USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania > Part 66
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A splendid reception was given May 16th to the One Hundred and Twenty- third Regiment, Colonel John B. Clark, on its return after nine months' service. They were received at the depot by a military escort and great crowds of people. Of the arrival, one account says: "At length the train stopped, and confusion worse confounded ensued. Such running, shoving, jamming, crashing, hunting, handshaking, hugging and kissing were never before witnessed." The men were marched down to the City Hall, where they were fed by the Subsistence Committee, after which the regiment was formally received on West Common, Allegheny, in an elegant speech by Thomas M. Howe, to which Colonel Clark responded. The One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment was similarly received May 29th, P. C. Shannon making the welcoming speech and Colonel O'Brien replying. The One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Regiment, Colonel T. M. Bayne, was formally received June Ist. Mayors Sawyer and Alexander, of the two cities, delivered welcoming addressed, to which Colonel Bayne responded. showing their flag riddled by shot and shell to prove that they had been actively engaged while away. The exercises were concluded by a salute from one of the batteries.
The commandant at the arsenal, acting under information from a committee of citizens, dismissed from employment in June nine persons on grounds of disloyalty. Several others there had previously instituted suits for libel against
30
578
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
two or three of the newspapers, which had charged them with the same offense, but they dropped the -suits and disappeared about this time. Disloyalty in this community was an exotic of sickly and uncertain growth.
Early in June the word came that General Lee was on the point of invading Maryland and Pennsylvania, with a view to taking Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Washington, which created consternation. Another force in Western Vir- ginia threatened Uniontown, and wild calls for assistance came from that quarter. At this time General W. T. H. Brooks commanded the Monongahela Depart- ment, embracing all of Pennsylvania west of Johnstown and Laurel Hill, and three counties in Ohio and three in Virginia. He was authorized to raise a corps of volunteer infantry, artillery and cavalry, which, while in actual service, was to be paid as other troops. He assumed command of the department June 9th, under orders from the Secretary of War. Owing to the importance of Pittsburg as a source of supply to the Federal Army, not only the citizens, but the Government as well, conceded the probability of an attack. Under this exciting state of affairs the enlistment of volunteers for home defense was rushed to the utmost limits. On June 15th the regiment under Colonel Galway ten- dered its service to General Brooks. Colonel Clark began with great energy to reorganize the One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment, as did Colonel Bayne the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth. Six batteries, under Captains Met- calf, Glass, Braun, Bonnafon, Tyler and Magraw, were rapidly filled. In addi- tion several independent companies were formed, and several cavalry companies, fully horsed and equipped, were raised. The latter volunteered to guard and defend the approaches to the city, but General Brooks regarded this advanced step unnecessary at this stage.
From the 9th to the 16th of June an artillery company was organized and ordered into Camp Brooks, and a full company of colored men recruited and armed. The lawyers organized under Captain W. B. Negley, and were called the "Court Company." Under the call of the Governor, dated June 26th, for 60,000 militia, the quota of Allegheny County was placed at 3,600. By July 3d the regiment organized by Colonel Galway was ready for service, and Colonel. Clark assigned to its command.
On June 12th Governor Curtin again announced that the invasion of the State was imminent. This caused great excitement and no little dismay, but was followed by increased efforts to place a large body of volunteers under arms. A monster meeting was held on the Diamond, Allegheny, which was addressed by the best speakers in the county. General Howe, in a fervid speech, warned the people of the impending danger to the city. He was followed by General Brooks, Colonel Clark, Thomas Williams, Colonel Dale and Judge Shannon in a similar strain. Large numbers of citizens in Harrisburg and Philadelphia packed up and pushed toward the north star, as though panic stricken. In this vicinity many were panicky at first, but under the advice of cooler heads calmed down and redoubled their efforts to welcome the invaders "with bloody hands to hospitable graves." On Sunday evening, June 14th, an immense meeting of business men was held, pursuant to a hurried call. General Brooks said that, in view of the certainty that the State would be invaded, and the possibility of the city being attacked, it was advisable to put at least 2,000 men at work on the surrounding hills by 8 o'clock on the following morning. He recommended the suspension of business and the concentration on the earth- works of all employes in the various business concerns in the city, to be retained under a proper system of relays until a complete line of forts and rifle pits was completed. Business men promptly closed their stores and shops and sent their men to the works fully equipped with picks and shovels. A committee was appointed to request President Lincoln to declare martial law in this department,
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579
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
but this was not thought necessary by General Brooks, and it was not done. This action by the citizens was in accordance with the orders of Governor Curtin, in view of the reports that Lee's whole army was moving northward in the Shenandoah Valley. The State militia was called out by the Governor, which intensified the excitement. Bright and early on Monday morning, June 15th, two lines of fortifications were marked out on some of the surrounding hills by General Barnard, and large numbers of men set to work. The number reported at work on the 18th by the Committee of Public Safety was 4,654 men. About this number was kept continuously at work until July 4th, when the earthworks were completed. Mount Washington and the hills Herron, Har- bison, Squirrel, Davis, Gazzam, Cemetery, Robinson, Hazlett, Mckeevers', Turtle Creek and McGuire were well fortified and placed in as good condition for defense as possible. The reports of the Committee of Public Safety show that as many as 6,000 men were engaged on the earthworks at once. Late in June the New York Times commented on the difference in the courses taken by Harrisburg and Pittsburg in this emergency, saying that the citizens of the former city took to their heels; those of the latter to the earthworks and the guns. This wonderful show of energy and resolution, of courage and loyalty, and of determination to defend their firesides to the last extremity, was as com- mendable as it was characteristic of the people.
The last week in June was full of darkness for loyal hearts. The great army of Lee seemed invincible, and was marching with fire and sword into the peaceful valleys of the Keystone State. Panic seemed to seize Washington and Harrisburg and Pittsburg, and urgent and repeated calls for volunteers came from State and National headquarters. In the West Bragg threatened Cincinnati and Louisville; Grant hung like Fate in the trenches of Vicksburg. Scarcely a ray of light could be seen in the vidette line which stretched like a stream of blood across the convulsed continent. Many lost hope and con- fessed in anguish that the rebellion was likely to succeed. But by the end of the first week in July an extraordinary transformation had taken place. Meade had crushed Lee and driven him pell-mell from the State; the capture of Rich- mond seemed imminent; Grant had emerged from the trenches of Vicksburg with a glorious victory; Bragg had been checkmated by the strategy of Rose- crans. Why were the skies so bright, and why did Hope once more bathe her pinions in the mists of the silver clouds? Because the crisis of the great war had passed in triumph; because all felt that the victories meant the final suc- cess of the Federal arms.
During May and June a second enrollment by J. Herron Foster, provost- marshal, was effected, though not without much opposition in certain districts. Under the last call by the President the leading citizens had again came for- ward to rescue the county from the draft. The threatened invasion of Lee and others turned the attention of the recruiting officers for the time wholly to home defense; but after the 4th of July, and surgeons and nurses had been sent to the hospitals of Gettysburg, recruits for the army were again urgently called for, and the citizens began to hurry up enlistments, but they were too slow and a draft was ordered, which began the 8th of July in Allegheny, and later was extended to Pittsburg. It was quite general throughout the county, only a few districts escaping. It was estimated that over 2,000 were drafted in the county.
About this time the civil and military authorities were at odds concerning the constitutionality of the habeas corpus act. Judge Lowrie did not surrender his views on the unconstitutionality of suspending it until forced to do so by the proclamation of President Lincoln and the overwhelming sentiment of the North. In the fall of 1863 there were on the stocks here, building for the Government, four ironclads-Manhattan, Marietta, Sandusky and Manayunk.
58
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
Much interest was felt in the bloody battle of Chickamauga, fought Sep- tember 19th and 20th; on account of the number of Pittsburgers in it, most of whom belonged to General James S. Negley's brigade. In April, 1864, a court of inquiry instituted for the purpose investigated the conduct of General Negley at this battle, and reported that on the first day, though he commanded a division, his conduct was creditable, and that on the second he exhibited great activity and zeal in the discharge of his duties, and there- fore there was no ground for censure. The jealousy of rivals was responsible for this inquiry.
On October 8th General Franz Sigel was formally received with great pomp by the citizens of this vicinity. A. W. Loomis was president of the occasion. The General made a characteristic speech and was thoroughly lion- ized during the two or three days he remained here. In October, 1863, was cast here an immense Rodman cannon weighing about 114,000 pounds and having a length of twenty feet and a bore of twenty inches.
Under the large bounties offered by the Government in the fall of 1863 very few recruits were secured in Allegheny County. In fact, this county seems to have rested on its laurels in 1863 so far as recruits were concerned. However, late in the year a six months' cavalry regiment was organized under Colonel R. C. Dale. The provost-marshal had very little time to sleep amid the trials incident to his business. Deserters, bounty jumpers and drafted men required all his time and attention. All of the county north of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers was part of the Twenty-third District; the remainder of the county was in the Twenty-second District.
Under the call of the President in the fall of 1863 for 300,000, the quota of Allegheny County was 2,601. The day for drafting was fixed for January 5, 1864. In November the citizens began active work to fill the call, and General Howe, as the head of the county committee, took the lead. The camp at Oakland was named in his honor, and on November 15th the six months' regiment under Colonel Dale encamped there. In November, 1863, it was disclosed by the enrolling officers that nearly ten per cent. of the male population of this Congressional district were resident aliens who had never declared their intention of becoming citizens. But recruiting was difficult work, and was finally abandoned almost wholly. The people settled down to await the draft of January 5, 1864. The date was postponed to January 15th, and about December, 1863, the citizens made another effort to fill the quota. Allegheny took the lead by holding a large meeting in the new market-house December 22d, on which occasion Thomas M. Howe was chair- man. The enrollment in Allegheny was 3,249 and the number to be drafted unless filled was 358. Resolutions were adopted recommending a bounty of $300 in addition to the Government bounty of $300, and the Allegheny Councils were asked to appropriate $110,000 for this purpose. Grand efforts were made in January in all wards, boroughs and townships, and the county was again awake. The draft was postponed and active efforts were continued in Feb- ruary, 1864, and here and there districts began to clear themselves under the heavy bounty offered.
At the Fort Pitt works February 1I, 1864, a Rodman gun of twenty inches bore was cast in the presence of many distinguished visitors, among whom were Major Rodman, the inventor of the principle, several officers of the navy and two military men from abroad. The gun in the rough weighed 160,000 pounds, was twenty feet three inches in length, with a maxi- mum diameter of five feet two inches, and when finished weighed 116,496 pounds. It was said at that time to have been the largest gun in the world.
In February, 1864, an anonymous call appeared in several of the city
581
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
papers for a meeting of all citizens who were opposed to the issuance of county bonds for bounties to volunteers. A small number assembled and was called to order by Samuel Morrow. James Trunick was elected permanent chair- man and Thomas Mellon vice-president. David Reed, Thomas Mellon, C. Magee, N. Ballentine and Jesse Cunningham were appointed to prepare business for the' meeting. D. D. Bruce opposed the issuance of county bonds for bounty purposes, not because he disfavored the prosecution of the war, but because the burden upon the county would be too heavy. Joseph Irwin said the meeting was a disgrace to Allegheny County. Resolutions were adopted to the effect that the county should have nothing to do with issuing such bonds, because the duty of filling quotas belonged solely to the districts, and that the Legislature should be petitioned not to legalize the issuance of such bonds, for by so doing it would increase county indebtedness for special purposes. John Quinn, Edmund Wilkins and Captain Ward spoke against issuing the bonds.
March 1, 1864, was set for the time to begin drafting. Every person was appointed a committee of one to secure recruits and for each one thus obtained was entitled to $15 and $25. In some wards in the two cities block committees were appointed to go from door to door to secure volun- teers. By February 25, 1864, there were about 2,500 met at Camp Cope- land, near Pittsburg, with many arriving daily and many going to the field to join the old regiments. From February 25th to 29th recruiting was prosecuted with great vigor, but at the last moment the time for the draft was extended to April Ist. Again, during the latter part of March, recruiting was. revived and was pushed with great energy, and the local bounty rose from $250 to $255 and a little later to $265. About 1,500 men were at Camp Copeland, some arriving and some departing daily. The draft was again postponed to April 15th. The county quota under the calls of February Ist for 500,000 men and March 15th for 200,000, was very heavy, and the citizens struggled and tugged to meet the requirement. Under the former call 2,614 were demanded of this county and under the latter 1,694; total, 4,308. From this number were to be deducted men who had paid commutation, furnished substitutes, gone to the field under the draft of July, 1863, or volunteered since. The day for drafting was postponed to April 21st, and for a few days previous to that date recruiting was again very brisk. The date was again postponed until June 2d in Allegheny and June 13th in Pittsburg.
In one week ending Saturday, May 21, 1864, Captain Knapp, who had been authorized to raise a battalion of three or four companies of artillery, sent to the field Battery A and Battery B, nearly filled Battery C and started Battery D. These four companies of artillery took the field near Washington early in July. The following was the enrolling officer's report concerning Pittsburg on June 13, 1864:
Wards.
Quota under calls, 500,000 and 200,000.
Deficiency.
Credits since April 16, 1864.
Other credits.
Deficiency, June 13.
Surplus, June 13.
First
213
I54
3
73
78
. .
Second
212
91
4
72
15
. .
Third.
398
344
39
I35
170
. .
Fourth.
I66
33
46
I3
Fifth
40I
213
38
I36
39
. .
Sixth.
329
I37
8
I12
I7
. .
Seventh
140
36
. .
50
. .
14
Eighth
239
179
5
82
92
. .
Ninth
275
179
18
93
68
. .
Totals
2,373
1,366
II5
799
479
27
April 16, 1864.
.
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HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
On March 7, 1864, General Grant passed through Pittsburg and was cheered by a large crowd at the depot. On the 12th he returned from the East and was formally received by the citizens, at the head of whom were General Brooks and Andrew Carnegie, and was dined at the Monongahela House. He again passed through on the 21st, bound for the Army of the Potomac. About this tinie over one hundred of Morgan's guerrillas were confined in the penitentiary here. Late in March the Seventy-seventh Regi- ment took camp at Collins' Park, East Liberty, having come home on vet- eran furlough. Several of the other old regiments also came home on veteran furlough.
In May, 1864, the aggressive movements of the armies of Grant and Sherman filled all with renewed hope. As General Grant continued to advance, fighting and flanking General Lee, all felt that an important epoch had arrived in the achievements and history of the grand Army of the Potomac. News of the great battles and other successes was received with breathless excite- ment scarcely paralleled here at any previous time during the war. Bulletins were read and re-read, and extras of the dailies were sold in large numbers. News of the death of General Alexander Hay cast a gloom over the com- munity, but all were proud of his heroic conduct. Great masses of the people sought relief in prayer in the churches during this awful period of suspense and sorrow. Long lists of the dead and wounded published in the news- papers were anxiously and tearfully scanned; the cities sobbed for the gallant dead and cheered their glorious conduct. In the great battles there were six or seven regiments containing Allegheny County men. On May IIth General Hay was brought home and buried with great ceremony and honor. He had graduated from West Point in the class with General Grant.
Under the call of President Lincoln, early in July, 1864, for 24,000 militia to serve for one hundred days to repel a threatened invasion of Maryland and perhaps Pennsylvania, with the possibility of an attack upon Washington, the quota of Allegheny County was fixed at 1,488 mcn. Major G. S. Gallupe called for volunteers under this requisition, and meetings were held in various places in this vicinity to fill the call of the Governor. A meeting was held at Wilkins' Hall on July 9th, Mayor Lowry presiding, on which occasion nearly a company was enrolled, and another was called for the IIth. The Ninth Regiment (Reserves) met and passed resolutions constituting each member a committee of one to secure recruits for the one hundred days' service, and General Negley was authorized by the Recruiting Committee to offer a special bounty of $25 for the three months' service to the extent of four companies. There was much excitement and enthusiasm here at this time. An adjourned meeting was held on July 12th, on which occasion addresses were made by Colonel Sweitzer, Rev. Dr. Pressly, Captain Negley, Colonel Foulk and others, all urging the citizens to come forward in this emergency, and an enlistment roll was started, but grew very slowly. Another meeting was held with the same object in view in Allegheny, James Park, Jr., presiding, on which occasion Thomas Williams delivered a stirring address and B. G. Childs and Colonel Clark also spoke. A special bounty of $50 to each of one hundred or more men was offered by the Finance Committee, the chairman guaranteeing the payment.
Another war meeting held on the 13th was presided over by Henry A. Weaver, General J. K. Moorhead was the principal speaker and was fol- lowed by T. J. Bigham. At this time the company under Captain Dorrington numbered fifty-five, under Captain Negley fifty, and under Captain Mont- gomery twenty-five. An immense meeting was held in Birmingham to stir
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HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
up recruiting, and offices for the enrollment of volunteers were opened in nearly all the wards and boroughs. Captain Ballentine's company was full and mustered in about this time. In Allegheny the enthusiasm exceeded that in Pittsburg. By 10 o'clock on the evening of the 12th the following recruits had been raised there: Colonel Clark 83, Captain Wills 19, Captain Wood- burn II, Colonel Wright Io, Captain Tyler 35, Captain Crow 43, Captain Gast 35, Captain Lemon II (colored); total 147. The special Allegheny bounty fund on July 14th amounted to $1,422.50. By the 14th Captain Bal- lentine's company was ready for service at Camp Reynolds; Captain Dor- rington's was mustered in on the 13th; Captain White's company numbered 65, Captain Horbach's 25, Captain Patterson's about 60, Captain Beck's 28, while in Birmingham another company was almost full.
"In Allegheny things were managed differently, and the result is that they will be able to put four hundred men in the field before Saturday night. Unlike Pittsburg, the business nien responded to the call of the Mayor and citizens closed their manufactories, stores and workshops during Wednesday and Thursday and went to work in good earnest. Hence they will send out more men than their quota. Had the same course been pursued in Pitts- burg recruiting would not have been such an uphill business and double the men would have been enlisted" (o).
Twelve companies were at Camp Reynolds July 20th and there they organized, with J. B. Clark colonel, Mr. Ballentine lieutenant-colonel, and H. K. Tyler major. These men, in addition to Knapp's battery battalion of four companies, more than filled the county quota under the Governor's call for 1,488 men.
In the summer of 1864 a twenty-eight-inch gun for the navy was cast at the Fort Pitt works. Late in July the news of the fall of Atlanta, com- bined with General Sherman's splendid successes preceding that event, caused great rejoicing. About this time the community was again convulsed with excitement over the report that the State had been once more invaded and Chambersburg laid in ashes. On Monday, August Ist, business was sus- pended and the citizens assembled in mass meeting. 'General Couch, com- mander of the Department of the Susquehanna, who was here at the time, ordered a full enrollment of the citizens for home defense and placed all under Brigadier-General Rowley. As the enemy came no nearer, the "scare" soon vanished.
A new call came from President Lincoln for 500,000 men for one, two and three years. Under the call one hundred men for three years counted the same as three hundred men for one year. The citizens loyally set to work to fill the quota. As the draft was threatened for August, no time was to be lost All wards, boroughs and townships offered large bounties and redoubled their efforts to clear themselves. As there was no uniformity in the bounty offered, a meeting for the whole county was held in Pittsburg on August 26th to establish a fixed sum for all districts. J. F. Jennings presided. It was resolved to pay no more than $300 for one year, $600 for two years and $900 for three years. So rapidly were volunteers secured that by the 26th it seemed likely that the county would clear itself. Early in September, 1864, the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment of Artillery was organ- ized at Camp Reynolds withi G. S. Gallupe colonel, Joseph Brown lieutenant- colonel, and Martin, Baer and Irwin majors. The regiment was composed of twelve companies, commanded by Captains Hope, Flannagan, Lowman, Hawk, Zeigler, Young, Anderson, Kent, Ross, Atwood, Rhodes and one
(o) Commercial, July 15, 1864.
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HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
other. It was the Two Hundred and Fourth Regiment and started for the field September 13th .-
At the time of its departure the Fifth Artillery numbered 1,600 men and a large crowd gathered to see it embark. "The trains on the Pennsyl- vania Central and Connellsville railroads were crowded to their utmost capacity with the wives, sisters, mothers, brothers and friends-from the gray-haired sire to the curly-headed youth-of the departing men, and such a scene of leave-taking was witnessed as has rarely been presented since the commence- ment of the war" (p). The officers and many of the men of this regiment had seen active service in the field. "The raising of the regiment was mainly due to the untiring exertions and deserved popularity of Colonel Gallupe, and it is but another instance of what the indomitable energy and perseverance of a single man can accomplish when he has his whole heart in a good cause. . . Colonel Barnes' regiment is ordered to leave to-day, but it is not likely .it will get off, for the reason that the organization is not as yet entirely completed. Besides it, another regiment of infantry will be organized to-day." Captain R. H. Long, in August and September, raised two companies here for the regiment under Colonel Charles Barnes. From the Ist to the 10th of September, inclusive, there were mustered into service in the nine wards of Pittsburg a total of 368 volunteers; in the four wards of Allegheny III, and in the whole of Allegheny County, including the two cities, 898. But the county was unable to fill its enormous quota, and accordingly the draft began in Pittsburg under Provost-Marshal Foster and in Allegheny under Provost-Marshal Kirkner on or about Monday, September 19, '1864.
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