CHAPTER III

 

 

WAR FOR THE UNION • PENNSYLVANIA'S RESPONSE • ORGANIZATION OF THE RESERVES• COLONELS MANN'S, MARSH'S, AND DE KORPONAY'S REGIMENTS • CAMP WASHINGTON • QUAINT NAMES • WHISKEY IN A MUSKET BARREL • GETTING THE COUNTERSIGN

 

IN Philadelphia business was suspended, flags were thrown to the breeze in every street, rendezvous were opened in every section, and placards calling for volunteers, covered the walls of every cor­ner. Recruiting parties traversed the city in every direction, followed by crowds of men eager to enroll their names, the armories of the volunteer companies were crowded to overflowing with men drilling night and day, the public parks of the city were given up for the same purpose, and the quietude of the Sabbath was forgotten amidst the preparation for war. The citizens furnished armories free of rent, and such of the volunteers as could not support themselves without work were fed on the bountiful supply of the neighborhood. The lady congregations of the different churches set themselves diligently to work supplying the volunteers with shirts, drawers, socks and other clothing and contributions of all sorts were freely given. The generous impulses of the heart of a Nation never flowed freer. The soldiers rode free on the cars, and went free to all places of amusement. The only trouble the men had was to find companies that were sure of acceptance, and some who had good reputations numbered two hundred and fifty and three hundred men, while all were rapidly filling up. In fact, twenty thousand men could have been raised in the city in one week.

The quota assigned to Pennsylvania was fourteen regiments, and in four days after the call six hundred men - the first to arrive for its defence - were placed in the National Capitol, and ten days later twenty-five regiments were organized and put in the field, eleven more being furnished by the State than called for. In fact, such was

 

14        - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

the patriotic ardor of the people, that the Adjutant-General of the State, in his Annual Report for 1861, states, that the services of about thirty additional regiments had to be refused, making in all more than two-thirds of the requisition of the President. Eight of these regiments were from Philadelphia, but there were scores of full companies that were not accepted. The second call for volun­teers was made upon the State in May. The allotted share to Pennsylvania was ten regiments; but the General Government would not allow these to be raised, but simply credited the State with them, as she had already furnished more than her two quotas.

The extra session of the Legislature of Pennsylvania convened on the 30th day of April, in pursuance of the proclamation of the Governor, fully appreciating the gigantic task the North had before them, wisely and patriotically resolved, in accordance with Governor Curtin's recommendation, to organize, arm, equip and discipline a division to be called the "Reserve Volunteer Corps of the Commonwealth," and to be composed of thirteen regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry, and one regiment of light artillery, to be held in readiness to obey any requisition the President might make on the State for troops. In organizing this division, the conception of which originated with the Governor, the greatest difficulty he experienced was, not in finding officers and men to fill it, but to select between the numerous applicants who beset him night and day, not only in the executive chamber and public streets of the Capital, but even in his bed room. His Excellency, having resolved that the division should be a true type of Pennsylvanians, proportioned it among the different counties, so that every township should be represented in it.

Among the regiments organized in Philadelphia, at that time, were those known as Mann's, March's, and De Korponay's, from the first of which eight companies were accepted, from the second seven, and from the third five. All these were mustered into the State service about the latter part of May, by Captain Henry J. Biddle, Assistant Adjutant-General of the Division, at the Girard House, where the men went through the most severe medical examination by the surgeons, who required every man to strip, and rejected all who had the least blemish or defect. "Never," said Dr. Henry H. Smith, the Surgeon-General of the State, "were a finer formed or more hardy body of men collected together in one division."

Gabriel De Korponay commenced the organization of his regiment about the middle of April, and among the captains who joined with him were George A. Woodward, "Pennsylvania Rifles"; J. Orr Finnie, "Scotch Rifles"; E. M. Woodward, "Taggart Guards"; P I. Smith, "Consolidation Guards"; and I. W. Kimble, "Hatborough

 

ORGANIZATION OF THE RESERVES        15

 

Guards." These Captains were selected by the Governor from De Korponay's regiment.

Wm. B. Mann commenced the organization of his regiment about the same time, and the companies chosen by the Governor were Captains P McDonough, "Governor's Rangers"; James N. Byrne, "Hibernia Target Company"; R. Ellis, "Governor's Ranges"; T. Bringhurst, "Governor's Guards"; T. Mealey, "Independent Rangers"; William Knox, "Constitutional Rangers"; Robert McClure, "Quaker City Guards"; and Wm. S. Thompson, "Montgomery Guards" (of Bristol, Pa.). All these companies were soon filled up to the maximum number, but the men were in such a feverish state of excitement for fear they would not be mustered in, that difficulty was experienced in inducing them to stay long with any company that appeared to hang fire. Thus, after a few days' recruiting, most of them had the necessary number of men, but after they had drilled awhile, they left to join other companies that they supposed were more likely to be accepted. But their places were readily filled by others who came from other companies under the same impression. Almost all the soldiers were supplied with flannel shirts and other articles of clothing by the congregations of the different churches; most prominent among which in their liberality was patriotic Old Christ Church, which distributed no less than four thousand five hundred and seventy-two articles of clothing, most of which were made by the ladies of the church.

On the 29th of May, the seven Philadelphia companies of Colonel Mann's regiment left the city for Camp Washington, Easton, Pa., where they arrived during the afternoon. Prior to their departure they marched to the residence of the Colonel at the corner of Fifth and Green Streets, where they were presented with a magnificent and richly trimmed silk flag by a number of ladies, the presentation being made by Daniel Dougherty, Esq.

On the morning of the 30th, the four Philadelphia companies of Colonel De Korponay's regiment, with the "Ontario Guards," Cap­tain Horatio G. Sickel, formed on Broad Street near Green, and under the command of Captain Sickel, marched to Master and America Streets, where they took a special train on the North Pennsylvania Railroad, for Easton, at which place they arrived during the after­noon, and marched out to camp; quarters were assigned them to the right of Colonel Mann's regiment.

The camp was on the Fair Grounds of the Farmers' and Me­chanics' Institute, which covered about thirty-five acres, situated on a level elevation about one and a-half miles west of Easton, and three-quarters of a mile north of the Lehigh River, in Northampton

 

16        - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

County. On the east and north sides of the enclosure were long rows of bunk rooms, three of which were assigned to each company. In front of each company's quarters were situated the kitchens, facing inward, and in their rear were the officers' quarters, facing outward. To the west, occupying about two-thirds of the enclosure, was the race course, and in the center was situated the large and capacious Fair buildings of imposing appearance and equal to any of its kind in the State. From its roof rose a large and stately dome, from the balcony of which was presented a magnificent view of the surrounding country. To the north, far in the distance, lie the Kittatinny or Blue Ridge mountains, pierced on the right by the Delaware Water Gap, in the center by the Wind Gap, and on the left by the Lehigh Water Gap. The intervening country is interspersed with rolling hills and gentle valleys, farm houses, and villages with their tapering spires, the most prominent of which are the Moravian towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth. On the south, from the Lehigh, the country gradually rises for the distance of two miles, where it is shut in by the lesser spurs of the Blue Ridge. On the east rolls the broad Delaware, and beyond it stretches in the distance the rolling country of New Jersey.

The men immediately upon their arrival were furnished with tin cups, plates, spoons, knives and forks, a day's rations, and plenty of straw to sleep upon. The next day was spent in getting things in order, and by the following morning they were settled down and ready to commence the routine of camp. Colonel Mann, command­ing the camp, issued the following "calls" to be sounded: Reveille, 4 A. M.; Drill, 41/2; Recall, 6; Breakfast, 7; Guard Mounting, 71/2; Fa­tigue, 73/4; Sick Call, 8; Drill, 9; Recall, 10; Orderlies' Call, 12 M.; Dinner, 121/2 PM.; Drill, 6; Recall, 7; Supper, 71/2; Tattoo, 9; Taps, 91/2. Four roll calls were had each day, and in a little while every thing worked with the regularity of machinery. During the intervals between drills, the men amused themselves in various ways, mostly in one-half sleeping, while the other half deviled them. Quoits, football, boxing and sparring, singing and playing, and all sorts of pranks were continually going on, and altogether they appeared the happiest and merriest set of men in the world.

One of the most interesting scenes was the policing the camp. The guard of the previous day had liberty from 10 A. M., until 4 P M., and the next day were required to perform the police duty of the camp. Armed with rakes and hickory brooms, they gathered the straw, rubbish and old bones into heaps, to be removed in wagons. This duty is always disliked by soldiers, as in fact all work is, but as they marched out, with their implements at a "shoulder," it was with

 

QUAINT NAMES      17

 

the mock ceremony of troops leaving for "the sacred soil of Virginia," and many "a good-by" and "God bless you" was heard, as their puck­ered lips whistled out, "The girl I left behind me."

A few days after our arrival, Colonel March's seven companies came into camp, and others soon after followed, and by the 12th of June, there were twenty-five companies, numbering one thousand nine hundred and fifty-six officers and men present. As no clothing or blankets were as yet furnished by Government, and as the men had brought nothing with them except what they stood in, they soon presented a rather ragged appearance, which, however, did not in the least affect their buoyant spirits. The citizens of the borough of Easton, however, with a noble generosity took the matter in hand, and determined to do all in their power to render the soldiers comfortable. A Ladies' Aid Society was formed, which furnished every necessary supply of clothing, blankets, comfortables, flannels, jellies, etc., for the hospital, and a large number of quilts, pantaloons, shirts, towels, etc., for the camp.

The soldiers will always remember with gratitude the kindness of the citizens of Easton, which was bestowed upon them with­out ostentation. The food furnished was abundant, and of the best quality, consisting of fresh beef, wheat bread, potatoes, rice, beans, bacon, coffee, sugar and small stores, but considerable sickness pre­vailed among the men, arising from the free use of limestone water, to which they were unaccustomed, but there was no serious illness. In the place of a well, the supply came from a large cistern, in which was caught the rain water from the roof of the Fair building, and that hauled from the borough of Easton in casks. As a sanitary precaution the whole camp was vaccinated, and to promote the general health, the men were taken to the Lehigh three times a week, where they enjoyed the luxury of bathing. Upon such occasions there would sometimes be a thousand men in the water at once, and they hugely enjoyed the sport of diving, splashing and paddling around in general. The great feat among the expert swimmers was to cross and recross the river without resting.

Among the first things that agitated the brains of the men, was to devise quaint names and mottoes to place over the doors of their quarters, and although they were not purely classical, some of them were typical of those who adopted them.

Commencing on the extreme south of the eastern side, was Captain McDonough's company, with "Fourth Ward, City of Phila­delphia"; "Fort McCandless, Sergeant Dillon commanding"; "Fort Mann, Lieutenant John J. Gill commanding"; "Fort _________, Lieu­tenant J. D. Schock commanding." On the right of this was "The

 

18        - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

Quaker City Head Quarters"; "Camp McClure"; "Fort Wm. T. Blundin"; "Quaker Bridal Chamber"; "Calahan Hall"; "Live and let live." Next, "Fort James N. Byrnes"; "Screws"; "Hibernia Fire En­gine Company"; "Bird in Hand"; "Finney House." Next, "Continen­tal Hotel," "The Rose Cottage"; "Dart's Head Quarters"; "Hard Corner Sharps"; "The Old House at Home"; "Independent Rangers"; "Nailer's Head Quarters"; "Gay Rooster"; "Diamond Hall"; "Don't Tread on me"; ' Minerva Hall"; "Git up and Git"; "Old Lebanon Garden, Cap­tain Mealey."

Next, "Happy Home of the Constitutional Rangers, Captain William Knox"; "Punch Bowl Hotel"; "Black Horse Hotel"; "Astor House"; "Ellsworth Hotel"; "The Government keeps us, and we will keep the Government"; "Cohocksink Hotel"; "District Attorney's Of­fice"; Notice, "Upon any liquors being brought in, the moral charac­ter of applicants to practice at the Bar, must be strictly inquired into." Next, "Bristol Boys, Captain Wm. S. Thompson"; "Bower of Love"; "Happy Crew"; "The Old School House"; "The Old Spring House"; "Hole in the Wall"; "Montgomery Guards"; Next, "Ein­wechter's Head Quarters"; "Tenth and Eleventh Street Depot, Ex­change Tickets, Seven cents"; "The Serious Family"; "Out for a Day's shooting."

Next, "Ontario House, Captain Horatio G. Sickel"; "Donaghy's Inn"; "Bill Pool Club"; "We Respect all, and Fear none"; "Never Sink"; "Live Oak"; "Kensington Boys"; "Hike out and Simmer down." Next, "Balmoral Castle"; "Scotch Rifles, Captain J. Orr Finnie"; "Wallace's Cave, Lieutenant J. B. Fletcher"; "De Korponay"; "Struther's Re­treat"; "Poney Hall." Next, "Penn Rifles, Captain George A. Woodward"; "De Korponay"; "The Flag Wyoming." Next, "Taggart Guards"; "De Korponay Bricks"; "Sunday Mercury, Captain E. M. Woodward"; "Spicket's Head Quarters"; "Railroad House"; "The abode of Virtue." Next, "Consolidation Guards, Captain P I. Smith"; "De Korponay Pigeon Box"; "Gay and Happy"; "Fort Defiance." Next, "Hatborough Guards, Captain I. W Kimble"; "Free and Easy"; "Happy Family."

Next, "Wide Awake Hall, Captain Wm. D. Curtis"; "Long Is­land, of Reading"; "Keystone Hook and Ladder Company"; "Elephant Guards." Next, "The Star of North Birdsboro', Captain Jacob Lenhart"; "Fort Sumter"; "Japanese Hotel"; "Arctic Circle"; "Death to Traitors"; "Jeff Davis at the Sheriff's Ball"; "The Blue Eyed Stranger"; "Moonlight Assassinators"; "Mount Vernon:" "Washing­ton and Lincoln"; "Victory or Death"; "White Hall, Newtown, Cap­tain David V Feaster"; "Traitor Hunters"; "Love and Glory"; "Game Chickens"; "Ellsworth Avengers"; "Rebel Killers"; "Hard Scrabble

 

GETTING THE COUNTERSIGN       19

 

Rangers"; "Chester County Volunteers"; "Never Surrender"; "The Wheat Field"; "The Red Curtin"; "Susquehanna Tigers"; "Gloria Dei"; "Ellsworth's Heart," etc.

Guard mounting in the morning was an interesting ceremony, the guard numbering one hundred and two men, which, with the band, made a fine display. Of course, it could not be supposed with so many young men in camp, many of whom were for the first time free from the restraints of home, they would all conduct themselves with the strictest decorum. In fact, there were many of them who looked upon the arrangement as a grand picnic or excursion, and were bound to enjoy themselves as much as possible, and took particular delight in dodging the guard. But four men from each company, inclusive of the old guard, were permitted to be absent from camp at a time, but quite a number more managed to get out without authority. Almost every bunk had its "rat hole" dug under the back partition, through which the boys made their exit despite the guard. Some of these gentlemen upon their return would be caught, and put in the guard house, but it being soon discovered that it afforded a most easy means of egress, Colonel Mann determined to build one of logs inside of the enclosure with only a small aperture for ingress and egress. This was pronounced by the men to be a real "Black house of refuge," and served most admirably the purpose intended, but really it was quite amusing to see the artful dodges resorted to by some of the inmates to overcome the difficulties.

An "officer of the day," on one occasion, upon visiting the guard house, found the guard and one of the prisoners in a violent alterca­tion, the guard with his musket between the logs trying to bayonet the prisoner. Complimenting the guard upon the zeal displayed, he was privately cautioned not to wound any of the prisoners, and advised to take no notice of the naughty names they called him. The officer afterwards was highly edified to learn that the guard having his musket barrel filled with whiskey, was engaged in treating the prisoner when surprised by him.

With the countersign an officer or private could enter the camp at any time of night, but it was seldom given to the men, yet some of them were cute enough to get it, when wanted. The most successful one in this arrangement was an eccentric genius in Company A, who managed to get in and out almost every night. His modus operandi was taking a musket and crawling up to one of the guards and telling him he was on the next post and had forgotten the coun­tersign. Some times he would take half a company out with him, when they would go to town and have a grand time dancing. The men upon such occasions seldom went to excess or troubled the citi-

 

20        - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

zens, but were inordinately fond of singing patriotic songs at unsea­sonable hours of the night, which disturbed the quietude of the town, but the borough watchmen never interfered with them. Colonel Mann, however, was not unmindful of his duty to the citizens, and sent out nightly patrols to pick up the boys who should be in bed, and they seldom had any trouble in persuading their comrades to return with them.

In fair weather the camp presented an animated appearance, it being the fashionable resort of the neighboring farmers and the citizens of Easton, particularly on Sundays, when in addition to the evening "dress parade," the troops, headed by their band, passed in review before Colonel Mann, and marched around the race course. The female visitors to the camp were not always of the most refined and unexceptionable class, and although they possessed much patriotism and love for the soldiers, it occasionally was found necessary to drum them out, and although it produced much merriment to the spectators, it was rather distasteful to the individuals themselves.

While lying at Camp Washington, the remains of John Lerch, of Captain Dachrodt's company, First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (three months men) were sent to Easton for interment. The funeral obsequies was performed by the Taggart Guards, Lieutenant J. K. Brown, and the Constitutional Rangers, Captain Thomas Bringhurst, the battalion being under the command of Captain Woodward. The ceremony was very imposing, Pomp's Cornet Band, with muffled drums, playing the "Dead March in Saul." The funeral of young Moyer of the same regiment also took place; the escort consisting of the "Williamsburg Legion," Captain F. Burger; the "Quaker City Guards," Captain R. M. McClure; the "Harmer Guards," Captain Thomas F. B. Tapper; the "Hatborough Rifles," Captain I. W. Kimble; the "Governor's Rangers," Lieutenant George Young; the "Dickson Guards," Lieutenant J. B. Baker; the "Reed Guards," Lieutenant P. M. Davis; the "Able Guards," Lieuten­ant Thomas G. O'Hara; the "Governor's Guards," J. D. Edwards, the "Governor's Rangers," Lieutenant John D. Schock; the battalion being under the command of Captain Ellis. It was many years since Easton had witnessed such funeral ceremonies.