NEWS: Items from The Alleghanian, 30 May 1861, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ The Alleghanian Ebensburg, Pa. Thursday, 30 May 1861 Volume 2, Number 41 The President Judgeship Correspondence between the Gentlemen of this Judicial District and Judge Taylor March 21 1860 To Hon. Geo. Taylor, President Judge of the 24th Judicial District Dear Sir: As the time for another election of Judges is approaching, the undersigned, members of the Bar within the District over which you preside, having, in common, as we believe, with the public at large, entire confidence in your capacity, integrity and impartiality as a Judge, address you with the view of obtaining your consent to be a candidate for re-election without respect to party. In thus asking you to be a candidate, we believe we express the general wish of the citizens of the district and all parties. Respectfully yours, &c. Huntingdon County Bar R. Milton Speer John Scott Wm. P. Orbison J. Sewell Stewart J. D. Campbell John W. Mattern William Dorris, Jr. A. W. Benedict David Blair J. Geo. Miles W. H. Woods A. P. Wilson R. Bruce Petrekin Samuel T. Brown J. H. O. Corbin Theo. H. Cremer H. T. White John Williamson S. S. Wharton John Reed James Steel Thos. P. Campbell Blair County Bar E. Hammond R. A. McMurtrie John Cresswell, Jr. Samuel Calvin Aug. S. Landis D. J. Neff L. H. Williams Louis W. Hall Samuel S. Blair Thad. Banks Joseph Kemp J. M. Bell Wm. Williams, Jr. John Dean Ben. L. Hewit L. M. Woodkok J. D. Leet M. H. Jolly Cambria County Bar John P. Linton James C. Noon W. H. Rose J. H. Fisher R. L. Johnston Phil S. Noon John S. Rhey Geo. W. Oatman Wm. Kittell Robt. A. McCoy James Potts J. E. Scanlan F. A. Shoemaker A. C. Mullin A. Kopelin John H. Barnes M. Canan Cyrus L. Pershing T. L. Heyer M. D. Magehan M. Hasson J. H. Campbell W. A. Murray Joseph McDonald John Fenlon Geo. M. Reed Charles D. Murray S. B. McCormick Local and Personal The rage - black oilcloth military caps. Mr. Morris Keil has been appointed Post Master for Wilmore, this county. The expenditure per week of the Soldier's Relief Committee of Johnstown is about two hundred dollars. The "Cambria Guards" have not yet been notified to take up their line of march for the tented field. All the flags in this borough were displayed at half-mast on Monday in token of grief at the death of Col. Ellsworth. The most effectual prevention for sun stroke is said to be to wear a silk handkerchief or a few green leaves under the crown of the hat. Conductors Boggs and Boly, formerly of the Pennsylvania Railroad are now running on the railroad between Annapolis and Washington. Lieut. O'Connell of the U. S. Army was in town on furlough during the beginning of the week. He is now stationed at St. Louis, we believe, as a recruiting officer. It is stated that Governor Curtin contemplates establishing a military camp somewhere between Chambersburg and Pittsburg and that Blairsville is one of the points under consideration. Mr. George Mullin of the St. Lawrence Hotel, Philadelphia, has leased the hotel at Cresson, this county, for the coming summer. This is a celebrated resort during the dog days. Major Thompson has taken possession of the post office in this place and now officiates in the capacity of P. M. We predict that he will make an agreeable and attentive public officer. Quartermaster Jacob M. Campbell of the "Gallant Third Regiment" is empathically the right man in the right place. A few days ago he visited Pittsburg and raised, on his own, individual responsibility for the use of his regiment, six thousand dollars, which he disbursed to his men. He also made arrangements for fourteen thousand dollars more for the same purpose, in case the Government should not make a payment soon. Good for Campbell! Mr. Moses Bell, residing near Indiana borough, has been seized with a fit of insanity, occasioned by excitement upon military affairs. Last week he stopped a citizen of Indiana, who was riding a short distance out of town, and presenting a pistol, demanded two hundred dollars as a military contribution. The citizen directed him to call at his banking house in the evening; but when Mr. B. made his appearance there he was taken in charge of by an officer. He is now in the Insane Asylum at Pittsburg and with kind treatment will probably recover. So says the Barrsville RECORD. It will be seen by an advertisement elsewhere that Mrs. Elizabeth Stahl will continue the business of repairing watches, clocks, jewelry &c., at the old stand of Jacob Stahl, dec'd. The mechanical department will be under the supervision of an experienced workman. Our citizens should extend Mrs. S. a share of patronage. The Johnstown Counterfeiters - Disposal of the Parties As we noted last week, Joseph Shoemaker, Geo, Rushaberger, L. S. Montgomery, D. W. Goughenour and Philip Williams, of Johnstown and Elijah Fuller of Maryland, were arrested in Johnstown on Tuesday of last week on a charge of making and passing counterfeit money. The arrest, which was made by the Pittsburg police, was managed very successfully. Information having been conveyed to U. S. Marshal Murdock, to the effect that these parties were engaged in making and passing spurious money, several policemen were detailed to make the arrest. They employed the famous detective Newcomer to visit Johnstown and "lay the ropes." He accordingly made his debut in that place under an assumed name, and soon wormed himself so completely into the confidence of the suspected parties as to entrap them. Several of the defendants admitted to him that there were in possession of counterfeit money and that they manufactured it themselves. Everything being in readiness, on Tuesday morning, officers Dougherty, Hague, Fox, Pender and Butler were dispatched to Johnstown and succeeded in arresting the above named parties. On them was found a considerable quantity of counterfeit coin and bills. The prisoners were taken to Pittsburg on the next train and committed to jail for a hearing. On Wednesday the examination of Goughenour came up. Officer Hague testified to finding counterfeit coin in defendant's store and Constable Herron testified to defendant's acknowledging to him that he had spurious dimes for sale. Held to bail in the sum of $2,000. Joseph Shoemaker was next brought up. Officers Butler and Pender testified to find spurious money on defendant and in his house. Held in $2,000 bail. George Rushaberger was next brought forward. Herron testified that defendant sold him five dollars worth of counterfeit money. Held in $2,000 bail. L. S. Montgomery was next brought up. Herron deposed that he got a spurious $2.50 gold piece from defendant, for which he paid him $1.25. Held in $1,000 bail. Elijah Fuller of Maryland was next brought up. Newcomer testified that in speaking of some counterfeit dimes that defendant showed him, he (defendant) said, "I made them myself, and supplied those men," (meaning Shoemaker, &c.). Defendant also said he had a die at home. Held in $2,000 bail. Philip Williams was discharged from custody, there being no evidence against him. Subsequently to this, Geo. R. Slick an innkeeper at Slicksville, three miles from Johnstown, was arrested on the same charge as above. He was held in $2,000 bail for a further hearing. Michael Sherer of Johnstown, who was also suspected of complicity in the crime and who had only a dollar and a half in counterfeit money, which he says he passed without knowledge of its nature, voluntarily made his appearance before the U. S. Commissioner. He was released that he might secure bail for his appearance on Wednesday when both will have a hearing. Affairs "Out West" We take the following extract from a private letter dated, "Farmington, Iowa, May 21". It may prove of interest to some of our readers. "We are having very exciting times here now. We are close to the Missouri line and expect trouble all the time. I read a letter today from Mr. R. Carmor, formerly of your town, but now of Bynnumsville, Mo. He says that the Secessionists have driven quite a number of Union men from the State and furthermore declares that he will remain and die with his property if it must comes to that. The following is our market price for country produce - Good flour, $2.00 per cwt; corn, 15 to 20 cents per bushel; potatoes, 12 one-half cents per bushel; butter 8 cents per pound; eggs 2 to 3 cents per dozen and other things in proportion." Signed - B. A Reserve Force The Harrisburg TELEGRAPH contains the following sensible hint - "There is not much doubt that the Government will be compelled to issue another call for troops, and even if it should not be compelled to do so, the policy of drilling a reserve force must strike every man as judicious and necessary. No man can tell the extent to which our military operations may extend. The campaigns may be brief, they may be long, laborious and devastating. In either case, the drilling of a reserve force will repay the time consumed in acquiring a knowledge of tactics and evolutions. When another call is issued there will be no time to prepare. There can be no days and weeks consumed in camp preparing for duty. The emergency then will require a prompt service by an immediate presence in the field. In Pennsylvania there are a hundred thousand men who can arrange their business in an hour to leave their homes six months or a year. If these hundred thousand men are enrolled, if they form themselves into squads and companies, adopting the manual of the regular army as their drill guide, in six months, they could render themselves proficient for almost any active service. Suppose that fifty thousand men were selected from this hundred thousand and those fifty thousand had rendered themselves proficient by this drilling, the force would indeed be invaluable and indomitable. In this way the new levy could be made almost immediately available instead of being broken into the harness after having been called out. By the adoption of this course the war would be shorted by months, while the moral influence of such a demonstration would tell potently upon the enemy. The difficulties in the way of the organization of a reserve force are not formidable. There is an abundance of material of which it may be manufactured. There are tens of thousands of brave men who are willing and anxious to do service. "Home Guards" have been formed in many of our larger towns. Companies and even regiments which failed to be accepted by the military authorities will gladly await the next summons of the government. It only needs to have this crude mass of military material organized to make it at once an effective and important arm of the Federal power. The Assassination of Col. Ellsworth Wednesday, May 24 - News has just reached the city of the assassination of the gallant Col. Ellsworth of the New York Fireman Zouaves. In accordance with previous instruction, the Zouaves last night proceeded down the Potomac to land at Alexandria and operate in conjunction with the other troops that passed over the Long Bridge into Virginia. Senator Chandler reports that Col. Ellsworth landed his regiment from a steamer, and did not enter the town until the troops named above had arrived, when some of his men were detailed to guard the prisoners of war. While Col. Ellsworth was marching with his detail he was shot from the Marshall House soon after hauling down a Secession flag and killed instantly. The sudden and sad fate of the Zouaves' gallant commander so shocked them that they rushed with frantic haste into the grocery store from which the shot emanated and soon made prisoners of all the inmates, including the assassin, and would have hung them all but for the appeals of the other troops. The murderer, however was instantly shot. Captain Fox has made an official report of the circumstances attending the killing of Col. Ellsworth to the President. It appears that Ellsworth was marching up the street with a squad of men to take possession of the telegraph office, when, in passing along, he noticed a Secession flag flying from the top of a building. He immediately exclaimed, "That has to come down," and entering the building, made his way up to the roof with one of his men, hauled down the rebel emblem and wrapping it around his body, descended. While on the second floor a Secessionist came out of a door with a cocked double barreled shot gun. He took aim at Ellsworth when the latter attempted to strike the gun out of the way with his fist; as he struck it, one of the barrels was discharged, lodging a whole load of buckshot in Ellsworth's body, killing him instantly. His companion instantly shot the murderer through the head with a revolver, making him a corpse a second or two after the fall of the noble Ellsworth. The house was immediately surrounded and all the inmates made prisoners. The remains of the deceased were brought over to the Navy Yard this morning. The doleful peals of the bells in the city are announcing the sad news to the citizens. It is stated that when he received the fatal shot he dropped his sword, and seizing hold of his clothing over his breast tore it entirely off, and looking down upon the wound, closed his eyes and fell down dead without uttering a word. Before hauling down the Secession flag himself, he politely but vainly requested his murderer to remove the odious emblem. "The name of the Secessionist that murdered Col. Ellsworth was James Jackson, keeper of the Marshall House. The name of the Zouave that shot Jackson is Brownell. He first blew his brains out with this rifle and then bayoneted him. "Col. Ellsworth was not only beloved by his regiment but on every hand the men of Illinois and the men of New York vied with each other in expression of admiration, of regret and of vengeance. Col. Ellsworth was twenty-four years of age, was unmarried and has parents in the vicinity of Troy. His funeral will take place at the Navy Yard tomorrow in season for the remains to be conveyed North by the two o'clock train. In Washington Washington, May 25 - The remains of Col. Ellsworth were this morning conveyed to the east room of the White House where they lay in State several hours. The face was exposed to public view and many persons, principally military, visited the room. Owing to the immense throng of anxious gazers at the remains of Col. Ellsworth, the funeral cortege was delayed from moving from the Executive Mansion till near one o'clock this afternoon. All along the line of Pennsylvania Avenue, the flags were displayed at half mast and draped in mourning. Every available point, including the windows, balconies and housetops was thronged by sorrowful gazers. The various testimonials of respect were paid to the remains. Bells were tolled and the heads of the companies of the city military, followed by the New York Seventy-First Regiment, a company of marines and cavalry corps, formed the military escort. With arms reversed and colors shrouded, succeeding the hearse, followed a detachment of Zouaves, one of them, Brownell, the avenger of Col. Ellsworth carried the identical secession flag torn down by the deceased. Then followed the President accompanied by Secretaries Seward and Smith. Jackson the Assassin The New York TRIBUNE'S Washington correspondent says - "Jackson, who shot Col. Ellsworth, is the same man who headed the gang who attacked the Republican liberty pole at Occaquon, Fairfax county, before the Presidential contest. He cut down the pole with his own hand. The loyal citizens regard Col. Ellsworth's death as murder and thus signify their opinion. Jackson was begged last night to make no resistance but swore he would die in defense of his flag. He was a very impulsive man. It is known that a few weeks ago he protected Union men against a Secession mob, with the same double barreled gun with which he shot Col. Ellsworth, swearing that the freedom of speech must be maintained. His body is in the second story of the hotel, in a coffin, wearing the Secession uniform, with the coat buttons ornamented with the Virginia coat of arms. Resignation of Gen. Purviance The following letter of resignation was handed to Gov. Curtin on Friday afternoon - Attorney General's Office, Harrisburg, May 24, 1861 To Andrew G. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania - For reasons which appeal to my self-respect I cannot consent to continue any longer in connection with your administration. I therefore tender you my resignation of the Office of Attorney General of the state. Signed - Samuel A Purviance. It is stated that President Lincoln has decided at the instance of Messrs. J. K. Moorhead, Edgar Cowan, Wm. J. Johnson and other prominent and influential citizens of Pennsylvania to accept all the volunteer regiments now raised the in the State. The whole number offering is estimated at forty.