ARMY OPERATIONS. 



89 



permanent security to our borders. I know too well 

 the gallantry and patriotism of the freemen of this 

 Commonwealth to think it necessary to do more than 

 commend this measure to the people, and earnestly 

 urge them to respond to the call of the General Gov- 

 ernment and promptly fill the ranks of this corps, 

 the duties of which will be mainly the defence of 

 our own homes, firesides, and property from devas- 

 tation. ANDREW G. CURTIN. 



On the same day, Gen. Couch assumed the 

 command of the Department of the Susquehan- 

 na, with his headquarters at Harrisburg, Penn. 

 In consultation with Governor Curtin, they 

 were of the opinion that the danger of an 

 invasion of the State *of Pennsylvania was cer- 

 tain. The Federal Government was therefore 

 requested by the Governor to suspend all recruit- 

 ing for the regular or volunteer service within 

 the State, so that the citizens could be availa- 

 ble in its defence. The request was granted. 

 At the same time Gen. Couch issued the fol- 

 lowing order, calling for volunteers : 



DEPARTMENT OF THE SDSQTTEHANNA, ) 



ClIAMBERSBURG, JUH6 12th, 1S63. ) 



The undersigned assumes command of this depart- 

 ment. In view of the danger of the invasion now 

 threatening the State of Pennsylvania by the enemies 

 of the Government, a new military department has 

 been made by direction of the War Department, em- 

 bracing all the territory of Pennsylvania east of Johns- 

 town and Laurel Hill range of mountains ; headquar- 

 ters at Chambersburg. 



To prevent serious raids by the enemy, it is deemed 

 necessary to call upon the citizens of Pennsylvania to 

 furnish promptly all the men necessary to organize 

 an army corps of volunteer infantry, artillery, and 

 cavalry, to be designated the " Army Corps of the 

 Susquehanna." They will all be enrolled and organ- 

 ized in accordance with the regulations of the United 

 States service, for the protection and defence of the 

 public and private property within the department, 

 and will be mustered into the service of the United 

 States to serve during the pleasure of the President 

 or the continuance of the war. The company and 

 field officers of the departmental corps will be pro- 

 visionally commissioned by the President upon the 

 recommendation of the General Commanding. They 

 will be armed, uniformed, and equipped, and, while in 

 active service, subsisted and supplied as active troops 

 of the United States. When not required for active 

 service to defend the department, they will be returned 

 to their homes subject to the call of the Commanding 

 General. 



Cavalry volunteers may furnish their own horses, 

 to be turned over to the United States at their ap- 

 praised value, or allowance will be made for the time 

 of actual service, at the rate authorized by law. All 

 able-bodied volunteers between the ages of eighteen 

 and sixty will be enrolled and received into this corps. 



The volunteers for the State defence will receive no 

 bounty, but will be paid the same as like service in 

 the army of the United States, for the time they may 

 be in actual service, as soon as Congress may make an 

 appropriation for that purpose. 



If volunteers belonging to this army corps desire, 

 they cau be transferred to the volunteer service for 

 three years or during the war, when they will be en- 

 titled to all the bounties and privileges granted by the 

 acts of Congress. 



The General Commanding, in accordance with the 

 foregoing general authority, calls upon all citizens 

 within his department to come forward promptly to 

 perfect the company organizations under United States 

 regulations, to wit : one captain, one first lieutenant, 

 one second lieutenant, sixty-four privates as the mini- 

 mum and eighty-two as the maximum standard of 

 each company. 



The General Commanding specially desires that citi- 

 zens of this district recently m the army should vol- 

 unteer for duty in this army corps; thereby, from 

 their experience, adding greatly to the efficiency of 

 the force for immediate defensive operations; each 

 company organization to be perfected as soon as 

 possible, and report the name of the officers in com- 

 mand, the number of men, and the place of its head- 

 quarters, in order that they may be promptly fur- 

 nished with transportation to the general rendezvous, 

 which will be at Harrisburg. Any person who will 

 furnish forty or more men who will be enrolled, if 

 otherwise unobjectionable, will be entitled to a cap- 

 taincy. 



Any person who will bring twenty-five or more 

 men, under the above conditions, will be entitled to a 

 first lieutenancy, and every person who will bring 

 fifteen or more men, under the same conditions, to a 

 second lieutenancy. On their arrival at the place of 

 rendezvous they will be formed into regiments. So 

 far as practicable, and as may be found consistent with 

 the interests of the public service, companies from the 

 same locality will be put together in the regimental 

 organizations. 



For the present all communications will be addressed 

 to Harrisburg. The chiefs of the respective organi- 

 zations will report accordingly. 



DARIUS H. COUCH, Afajor-Gen'l Commanding. 



At the same time Gen. Brooks assumed com- 

 mand of the Department of Monongahela, with 

 his headquarters at Pittsburg, and proceeded 

 to prepare to resist any attempt at an invasion. 



Meantime, the force which Gen. Hooker had 

 sent across the Rappahannock on a reconnois- 

 sance had intrenched its position and remained 

 on the plain below Fredericksburg, and two 

 bridges were constructed over the river. The 

 enemy fortified themselves strongly, and waited 

 for any demonstration. There were evidently 

 about ten thousand men in their first line of 

 defences, and others were 'visible upon the 

 ridges and in the woods, within supporting dis- 

 tance. New earthworks appeared every morn- 

 ing on the heights ; picket firing was constant, 

 and occasionally their artillery opened fire. It 

 was known that troops had been hurrying up 

 for some time from Southeastern Virginia and 

 North Carolina, and that the army of Gen. 

 Lee had been reorganized and made to con- 

 sist of three large corps, under Gens. Long- 

 street, Ewell, and A. P. Hill. Although the 

 force displayed in Fredericksburg was large, 

 yet Gen. Lee was supposed to be at Culpepper 

 on the 12th, with the corps of Gens. Long- 

 street and Ewell, for the purpose of attacking 

 the right of Gen. Hooker, and preparations 

 were made to resist him. On the 13th it was 

 manifest that the movements of Gen. Lee in 

 the direction of Culpepper, had been made on a 

 larger and more, extensive scale than was at 

 first supposed, and embraced nearly the whole 

 of his army, leaving near Fredericksburg not 

 more than ten thousand men. Such a move- 

 ment removed every doubt of his intention to 

 assume the offensive. 



There existed at this time many considera- 

 tions to encourage Gen. Lee in this movement. 

 The army of Gen. Hooker had been reduced, 

 not only by the losses in the battle of Chan- 

 cellorsville, but by the departure of nearly 

 twenty thousand men, who had enlisted, some 



