War of the Rebellion: Serial 124 Page 1092 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

Search Civil War Official Records

necessary for the protection of the northern border of your department, and that if you require an additional force it should be signified to this Department. Whether the Governor of Vermont has any reason for apprehension, you, from your late visit, can judge better than any one else. The object of this telegram is only to correctly understood you, leaving the question as to whether any and what measures are required to your judgment.


Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., November 24, 1863.


New York:

On application by suitable persons special authority will be granted to raise colored troops in New York according to the rules and regulations relative to organizing and raising colored troops. The troops so raised will be credited, to the State. Until Congress shall authorize it no bounty can be paid, and the pay is limited by the act of Congress to $10 a month. The Department will recommend that in this respect the act amended so as to make they pay the same as other soldiers. They will be enrolled as U. S. Volunteers and the officers be appointed and commissioned by the President.


Secretary of War.

(Same to General Spinola, Brooklyn.)

PENNSYLVANIA, EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, Harrisburg, Pa., November 24, 1863.


SIR: It is not only my duty most earnest desire to give you the whole military force of Pennsylvania, so far as the same may be necessary to the prompt and effectual suppression of the rebellion. I have hitherto acted on this principle, and I feel that in my late re-election the people of the Commonwealth have expressed their approval of it and have palced me under additional obligations to carry it out.

The plan adopted by you to obtain volunteers under your last requisition I have in every way in my power favored the execution of, but I fear that it has become evident that it cannot be successful.

Under these circumstances I desire to submit for your consideration the expediency of using the agency of the State authorities for the raising of men in this State. I think your experience from the beginning of this war has been that men have been more readily raised through that agency than in any other mode. There are many with a detailed recital of these. I propose the following heads for your approval:

1. That a brigade at a time of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps be sent into the State, to be recruited under the direction of the Governor.

2. That the other Pennsylvania regiments on the field shall, when deemed expedient, be consolidated by the Governor, and that the offi-