for by the local au-
i.j iaci. dc to aepnve ot
tlArv ll g
Src l
iuc uniortunate .classes for
nefir tbw ,i : j ....
cev. l i . . "vaiiueu. xm
H r cai.ct)anties, howev
der . 1 1CB however meritorious
elective. shnnU T tVt.l. i.r.
tAl;;f? ?f tbe bcneoent parties who
fished them.
HraU? 6bould te coerced to pay taxes
iaT vl . at Pait of the money so raised
t!. "Mtw pnvalo
associations,
remembered Irtac
proportion of tho
EBENSBTJRGPA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1866.
private charities in the State have asked
for such appropriation.
! I recommend; therefore, that no appro
priation be made for charities, beyond the
institutions which I have above specified.
The taxes at present laid oil.,-corpora
tions are. unequal, and" to a certain extent
thereby tfnjust. I recommend the 6ubject
6 the attention of the Legislature, with a
view to tho revision of the system.
Within & few years, acts have been re
peatedly passed directing the expenditure
of a3 much money. as. may be necessary to
effect named purposes, sometimes without
clearly designating by whom tne money
is to be expended, or how the ; accounts
are to be examined. This custom is very
recent, and has already led to abuses.
I recommend that the practice be cor
rected, and that no appropriation be made
without having the exact sum appropria
ted, the specific purpose to which it is to
be applied, and designating the officer by
whom it is to be expended, and providing
that the acounts shall be settled in the
Auditor General's office in the usual
manner.
Notwithstanding the large expenditures
by the. State for military, purposes, Fince
the breaking out of the rebellion, the
condition of the Treasury is now 2,555r
579 12 better than it was then, aud I am
proud to be able to state further, that on
the 1st day of December, 18Go, the State
debt was $4.92.938 C6 less than it was on
the 1st of January, 1861. These are tru
ly gratifying facts.
Under these circumstances, ic may be
possible, with entiie safety to our finan
ces, to reduce or even repeal the ordinary
btatc tax of two and a half mills on real
estate. The tax of one-halt mill laid by
the act of May 16, 1861, was by that act
expressly pledged for the repayment of
the loan of f 3,000,000, thereby authorized,
and of course cannot be repealed or re
duced until that repayment shall have
been made. I recommend this subject
to the careful aud deliberate consideration
and judgment of the Legislature, and if
it should be found that the tax can be re
pealed; I recommend that all laws author
izing the levying of local taxes on bouds,
mortgages, loans, and all property of that
kind, be also repealed. Such a repeal
would largely encourage the investment
of capital in this State,. and add immense
ly to the wealth of the State, while the
local authorities would lose very little, as
it is notorious, that from the difficulties of
assessment, they receive very little from
these eouroes.
In easy of such repeal, I recommend
the adoption of some effectual measures
for enlorcing correct returns of 6uch ob
jects of taxation, with appropriate penal
ties for the neglect or refusal to "make
them.
I make these recomnacrtdations:, believ
ing that it will lead to'inore equitable lo
cal taxation aud to greater, economy in
their disbursements.
Many acts are on our statute books, in
corporating companies lor various pur
poses, which companies have never been
organized or gone into operation. I rec
ommend that all such acts be repealed by
a general law, and- that provisions be
made thai in f uture every act authorizing
a corporation fchall become void, unless
the corporation shall organize and use its
franchises within a limited time. -.
Since my last annual mesase the war
against armed treason has been brousht
to a close. Of the large contributions
made by Pennsylvania to the National ar
my, but a few of the men now remain in
the service. The spirit which animated
our people at the outset of the rebellion
ha3 never flagged; and. wc can look back
with pride and satisfaction to the part
taken by this State, in aiding to maintain
the unity of the Government and in its
defence against the assaults of its enemies.
Iu my first inaugural address, I took
occasion to declare that Pennsylvania
would, under any circumstances, render a
full and determined support of the free
institutions of the Union. The pledge so
made was based upon my knowledge of
the solid patriotism of her citizens. At
that time danger threatened, but no one
anticipated that it would break forth so
suddenly, nor that it would grow to such
fearful proportions as it in a brief time
assumed.
My confidence in Pennsylvania, in her
even, yet stubborn will, her ability and
resources has been fully justified by the.
manner in wnicn e nas clone ncr duty
during the late eventful period. ,
On the request of the President of the
United States, I made a communication to
the Legislature, on the 9th day of April,
1861, setting forth that military organiza
tions, of a formidable character, which
did not seem to bo demanded by any exis
isting public exigency, had been ; formed
in certain of the States, and that, whilst
Pennsylvania yielded to uo State in her
respect for and willingness tu protect, by
all needful guarantees, the constitutional
rights aud constitutional independence of
her sister States, no contemplated attempt
to resist the enforcement of the National
law could meet with sympathy or encour
agement from the people of this Common
wealth, and asked for authority aud means
to organize a military, bureau at the Capi
tal, aud to so amend and modify the
militia laws as to give vitality and energy
to the military organizations of the State,
On the 12th day of the same manth, I
"signed a bill providing: for the purposes
indicated in my message. . .
It will be remembered that this patri
otic action , of the ; Legislature . occurred
before it was' known that1 hostilities had
actually commenced and it is believed
to. be the first offwial action by ths authori
ties of any State, or by . the National
Legislature.
The first call made by the President for
troops to aid in suppressing the rebellion,
was on the 15th of April, 1861, for seventy-five
thousand men;- and that of this
number, tho quota of Pennsylvania was
settled at fourteen . regiments,' to . serve
three months unless . sooner discharged.
With unsurpassed alacrity and earnest
ness, volunteers answered to. this call, in
such numbers as manifested the intuitive
conviction of the people, that the. mon
trous wickedness which had conceived an
armed rebellion against the Constitution
and the laws, could not be suppressed but
by a colossal force.
Major General Robert -Patterson was
assigued, by the General Government, to
a command, which included the forres
raised in Pennsylvania. Within a week
after the call of the President, communi
cation. with Washington was almost entire
ly cut off. Geueral Patterson prompted
by the necessities of the. situation, made,
on the 25th . of April, a requisition for
twecty-five additional regiments of infan
try aud one of cavalry, to be forthwith
mustered into the service cf the United
Stales. Under this requisition I accep
ted, from amongst the many , pressing to
be admitted into the service, a sufficient
number of companies to fill it ; care be
ing taken to allow each county, as nearly
as possible, a . fair representation. Only
eleven regiments, however, in addition to
the fourteen called for by the President,
were organized and mustered into the ser
vice, before the order of General Patter
son was countermanded by him, under
instructions from the War Department.
On the 14th day of May, 1861, the
Secretary of War, in a letter communica
ting the plan of organization, for three
years regiments, confirmed the revocation
of the order in the following language :
u Tea regiments are assigned to Pennsyl
vania, making in addition to the thirteen
regiments of three ' months militia, al
ready called for, twenty-three regiments.
It is important to reduce rather than en
large this number, and in no event to ex
ceed it. Let me recommend to you, there
lore, to call for no more than twenty-three
regiments, of which only ttn are to serve
during the war, and if more are already
called for, to reduce the number by dis
charge. "
Tho twenty-five regiments rai.-ei as
above stated, comprised 20,979 men.--The
ardor, of our people was unabated.
Many of the compautes, under my order,
hcid arrived in camp at Uarrisburg, and
others maintained their organizations at
heme at their own expense, and by con
tributions from their neighbors and
friends. :
In the critical condition of the country,
and anticipating that, in case of reverse
to our arm, the borders of Pennsylvania
would be the portals to the rich granar
ies, manufactories and store-houses of the
North, I deemed it my duty to convene
the Logislaturo, that adequate provisions
might be made to enable me to render
the military power of the State as availa
ble and efficient as it should . be, for the
common defense of the State and Gener
al Government; and accordingly, on the
20th of April, 1S61, issued my procla
tion, calling for a meeting of the General
Assembly, on tho 30th of. the same
month. - - , - -
In my message to the Legislature at its
opening, I recommended the immediate
organization, diciplining and arming of at
least fifteen regiments, exclusive of those
called into tho service of the United
States.
The Legislature acted promptly upon
this suggestion, and made full provision
for its effectual accomplishment. The
result wa the early and complete organi
zation, clothing and equipment of the
Pennsylvania Keserve Volunteer Corps,
with its thirteen-regiments -of infantry,
one of light artillery and one of cavalry,
under the supervision of George A.
31'Call, who was selected to command it,
with the commission aud rank of Major
General. This corps contained 15,856
men, and the whole expense of raising,
clothing, equipping; subsisting and pay
ing them, until their entry into the Uni
ted States service,, was $855,444 87.
They were encamped in different parts
of the State, except two of the regiments,
commanded by Colonels Chas. J. Biddle
and Seneca Gr. Simmon?, and two batter
ies of artillery, under the command of
Colonel Charles T. Campbell, which at
the -reqaest ot the War Department, were
sent on the 22d of June, 1861, to the re
lief of Colonel Wallace at Cumberland,
Maryland, and remained for about , ix
weeks there, and in Western Virginia,
engaged in active operations. Towards
the close of J uly the whole corps was cal
led for and taken, on a Tequiaicion, into
the service ot the United States. With
in four days after the disaster at Bull
Run, eleven regiments, in all respects
ready for active service, were in Wash
ington and Baltimore.
The. troops sent, to; Western .Virginia
were ro-c&Ued, and with the other two
regiments of the corps forwarded to Wash
ington.
. Uo. the 26th of July, 1861, the Secre
tary of War expressed his gratification
and thanks for the prompt; response from
Pennsylvania.. ,.r. i; .,..,..
The wisdom of the -Legislature in pro
viding for the formation of .this corps, for
tbe interests of the State and, Nation,
was fully shown by subsequent events.
Most of the men who filled its ranks had
been accepted by me under the call for
twenty five regiments, which was after
wards resciuded. ; . .
They had left their families and homes
under a deep eenso of duty to heir coun
tjry.and to have sent them back unaccep
ted would have caused serious difficulty
in making luturP enlistments.
By acts of Congress of 22d and 25th
of July, 1861, the President was authori
zed to call upon the several States for vol
unteers to serve for; three years. Under
this authority requisitions were made on
this State, and fourteen regiments were
promptly furnished. In the mean time
authorities had been granted by the Presi
dent aud the War Department to a num
ber of individuals to raise regiments, in
dtfferenj parts of the State, which serious
ly interfersd with the action of the State
authorities in filling requisitions regular
ly made under the acts of Congress.
;.The embarrassments arising from this
conflict of authorities became at length so
serious that I was constrained to call the
attention of the President and Secretary
of War to the subject, by a communica
tion, dated,, the 1st of August, 1861, and
on the 25th of September following, an
order was issued requiring those indepen
dent regiments to report to the Governor,
and. placing them under his authority aud
control. Acting under this order many of
the independent regiments were filled up,
others were consolidated, and seventy
three regiments, with an aggregate
strength of 89,048 men, were promptly
sent forward.
During the year 1862 a draft wa3 or
dered by the General Government, which
was executed under the State authorities.
Of the quota of the State, under the
call of July 7, 1862, forty-three regiments
of volunteers,; aggregation 40,383 nien,
were put into service, and under the draft,
ordered August 4th of the same year, fif
feeu regiment1, containing an aggregate
force of. 15,000 men, organized and -cut
forward. . During- the same. period, nine
independent batteries of artillery were or
ganized in the State, with an aggregate
strength of 1,353 officers arid men. .
It will be remembered that, the ardor
aqji promptness cf our people, under such
trying circumstances, in pressing the
troops forward, was such as to call from
the President especial thanks and to re
quest me to express them to the people of
the State. . .
During the " year. 1S33, 43,046 men
were furnished for the service, principally
to fill regiments in the field which had
been reduced by the exigencies of war.
During the year 1864, under the vari
ous calls of' the General Government,
thirty-two regiments, two battalion, and
eight unattached companies of different
arms of the service and for various peri
ods, were organized and tent to the field,
aggregating, with ro-eolistraents in tho
field amounting to 17,876, an aggregate
force of 91,704 men, furnished for that
year. ......
On my suggestion,' tbe policy of consol
idating our reduced regiments, and filling
them up by the assignment of new com
panies, was adopted, and in 1SG5, under
this system, besides organizing three en
tire new regiments, seventy-five compa
nies were assigned to reduced - regiments,
by which they were again filled to the
regimental ' standard. : These three new
regiments and seventy-five companies,
with volunteer recruits for regiments-in
the field, reported by the superintendents
of that service, amounted in the aggregate
to 25,790 men for this year. '
In the mouth of September, 1S62, after
the second disaster of Bull ltun, it became
evident that the enemy had adopted an
aggressive policy, and was about to invade
the Northern States through Maryland
and the southern border of Pennsylvania.
Under the sanction of the President of
the United States, on the 11th day of that
month, I issued my proclamation calling
to immediate service fiity thousand of the
freeman of this State. Under this call
twenty-five regiments and four companies
of infantry, fourteen- unattached compa
nies of cavalry, and four batteries of ar
tillery were : immediately organized and
sent to the border, - the greater portion
advancing beyond the State line into Ma
ryland. General John F. Keynolds, at
that period commanding the Pennsylvania
lleserve Corps, was temporarily assigned,
by the Secretary ot War, to the command
ot these troops, by whose orders they were
returned to Pennsylvania, and by my
proclamation disbanded on tho 24th of
the same month. In acknowledgment of
tho eervices rendered by the men of
Pennsylvania, Major-General M'Clcllan,
commanding the Army of the Potomac,
by letterdated the 27th of September,
1862, acknowledging the service and
thanking the State, uses the following
language: " . . . .-;;.
"The manner in which the people of
Pennsylvania responded to your call, and
hastened to the defence at their froatier,
no doubt exercised a great influence upon
tne enemy , ana me uovernor ot Alary-
land, hi3 Excellency A. W. Bradford, in
an order.dated September 20, 1862, used
the following language in regard to these
troops : Tho readiness with which they
crossed the border and took their stand
beside the Maryland brigade, shows' that
the border is, in all respects, but an ideal
line, and that in such a-cause as how
unites us, Pennsylvania and Maryland are
but one."
In . the month of June, 1863, it again
became evident that the rebel army was
advancing North, threatening also the
western border of Pennsylvania, and on
the 26tli of that month I again issued my
proclamation, sailing the militia of the
State into im'mediate" service. In the
Department of the Monongahela, five reg
iments of infantry, one company of caval
ry, and one battery of artillery, for ninety
days' service, and one batulion of infantry,
one battalion of cavalry, and one battery
of artillery, for six months' United State's
service, were organized. In the Depart
ment of the Susquehanna, twenty-three
regiments and five unattached companies
of infantry, and two unattached companies
of cavalry, for niuety days; one battalion
of infantry, ond battalion of cavalry, and
four independent batteries of artillery, tor
three months ; three regiment of cavalry,
two battalions of infantry, and three inde
pendent batteries of- artillery, for six
months' United States service, were or
ganized. - There were also organized in this de
partment, for the "emergency term,"
eight Tegiments, one battalion and a num
ber of unattached companies of infantry,
two independent batteries of artillery. and
two companies of cavalry.
In tbe Department of the Monongahela.
the troops under this cail, were comman
ded by Major General W. T. II.-Brooks,
and in the Department of the Susque
hanna, by Major General D. N. Couch,
severally detailed by the War Department.
' The details of the services ot the mili
tia on these occasions, as well as the gen
erous assistance rendered by the militia
of the States of New York and New
Jersey, have been fully recognized in pre
vious messaged.
Acting Uiider orders, they did not
hesitate to cross the State line and
enter Ohio and Western Virginia, in the
West ; aud in the Kast, they defended the
line of the Susquehanna,, were at Gettys
burg, before the advance of the Army of
tho Potomac, defended Carlisle success
fully, when attacked by a superior force,
made long marches, patiently Miffering
great privations for the want of suCicicut
means of transportation, crossed into Mary
land, when ordered, and attacked the
enemy successfully, and paved the Capital
of their State from destruction. When
the history of the rebellion is truly writ
ten, no part, which relates to Pennsylvania,
will reflect more credit on the patriotism,
courage and fidelity of her people, than
their prompt answer to the call made for
military service for domestic protection.
It is a record of which ihft great body of
the people are a parry, and of which they
itiay all be proud.
In July, 1864, a rebel army again
crossed the Potomac, threatening the
Southern border, and marched to Wash
ington.
Upon the pressing demands of the Xa-
tional authorities, all tbe organized troops
in Pennsylvania were immediately snt
forward, ino rebel army was defeated
.. .
and driven back. A rebel column of
three thousand men had, however, crossed
the border, and, on the 30.h of July,
burned the town of Chambersburg. In
my message of last year, I stated in detail
the movements of ihe enemy, and the
circumstances attending the destruction
ot that borough. Although the people
of all the Southern border suffered much
from annual iircursions of tho enemy,
Chamberaburg is the oclv town entirely
destroyed within our border, and, it is
believed, in any loyal State.
The citizens of the town were suddenly
reduced to poverty, and, for a time, were
sustained by the active benevolence of te
people of other parts of the State, aided
by an appropriation of one hundred thou
sand dollars from the Comuianwealth.
They have struggled energetically to re
vive "from this calamity, but it is now
feared that few of them will be able to
succeed. I submit, therefore, to tho wis
dom ot the Legislature, whether it would
not be proper to extend to that people
some additional relief.
The number of troops furnished the
service, from Pennsylvania, during the
rebellion, may be stated as follows, viz:
During the year 1861 130,594
Do -do. .....1862 7 1, 'lOO
Do do...-. 1863 .. 43,46
Do -do...-.l864 i 91,704
Do -do. ..-.1805 25,840
362,284
This statemeut is exclusive of militia
and enlistments for the United States navy.
I refer for more perfect details of alt
the military operations of the State to
the reports of the' Adjutant General of
the other military departments of the State
and to my previous annual messages. This
brief military record would be imperfect
if I faileJ to commend the fidelity, zeal
and industry of the military departments
of the State, find to express my personal
obligations for the ready obedienca and
NUMBER 17.
constant support
I have uniformly rc
Chiefs of the Denart-
ceived from the
ruents aud officers of my personal staff.
An approximate judgment ot the amount
of labor performed by these departments,
and in the office of the Secretary cf tho '
Commonwealth, may be niadej when it is
stated that over forty-three thousand (43,
000) military commissions .were issued
during the war.
The first request for troops from this
State was dated at Washington, on tho
15th April, 1861, and on the 16th tbe
telegraph announced to the War Depart- ,
ment that over 4,000 men were at Harris
burg, awaiting marching orders.
It is our proud privilege to havo it
remembered, that the first military aid
from t ha loyal States,' which reached
Washington, was the force of 460 Penn-'
sylvauians, who arrived there on the lSjh
day of April, and that, when the Capital
of the Nation was the second time threat
ened, after the battle of Bull Run, the
regiments of tho Pennsylvania lleserve
orps, were the first troops sent forward.
Froiri the beginning cf the war lo its
close, tbe State has never faltered in its!
support of the Government.
Proceeding in the strict line of duty,
the resources of Pennsylvania, whether in
men or money, have neither been withheld
nor squandered. The history of the con
duct of our people in the field is illumina
tcdwith incidents of heroism worthv ot .
conspicuous notice; but it would be'im
possible to mentiou them in the proper
limits of a message without doing injus
tice, or perhaps making invidious distinc
tions. Arrangements are in progress to
have a complete. history of our regiments,
such as has been contemplated and is
provided for in an act ot Assembly already
passed; and on this subject I commend.
the report of the Executive Military De--partment
to your favorable consideration.
It would be alike impossible to furnish a
history of the associated benevolence and
of the large individual contributions to tho
comfort of our people in the field and hos
pital, or of the names and services, at all
times, of .our volunteer surgeon, when
called to assist in the hospital or on thd
battle-ueld; nor is it possible to do justice
to tne many patriotig Christian men. who
were always ready to respond when sum-,
inoned to the exercise of acts of humanity
and benevolence.
Our armies were sustained and strength
ened in" tho Held by the patriotic devotion
of their friends at home; and we can nev
er render full justice to the heaven-directed,
patriotic, Christian benevolence of the
women of the State.
During the war, I had occasion, from
time to time, to communicate freely witii
the Legislature oa subject? bearing upon
the interests of the men representing tho
State in the armies of the Republic.
It is with aensi of unfeigned gratitude
that I acknowledge how cheerfully and
promptly the Legislature and ths people
acted upon my suggestions, whether for
the support ot the government, the en
listment and organization of ro-ps, or for
the comfort af oar people already in Iho
field.
Without this generous confidence and lib
eral support, the lahore of the Executiva
would have been in vain ; the treasure
that has been expended would have been
wasted, precious lives lost would have
! been an empty sacrifice, the bruised heart
of kindred and friends would have bec.i
I without soW:. thn. Ktmn-r m.-n wiwun
. ......
hcaltn has been broken and vrlwse bodies
have been maimed, would havo been mou
uments ot her !?u wasted, and tfie bcaor
of this great Commonwealth would have
been degraded .tnidst the fallen ruins of
th institutions of the republic.
The report of tho lion. Thcma? K.
Burrows shows the gratifying result, un
der his active management, of the system
adopted by the State for the maintenance
and cduca;iun of the crphaus of our sol
diers, llis report exhibits the fact, that
1,242 orphans art now actually admitted
to the schools, and that 1,840 applica
tions iu all have been allowed, and order.-
issued for their admission, many of whom
havo been admitted since his report. It
will also ba seen, that the largest appro
priation that over will be required, will
be fir thi and the two ensuing 3'ears,
and that the amount will be gradually re
duced. 1 have herctoforo commended
this charity to you, and I deem it un
necessary to add another word, iu ask
ing a continuance of an' appropriation,
which is to provide for and educate tho
best blood ot the State, and support tho
living legacies which have been bequeath
ed us by tha .men who have bud down
their lives for the country. When we
remember that every sort of public aud
private pledge that the eloquence of
man could devise or utter, was given tu
our soldiers as they went forward, that
if they fell, their orphans should bo
come the children ot tha State, I cau
not for an instant suppose, that you will
hesitate to continue an appropriation,
which is to bless their little ones, provi
ding comfortable homes, instead ot leav
ing them in want aud destitution, many
of them to fali victiun to vice and crime.
At the time ot the invasion of tho
North, in 1863, by tho rebel army, the
President made a requisition ou m for
militia to serve during the emergency.
The men came forward promptly to th
' number of 3f5S8, of whom up-wards of
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