S-S. V Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun01unse_1 L K L INDEX. Page M Page M Page M N O P Q R R (safety from capture, destruction or disper¬ sion to the patriotic volunteers of the “Old pi Keystone," composed of five independent 'companies and aggregating 530 men. History-the testimony of many eminent (?ivO-cu GV - j men, both living and dead; and the files in the War Department, and the action of the h House of Representatives, in passing unani¬ fciG.. \lrWc . MY|i| mously a resolution of thanks all combine to give the honor to the “First Defenders. No fair minded man, not even the gallant Sixth Massachusetts regiment, will deny this fact. During the visit of the surviv¬ ing members of the Sixth Massachusetts 1 Regiment to this city on their anniversary last vear they received marked honors, at¬ tentions and courtesies from the residents of this city and of Baltimore. All classes in¬ cluding the military, joined ill extending to the remnant of the brave old Sixth tnose Reading’s Title Disputed by Potts- attention?and honors to which they were so justly entitled. PENNSYLVANIA’ S CLAIM ADMITTED. ville and Lewistown. The writer had the pleasure of meeting quite a number of them. All of them freely admitted the fact that the Pennsyl¬ vania troops had proceeded them and were OTHER COMPANIES occupying the House wing of the Capitol when they arrived. They also feelingly CLAIM EQUAL CREDIT. spoke of the fact of the Pennsylvania boys sharing their rations with them on the night of their arrival. They did, however, claim the honor, which all must admit, Logan Guards Were the First to that they were the first organized regiment of volunteers to enter the service of the Arrive at Harrisburg. Government and to reach the capital for its deinUreferring to the gieat and timely ser¬ vices of the Pennsylvania and Massachu¬ TEE POTTSVILLE COMMAND setts volunteers, it should n?t be forgotoe: FIEST TO OFPEE ITSELF,! that the volunteers of the District ot Col umbia are also entitled to much honor and to the lecogmtion of the people and the Government. When it is remembered that these men rallied to the support of the Discredit Being Brought on the Organi¬ Government in its time of sore_ need, uni- forming themselves and for a time serving g zation by Unjust Claims of Pre¬ without pay.it seems that they too have a , claim for reeognition.lt is to be hoped,how¬ cedence—A Schuylkill Ootm- ever, that those who have the formation of the grand parade in charge will give the fi.st tian Hits the Berks’ Claim¬ defenders the position at the head of the column, an honor which cannot be taken ants Some Smart from them, and one which every just ana Blows. fair-minded man will admit is theirs alone. The honor of being the ' I a great one, and one which all Pennsylva¬ nians should feel much pride in. lhese To the Editor of Thu Press:— five companies, coming with great haste j and without time for any preparation what- , Sir: The article in The Sunday Press ever save to bid good-bye to their loved . of March 6, in regard to the order of the ones assembled at Harrisburg in re®P°“®® 1 commander-in-chief of the G.A. R., allot¬ to the urgent eall of the grand old war ■ ting the post of honor, viz.: The right of Governor, Andrew Gregg Curtin, whom everv Pennsylvania volunteer loves and r the line in the coming parade of the Grand reveres as his own father. As to who ar- Army of Union Veteran Soldiers, nest Sep¬ rived there first or last, it is a small matte , tember, in this city, to the Sixth Regiment too absurd and childish indeed tofounaj\ controversy upon, since " Massachusetts Volunteers is a timely one, sworn into the service of the United stales and so far as it relates as to who were the tos-ether all of them embarked upon the first troops to respond to the call of Presi¬ same train and all disembarked at Wash¬ dent Lincoln, is a true and almost correct ington the exen ing of the same day upon which they were sworn in. statement of facts as they actually occurred. reading’s allegations disputed. The truth is mighty and will prevail. No I cannot, however, permit the claims and (sensible man will deny the fact that the allegations made by the writer, for the Ithen imperiled Government and the almost Ringgold Artillery, to pass without refut¬ idefenseless city of Washington owe their ing them, and I shall show conclusively djelphia, 1866, stati he penned his article he was ville companyany wiwas the first teaming or was “drawing the long services. W. - , in trying to falsify history, and that “So here is another proof that the -puig- flfi.trying to induce your many readers to golds were not the first to tender their. :ser- vices. but that the Pottsville company Were. believe that the Ringgold Artillery was the “In describing how and when the'.farst first to report to his Excellency, Governor defenders were sworn in, and the march Curtin, at the State Capitol, he was making through the mob at Baltimore, your, corres¬ claims which could not and have not been pondent studiously avoids the tact substantiated, and was wilfully trying to that the Logan Guards * earned thirty-1 filch honors due to the Logan Guards, ot four Springfield rifles in good condition, Lewistown, Pa. In proof of this I wiL say all of which were capped and loaded with that the Logan Guards, at a meeting held ball, and were carried by resolute men; be a month before the call for troops through don’t tell that about forty odd were fully its commander, Captain (afterward Colonel) uniformed in the then regulation infantry Selheimer, offered its services to the Gover¬ uniform worn by the regular army, ibe nor. I regard the Ringgold Artillery too Logans were upon the right of tiie line, highly to try to deprive them of any non or when Captain Simraonds, of the United which is justly theirs, but when it claims States Army, swore them all in. When they honors to which they can claim no just disembarked from the cars in the suburbs right, I protest, and shall endeavor to prove of Baltimore, the Logan Guards assumed that the claims advanced by the writer tor the post of honor and danger, the right ot the Ringgold are erroneous. the line being preceded about halt way Eor what follows I respectfully refer to through the city by the detachment of the files in the War Department at both | regular artillery, *vho turned off and pro¬ Harrisburg and Washington; to company ceeded to Fort McHenry. records and papers now accessib e; to the testimony of many persons yet living: to . FIRST FLAG IN WASHINGTON. Lts'ing’s History of tne Rebellion, » olume ■ "He forgets to give the formation of the I, and8to Bates’ History of the Pennsyl- j column, and that the company flag of tbej vania Volunteers. In all kindness and' Logan Guards was carried at the forefront! without the slightest ill-feeling, I will add by "the late General William G. Mitchell, j that certain companies o. the defenders have, in claiming what is not justly theirs, adjutant general and chief of staff to Gen¬ shown a feeling toward the oilier com¬ eral W. S. Hancock, that this was the first panies in trying to belittle them which no flag carried into the capital in the war. true soldier should cherish or encourage. jle"forgot to state that his company, the first to arrive. Ringgold Artillery, held the extreme left of I have no reason to doubt the assertion of the line, and that the Allen Rifles, of Allentown, followed next after the Logan the writer that the battery had offered their I Guards; then came the Washington Artil¬ services to the Governor on the 15th of lery and the National Light Infantry, both April, 1861, while out in the field dulling. of Pottsville, with the Ringeolds as a rear I will deny, however, and will further¬ guard. The same formation followed when more prove the fact, that the Logan Guards the Logans were the first to enter the Uni¬ were the first company to arrive at Harris¬ ted States Capitol Building, on the night of burg on the morning of April 17, and the the 18th of April, 1861. Early on the morning of the 19th the morning first company to report for duty to the Gov- report of the Logan Guards handed ei-nor. ^Lis is verified by the grand old ih person to General Mansfield, the Governor himself, who, upon being ap¬ then adjutant general of the army, by Lieu¬ pealed to as to which company did report tenant R. W. Patton, and Orderly "Sergeant1 first replied m these words, in a. letter A. Mathews, afterward a brigadier gen¬ to Colonel Bosbyshell, of the United States eral of volunteers. Mint, and a gallant soldier and a member When the regimental flags were turned of one of the Pottsville companies :— ever to the custody of the State, at Phila¬ “Colonel Bosbyshell, delphia, just after the close of the war, the “My Dear Colonel:— Logan Guards were allotted the post of (EXTRACT.) honor in the great parade, by Major Gen¬ “I cannot imagine that it makes the least eral Hancock, chief marshall.