USA > Pennsylvania > Pennsylvania, colonial and federal : a history, 1608-1903, Volume Two > Part 27
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In all that he said in relation to the controversy between the North and the South previous to the actual outbreak of the war, Governor Curtin voiced the sentiment of the people of the whole State, and in all that he did in anticipation of the inevitable event he was warmly supported by the people of all classes and also by the legislative branches of State government. Indeed, from the time of his inauguration until the beginning of hostilities, and from that time to the close of the war, the executive and legisla- tive departments acted in harmony, the former looking to the latter for the enactment of such measures as were deemed neces- sary for the maintenance of the high standard of loyalty early proclaimed by Pennsylvania, and the latter looking to the former for suggestion and advice, for he knew better than they the needs and requirements of the State in this hour of great peril. This was especially true from the time when Mr. Cameron resigned (March II, 1861) his seat in the United States Senate and ac- cepted the position of secretary of war in Mr. Lincoln's cabinet. Although the former relations of the President and our Governor were entirely cordial, and their ideas and action in regard to the grave questions then before the country were in perfect accord, Mr. Cameron's appointment to the portfolio of war had the effect to draw Mr. Lincoln and Governor Curtin into still closer rela- tionship, and thus to give the latter every opportunity to know the actual needs of the government and what would be required of his own State on each occasion. This the legislature knew, and without question or cavil the Governor's suggestions were accepted as expressing the actual situation of national affairs, and they were acted upon promptly, generously, and with every con- fidence that the best interests of the State would thereby be promoted.
Governor Curtin has ever been known in history as the "War Governor" of Pennsylvania, yet he was not inclined to favor war
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From the Birch views
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with the South until every means for an amicable settlement of difficulties had been exhausted. He took kindly to the proposition emanating from Virginia for the appointment of commissioners from the several States to meet in Washington and make an earnest effort to agree upon a plan of settlement of the "present unhappy controversies, in the spirit in which the constitution was originally formed and consistently with its principles, so as to afford to the people of the slaveholding States adequate guarantees for the sovereignty of their rights. In accordance with the spirit of the undertaking and in conformity of a resolution of the legis-
Arms, 1790
lature of Virginia (Jan. 19, 1861), the Governor appointed as the representatives of that State ex-President John Tyler, William C. Rives, Judge John B. Brockenborough, George W. Summers and James A. Seddon. At the same time the Governor appointed ex-President Tyler to the special service of commissioner to President Lincoln, and also appointed Judge John R. Robertson commissioner to the State of South Carolina and the other States which then had seceded, to act with others "in an endeavor to amicably settle the difficulties which impelled their action."
However, in its action the legislature of our State did not await entirely the initiative of the Governor, but adopted several meas- ures of its own accord, which had the effect to win the confidence of the people of the State at large, whose especial representatives the members were known to be. As early as Jan. 24, 1861, having in mind the fact that on Dec. 20, 1860, the State of South Caro- lina adopted an ordinance to dissolve the union between that and
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the other States which previously had been united under the com- pact entitled "The United States of America," the Assembly passed a series of resolutions expressive of the sentiment of the people of this Commonwealth in relation to the questions of the hour. These resolutions were important, and were so pertinent to the subject under discussion that some of them will be found of interest in this chapter.
"Resolved, That the people of Pennsylvania entertain and desire to cherish the most fraternal sentiments for their brethren of other States, and are ready now, as they ever have been, to co- operate in all measures needful for their welfare, security and happiness, and the full enjoyment of all their rights under the constitution which makes us one people; that while they cannot surrender their love of liberty, inherited from the founders of their State, sealed with the blood of the Revolution, and witnessed in the history of their legislation, and while they claim the observ- ance of all their rights under the constitution, they nevertheless maintain now, as they have ever done, the constitutional rights of the people of the slaveholding States to the uninterrupted enjoy- ment of their own domestic institutions.
"Resolved, That we adopt the sentiments and language of President Andrew Jackson, expressed in his message to Congress (Jan. 16, 1833) that the right of a people of a single State to absolve themselves at will, and without the consent of the other States, from their most solemn obligations, and hazard the liberties and happiness of millions comprising this Union, cannot be ac- knowledged, and that such authority is utterly repugnant both to the principles upon which the general government is constituted and the objects which it was expressly formed to attain.
"Resolved, That the constitution of the United States of America contains all the powers necessary to the maintenance of its authority, and it is the solemn and most imperative duty of the government to adopt and carry into effect whatever measures may be necessary to that end; and the faith and the power of Penn-
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sylvania are hereby pledged to the support of such measures, in any manner and to any extent that may be required of her by the constituted authorities of the United States."
Of a truth there was no uncertain ring of loyalty and patriot- ism in these resolutions at the time of their adoption, and when
John Franklin
Agent of the Connecticut Susquehanna com- pany; captured by Colonel Timothy Pickering, 1787, and imprisoned in Philadelphia fourteen months without trial; was present at Wyoming just after the massacre, and with Sullivan at the battle at Newtown; born 1749; died 1831. Reproduced for this work from an engraving in possession of N. F. Walker
in the course of a few more months those qualities of loyalty and patriotism were put to the test, the State of Pennsylvania faith- fuly fulfilled every promise and redeemed every pledge with an ardor unsurpassed by that of any other State in the Union. But. notwithstanding the frequent reiteration of sentiments like those expressed in the resolutions, and regardless of the fact that war between the North and the South even then was considered un-
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avoidable, there was no real preparation for such an event until just before the actual outbreak, for it was hoped that some means of settlement might be discovered without recourse to arms. Let us glance briefly at the political situation in the country at the time of which we write.
For many years previous to 1860 strong antagonism between two sentiments had existed in the country; the South was the avowed enemy of the free paid labor of the North, and the North of the slave labor of the South. Advocates of both principles were earnest and determined and their respective views were en- larged and extended until the remotest corners of our territorial limits became impregnated with the prevailing ideas. The na- tional political contest of 1860 was both fevered and exciting, for never before had so much depended upon the result of the ballot. There were numerous murmurings of a significant character that . carried alarm to the nation which had devoted all her energies to the fruitful arts of peace. Then followed an assault on the integ- rity of the ballot and the expressed will of the majority, which, if successful, must of necessity have destroyed our republican form of government. Soon the voice of reason was lost in the thunder of Moultrie's guns, and then the question was: Shall liberty and union no longer walk hand in hand, and if either is to go out, which shall it be?
Then how sudden the transformation of the peaceful citizen into the armed and uniformed soldier ! Almost every citizen real- ized that it was his duty to be loyal in his service to the country, and volunteers were furnished from every State, county and town in the great North. Loyal men only knew that they were neede I. and they hastened to respond to the call; they exchanged the rip pling music of the hillside stream for the thunder of the deep- mouthed cannon and the deafening musketry volley. "It was not with them a question of what battles were to be fought, what graves filled, what altars shivered; the spirit of secession must be buried and breathe its last amid shrieking shell and hissing bullet."
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Our own Pennsylvania was no exception to the rule, and freely gave her sons whose blood crimsoned the soil of a hundred battle- fields of the South; and they fell as heroes fall, a sacrifice to union, liberty and freedom; and the mothers who gave those sons displayed a patriotism equal to that of the Spartan mothers in the sacrifice of household idols. The hardships of a soldier's life, suffering from wounds, disease and privations, and the surrender of young lives, presents a chapter of patriotism which warms the devotion to country of every true American ; but when we reflect on all the scenes at home and those upon the battlefield we can only doubt who suffered most when the shadows of war darkened our fair land.
As early as February, 1861, it became evident that actual war with the seceding States could not much longer be averted, as the attitude of the South Carolina authorities toward the Federal gar- rison at Fort Sumter indicated an immediate outbreak of hostili- ties. On the 17th of that month the Assembly of Pensylvania passed resolutions approving the course of Major Anderson, and in Philadelphia and other commercial centers public meetings were held and strong sentiments were expresed in favor of upholding the Union, suppressing treasonable insurrection and urging imme- diate preparations for war. At that particular time, however, the military system of the State was not in order for efficient action, and it was supposed that much time would be required to re-estab- lish it on a proper basis. The principal defects consisted of an in- sufficient number of men and a general lack of equipment, both in arms and uniforms, and an almost entire absence of discipline. On April 9th the Governor addressed a communication to the Assem- bly, calling attention to the imperfect system, and urged immediate action in reorganizing it, a modification of the military laws, and the establishment of a military bureau at the capital of the State. Three days later, on the very day on which Fort Sumter was fired upon, the Assembly passed an act for better organizing the militia and appropriated $500,000 for that purpose.
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While at the time indicated there undoubtedly was a lack of organization and military discipline in the State, there was no scarcity of material from which to create a formidable army for either offensive or defensive purposes, as the report of the adjutant- general for the preceding year showed 355,000 men subject to military duty, although of the entire number only 19,000 were members of organized companies. There were four hundred and seventy-six of these companies, with an average membership of about forty men in each. All the arms and military equipment then owned by the State were in possession of the companies, and comprised 12,080 muskets, 4,706 rifles, 2,809 cavalry swords and sabres, 3, 149 pistols, 69 pieces of ordnance, and about 575 camp tents. Of the muskets, about 2,500 were of new model, and 1,200 of the rifles were of modern pattern, but the remainder of the equipment, except the ordnance, was of comparatively little use. The total number of effective small arms was 4,200; thus 14,500 members of the organized and uniformed militia had no arms fit for use when they entered the service in the spring of 1861.
It was this condition in the military establishment of the State that impelled the Governor's action, and also that of the Assem- bly, to which reference has been made in a preceding paragraph. The Assembly took prompt action, but before anything had been really accomplished the war of the rebellion was begun.
On the morning of April 12, 1861, the guns of Fort Moultrie in Charleston harbor, S. C., were trained on Fort Sumter, the lat- ter then being held by a Federal garrison under Major Anderson ; and with the first boom of Confederate cannon civil war was pro- claimed throughout the United States ; the great sections of coun- try known as the South and the North were arrayed against each other in a conflict which was destined to cost billions of money. hundreds of thousands of human lives, and to engender feelings of animosity which in all subsequent years have not been entirely effaced, although to-day the old contending forces are nearer together in thought and action and sympathy than ever before.
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William Smith Clergyman; educator; first provost University of Pennsylvania; born 1727; died 1803
Curtin's Administration
In this brief chapter it is needless to dwell upon the prompt- ness, the enthusiasm and the patriotism with which the people of Pennsylvania, in common with those of the other Northern States, sprang forward at the call of the President for men to suppress the treasonable rebellion organized by the hosts of misguided people of the South. The subject, although never to be worn threadbare, has nevertheless been the frequent theme of the most gifted pens in song and story, and the banner of peace floated over the entire republic at the end of the sanguinary and heroic strug- gle. The record achieved by the brave men who gave up the com- forts and safety of their homes for the dangers and hardships, the wounds and death of the battlefields, is one that ever may be looked 11pon with pride by every loyal citizen of the State; while the lib- erality displayed by those whose duty was to remain at home helped to soften the rigors of war and gave the volunteers the most undoubted assurances that their sacrifices were appreciated to the fullest possible extent ; and as the tide of war rolled on and call succeeded call to fill the depleted ranks of the army, the State did not hesitate in its duty, nor the counties and towns in their loyalty, in providing for the payment of such generous bounties as would serve the very best purpose.
Throughout the period of the war the civil and military history of Pennsylvania ran in the same channel, and were almost con- current events, and it was not until well along toward the close of the struggle that there began to develop a sentiment of opposition to the administration of the President, of the war department, and, in a less degree, to the course of Governor Curtin and his advisers. Previous to this time there was little division of political sentiment in the State and Republicans and Democrats alike warmly sup- ported all the measures proposed in the legislature for the vigorous prosecution of the war, while in the ranks of the army were hun- dreds and even thousands of sturdy volunteers who were de- scended from ancestors "scrupulous of bearing arms"; but along after the enforcement of draft orders there developed a spirit of
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opposition, which manifested itself chiefly at the polling places, and had the ultimate effect to create serious disturbance in the har- mony of State politics. These events, however, in our history will be treated in a subsequent portion of this narrative.
On the morning of April 12, 1861, a message was handed to Governor Curtin in Harrisburg which read as follows: "The war is commenced. The batteries began firing at four o'clock this morning. Major Anderson replied, and a brisk cannonading commenced. This is reliable, and has just come by Associated Press," etc.
On this day, in response to the Governor's suggestion, the legislature passed an act for reorganizing the military department of the State, and in conformity to its elaborate provisions, on the 17th, the Governor nominated and sent to the Senate for con- firmation the name of Major-General Edward M. Shepard to be adjutant-general, Captain John W. McLane to be commissary- general, and General Reuben C. Hale to be quartermaster-general, each on the grand staff of the military department of the State as constituted under the act.
True to the patriotic principles so frequently expressed on pre- vious occasions, and thoroughly alive to the exigencies of the situation after South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Texas had openly seceded and had arisen in armed rebellion against the sovereign authority and govern- ment of the United States, and had declared to dissolve their alle- giance to the Federal Union, the legislature of Pennsylvania, on April 18, unanimously adopted the following resolution :
"Resolved, That the faith, credit and resources of the State, in both men and money, are hereby pledged to any amount and to every extent which the Federal Government may demand, to sub- due the rebellion, to punish the treason, to enforce the laws, to protect the lives, the liberties and the property of the people, and to maintain inviolate the constitution and the sovereignty of the nation."
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On the 20th the Governor issued his proclamation convoking the Assembly in special session, to "take action in connection with the appearance of rebellion." On the 30th the Assembly was con- vened and received an important message from the Governor, the latter setting forth the needs of the government and the duty of
Josiah Harmar
Negotiated treaty with Indians at Fort McIntosh (Beaver), 1785; brevetted brigadier-general by Congress 1787; general-in-chief United States Army, 1789-1792. Made for this work from an engraving in possession of Dr. W. J. Holland
the State, and called upon the assembled legislators to make ample provision for men, arms and military equipments. In his mes- sage on this occasion the Governor gave free expression to his views regarding the situation, and his utterances were so thor- oughly frank and patriotic that the writer is impelled to make use of some portions of them :
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"No one who knows the history of Pennsylvania and under- stands the opinions and feelings of her people, can justly charge us with hostility to our brethren of other States. We regard them as friends and fellow-countrymen, in whose welfare we feel a kindred interest ; and we recognize, in their broadest extent, all our constitutional obligations to them. These we are ready and willing to observe, generously and fraternally and in their letter and spirit with unswerving fidelity ..... The time is past for temporizing or forbearing with this rebellion; the most causeless in history. The North has not invaded nor has she sought to invade a single guaranteed right of the South. On the contrary, all political parties, and all administrations, have fully recognized the binding force of every provision of the great compact between the States, and regardless of our views of State policy, our people have respected them. To predicate a rebellion, therefore, upon any alleged wrong inflicted or sought to be inflicted upon the South, is to offer falsehood as an apology for treason. So will the civilized world and history judge this mad effort to overthrow the most beneficent structure of human government ever devised by man."
On April 15th, 1861, four days after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 militia from the several Union States to serve for three months. The quota of Pennsylvania was fourteen regiments, and so prompt was the response to the call and such was the patriotic ardor of the people in every portion of the State that not only were the required regiments raised, but the number was increased to twenty-five. Indeed the services of about thirty additional regiments were refused by the government, as the great number of volunteers who came forward had then provided for more than one-half the total number of troops called for by the President. Four days after the call Pennsylvania had placed at the national capital six hun- dred men, and to the lasting honor of the State, it may be said that its troops were the first to arrive in Washington to defend
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the city against an expected attack by the Confederate forces. Ten days later the entire number of twenty-five regiments of Pennsylvania troops were organized and in the field. On April 18, Camp Curtin was established at Harrisburg, at which point all the militia of the northern, western and central counties of the State were organized and equipped for active service at the front. At the same time the eight regiments raised in Philadelphia and its vicinity were rendezvoused and organized in that city. All these regiments were designated in numerical order from I to 25, and comprised in the aggregate 20,979 men. They served the full term of three months, and then were mustered out of ser- vice, although many of the men, in some instances almost entire companies in a body, re-enlisted for the regular three years' ser- vice.
While it is not within the province of this chapter to refer at length to the service of individual companies or regiments sent out from Pennsylvania during the war, it is nevertheless proper to to mention the fact that among the very first military organiza- tions to tender their services to the government were the Ringgold Light Artillery of Reading; the Logan Guards of Lewiston ; the Washington Artillery and the National Light Infantry of Potts- ville, and the Allen Rifles of Allentown. Says a contemporary writer : "When the Ringgold Light Artillery, numbering one hundred and two men, reached Harrisburg, and word was sent to the secretary of war of the presence of so strong a company at the State capital, he at once telegraphed for its immediate presence in Washington, but for prudential reasons the order was sup- pressed."
Having been mustered into the service of the United States, the five volunteer companies, with a detachment of fifty men from the regular army, left Harrisburg, the former destined for the defenses of Washington and the latter for Fort McHenry. In marching through Batlimore, from Bolton to Camden station, these volunteer companies were attacked by a riotous mob of con-
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federate sympathizers, and were subjected to all manner of indig- nities, but the men behaved themselves with becoming bravery and raised no arm to resist the assaults made on them. In fact, even if so disposed, the troops were powerless to defend themselves, for they were without ammunition of any kind, although the men were provided with guns. On the evening of the 18th the com- panies arrived in Washington and camped in the defenses of the city ; and they were the first troops to reach the capital, a fact due to the prompt action of Governor Curtin, and the zeal with which the sturdy Pennsylvanians answered the call to arms.
The conduct of these companies while passing through the streets of Baltimore was the occasion of much favorable comment, and their determined courage in the face of many embarrassments was duly recognized by Congress in the adoption of the following resolution :
"37th Congress, U. S., July 22, 1861.
"Resolved, That the thanks of this House are due, and are hereby tendered, to the five hundred and thirty soldiers from Pennsylvania, who passed through the mob at Baltimore and reached Washington on the 18th of April last, for the defence of the National Capital. GALUSHA A. GROW,
"Speaker of the House of Representatives."
This was the first but not the last occasion on which the National Congress found opportunity to publicly acknowledge the services of volunteer soldiers from Pennsylvania during the period of the Civil war.
Following the departure of the first body of volunteers Camp Curtin was the scene of activity, and from the time of its establish- ment (April 18, 1861), to the close of military operations in con- nection with the war it was the most popular rendezvous and training grounds for troops in the entire State. Its location for its intended purpose was admirable, as it occupied the land between the Pennsylvania railroad and the Susquehanna river, the site formerly occupied by the Dauphin County Agricultural Society.
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