The Anderson Life Guards were recruited in Tioga County, chiefly from Westfield, Knoxville, Deerfield, Osceola, Elkland, Nelson, Farmington and Lawrenceville, the headquarters being established at the latter place in Russling's Hall. Though recruiting commenced shortly after the firing on Fort Sumter, it did not close till May 28th. The men were for the most part lumbermen and mountaineers. The most prominent in the work were Philip Holland, who, with a Volunteer Fire Company that he had organized, enlisted, John G. Harrower and Neri B. Kinsey. Though a small detachment left for Harrisburg in April, the majority did not start till the 28th of May, when in lumber wagons and carriages, they left Elkland for Lawrenceville. From the latter place they were carried by rail, via Elmira and Williamsport, to Harrisburg, arriving at the latter point at 2 A. M. on May 3oth, 1861.
The following company officers were elected:
The Morgan Rifles were recruited in Perry County. Headquarters were established partly at the Duncannon Iron Company's warehouse, and partly in front of the Topley Hotel, almost simultaneously with the attack on Fort Sumter. Upon the first day thirty names were secured, among them being Langhorne Wister, William Allison, Thomas Belton, John H, Mutzabaugh and John W. Mutzabaugh. The citizens of the vicinity, without exception, vied with each other in lending their assistance, among the most active being W.W. Dickenson, Major Joseph Dunbar and John Wister, while the women donated haverlocks and haversacks. On May 27th, in the presence of their townsmen, after hearing a sermon by the Rev. Daniel Hartman in the Methodist Church, the men were put upon railroad cars and carried to Harrisburg.
Their election for company officers resulted as follows:
The Cameron County Rifles formed one of the three regiments recruited by Colonel Kane and came with him down the Susquehanna to Lock Haven.
The election for company officers resulted as follows:
The Raftsman Guards were organized at Warren, Pa., on April 28th, 1861, Roy Stone being one of the most energetic in collecting the men who enlisted. Its members came from the lumber districts and were similar in general character to those recruited by Colonel Kane from Cameron, Elk and McKean Counties; hardy mountaineers, trained to the use of rifles since their childhood. While waiting at Warren, endeavoring to get the State to accept them, the citizens contributed to their sustenance, and Stone furnished lumber, out of which the men constructed twelve boats, each capable of carrying ten men with their equipments. At the same time the men were drilled and supplied with uniforms (dark blue fatigue), but they carried their own hunting rifles. Receiving a despatch from the Governor, which assured the acceptance of the company, Stone embarked his men on the boats prepared. Four days were spent in rowing the one hundred and twenty-five miles down the Allegheny River, and on May 23rd, the company arrived at Pittsburg. As information had been received from the Governor that but 77 men could be accepted, though the company had been recruited up to the full strength of 101 men, Stone then communicated with Colonel Kane, expressing satisfaction that the Raftsman Guards had been assigned to Kane's regiment, but suggesting that he be permitted to bring his entire company to Harrisburg, as should the Reserve Corps be mustered into the national service the entire number would be required. On the 28th the company boarded the railroad cars, arriving in Harrisburg the next morning, where, after obtaining coffee and something to eat, the men marched to Camp Curtin.
The election for company officers resulted as follows:
The Tioga Rifles were recruited in Tioga County and were composed chiefly of lumbermen and mountaineers. A circular was issued by Alanson E. Niles and Nelson Whitney calling for volunteers. This movement was heartily supported by judge R. T. White, Judge S. F. Wilson, Judge H. W. Williams, A. P. Cone, Henry Sherwood and John F. Donolson. Headquarters were established in the Public Square, and a meeting held in the Court House on April 16th. On the 17th the organization was completed, and on the 18th the men were mustered into the State service. On the 22nd the company left for Harrisburg, leaving such others as should desire to enlist after the depart [14]ure of the main body to join the companies recruited by Colonel Kane on the West Branch of the Susquehanna.
The election for company officers resulted as follows:
The Irish Infantry was recruited in Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, Carbon County, Pa., the latter place being known at that time as "The Kettle," a name given to it by the miners who resorted there when disputes were to be settled by fists. Mauch Chunk had previously supplied three companies for the war-A, I and K, Sixth Pennsylvania, but inspired by patriotism, the citizens, led by the Hon. Asa Packer, Hon. Robert Klotz, Hon. William Lilly, Captain E. H. Rauch, Leonard Yeager and C. D. Culver, determined to raise two more companies: one, a German company, to be called "Jagers," and captained by Charles Bitterling, the other an Irish company, to be called the "Irish Infantry," and captained by Dennis McGee. Headquarters were established in the Court House, and the work of recruiting commenced, the first four men to enlist being Conrad Vogel, George McIntosh, Aaron Wertz and George Eickhoff. It becoming apparent that but one company could be accepted under the State's quota, a consolidation of the two companies took place, and shortly after, in the early part of May, the united companies left for Harrisburg via the Lehigh Valley and Reading Railroads, bearing with them a flag presented to them by the women of Mauch Chunk.
The company was rather disreputable looking upon their arrival, camp life having played havoc with their originally somewhat shabby clothes, but through the generosity of Captain E. H. Rauch, who clothed them at his own expense, they were soon enabled to make a somewhat better appearance.
The election for company officers resulted as follows:
The Elk County Rifles formed one of the three companies recruited by Colonel Kane, which came down the Susquehanna. On their arrival at Harrisburg their numerical strength was small. Many had been rejected as being too young, and a few failed to pass the requisite physical examination, so that on May 3oth, Captain Winslow was still fruitlessly endeavoring to obtain the acceptance of his men as a body. Hugh McDonald, a veteran of the Mexican War, with a small body of men raised in Tioga County, which hoe had brought to Harrisburg, was engaged in a similar effort. Window meeting him, arranged for a consolidation of the two companies, which was shortly after effected. When preparations were made for the election of company officers, Winslow, though he had been previously elected Captain of the Elk County Rifles, recognizing both his own lack of military knowledge, and the value of the training received by McDonald, requested that for the present he be elected to no office. If later after he had learned in the school of experience, the men should select him to fill any vacancy that might occur in the list of officers, he felt that then he would be able to accept without injustice to them.
The election, therefore, resulted as follows:
The Wayne Independent Rifles were recruited in Chester County, headquarters being established at Kennett Square, in the Borough Hall. Among, the first to enlist were Charles Frederick Taylor, H. W. Taylor, Joel J. Swayne, Robert Maxwell and John D. Yerkes, and these men received able assistance from B. F. Wickersham, William Chalfont, Eber W. Sharp, James White, Joshua Taylor, Enoch Dixon and Jesse Eversham, citizens residing in the neighborhood. Meetings were held in near-by places, such as Chatham, and by the 23rd of April the organization had proceeded sufficiently to permit the establishment of a camp and the inauguration of drilling. On May 15th, amidst patriotic demonstrations at Kennett Square, the company left for Harrisburg, proceeding by railroad to Philadelphia and from thence to Harrisburg, where it arrived about 6.30 P.M.
The election for company officers resulted as follows
The McKean County Rifles formed one of the three companies recruited by Colonel Kane, and came with him down the Susquehanna.
The election for company officers resulted as follows
The Raftsmen's Rangers were recruited in Curwensville, Clearfield County, headquarters being established at an hotel known as "Good Intent and People's Line." The men were for the most part lumbermen, drawn from the mountainous districts skilled in the use of the axe and the rifle. On April 18th, Edward A. Irvin, who upon the firing upon Fort Sumter and the issuance of President Lincoln's call for troops had returned to Curwensville from a business trip, opened, with the assistance of W. Ross Hartshorne, James M. Welch and John P. Bard, a recruiting station, where names were secured rapidly, among the first of which were those of David C. Dale, John H. Norris and Lewis Hoover., Securing the assistance of Daniel G. Blett, a former commander of a company in Lewistown, Pa., drilling was commenced and continued assiduously. On May 9th elections for officers were held, and on the following morning at 4 A. M. the company marched to the nearest railroad station, at that time Tyrone, thirty-six miles away. Despite the early hour of the company's departure, the people of the neighborhood assembled and a considerable demonstration was made. Before starting, the company was presented with a silk flag by Mrs. Jane P. Irvin. On the arrival of the men at Tyrone, it was discovered that transportation would be furnished for only 100 men. As the company contained 123, it was necessary to send back 23. In deciding upon those to be left behind, the married men were selected first, and thus it came about that there were in the company, when it boarded the cars, only single men.
The election for company officers resulted as follows
It is worthy of record that the men who enlisted in the companies recruited by Colonel Kane, and, indeed, almost without exception, in the other companies as well, did so shortly after President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 men for three months. They believed, and were told, that it was for three months that they were enlisting, but upon their arrival at Harrisburg they found that the quota allotted to the State under the call for 75,000 men had been filled. They therefore, without murmuring, consented to be mustered in as a regiment of the Reserve Corps, which was a body subject to military duty for three years.
On the 12th of June an election for regimental officers was held, which resulted as follows: