NEWS: The Alleghanian; 3 Mar 1864; Ebensburg, Cambria Cnty., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ The Alleghanian Ebensburg, Pa. Thursday, 3 Mar 1864 Volume 5, Number 23 Local Correspondence Johnstown, Feb. 28, 1864 Among the many changes and improvements which are daily occurring here, I must make particular mention of the enterprise displayed by one of our citizens – Mr. F. W. Hay. This gentleman, having purchased the old Collector's building on Canal street, has fitted it up as a stove and tinware depot and work shop and for beauty of interior arrangement and convenience it will compare favorably with any establishment in the State. Mr. Hay is a go-ahead business man and as all who are acquainted him are aware, a perfect gentleman. Co. M, 12th Pa. Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Morgan M'Donald and recruited principally in this place, will arrive here on furlough during the present week. They have re-enlisted for three years more. The Capt. wishes to secure a few recruits and from a long and intimate personal acquaintance with him, I can recommend him to any of the readers of this notice who may wish to enlist in a crack cavalry company. Capt. David Hamilton, Co. K, 18th Pa. Cavalry, has, by direction of the War Department, opened a recruiting station in this place. He has power to enlist recruits for any regiment in the service. Ebensburg will be filled to overflowing next week, as an immense number of witnesses are being subpoenaed on the Moore-Marbourg case. A great deal of interest is manifested as to the probable result of the trial and a large number of people, independent of witnesses, will doubtless be in attendance. A report is current here that a member of Capt. Ryckman's company was shot dead in a street quarrel at Harrisburg last week. It lacks confirmation. The weather for several days past has been of the rainy order, and, as a natural result, our streets and sidewalks are now in a muddy condition. [Signed] May Leon Quotas Filled Wilmore borough we understand has had her full quota of men under all calls sworn into the service. Carrolltown borough has also filled her quota by volunteering. Both paid good bounties. A Shame Although something like fifty new men were recruited in Washington township, this county, for Col. Dick White's 55th Pa. Regiment, Cambria county fails to receive credit for a single one of them. This is owing to the fact that no bounty is paid by the county, nor by Washington twp. These recruits went to Dauphin and Chester counties to be credited, where they received a snug recompense for doing so. Perhaps the policy of thus allowing ourselves to be diddled out of our fighting material thro' sheer lack of energy will pay – perhaps not. We shall see! Escaped Again! In accordance with the advice of legal counsel, Mr. James Shorthill of Summerhill township, this county, whose arrest as a deserter some weeks since by Deputy Provost Marshal Heyer at Wilmore, and subsequent escape, our readers no doubt remember, voluntarily appeared before the Board of Enrollment for this district, at Huntingdon, a few days ago to test the legality of his conscription. His plea, we believe was that, in August last, it was John Shorthill who was drafted and not James Shorthill and that the notification of draft was made out to John Shorthill, but was served on him, James. On the grounds that one man cannot be legally held amendable for the infraction of a law on the part of another, he, James Shorthill, asked to be relieved from further personal inconvenience in the matter and that the penalties attaching to the crime of desertion be visited upon the man who was in reality drafted, John Shorthill. The Board of Enrollment failed to see it in that light. They decided that James Shorthill was in reality the person drafted, his descriptive list abundantly proving that fact; and that his successful skedaddle from the custody of Deputy Provost Mar. Heyer creates the impression that he must at one time have considered himself a conscript; and that a mere clerical error is not sufficient to exempt from the performance of military duty. Accordingly, James Shorthill was committed to the Huntingdon jail for safe keeping until he could be removed to camp. The same night, however, by some means or other, he escaped therefrom and has not since been heard of.