NEWS: The Alleghanian; 26 May 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, 26 May 1864 Volume 5, Number 35 NEWS The 55th Pa. Vols. Baptized in Blood Heavy Loss in Killed and Wounded! The 55th Pa. Vols., Col. Dick White, were fully engaged in the late battles along the James river and lost heavily in officers and men. Col. White was at first reported killed but late news inspires the hope that he is yet living, although a prisoner in the hands of the enemy. The Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment was wounded and the Adjutant is missing. The loss in company officers is very great. Mr. William A. Leavy of the 55th, writing under date "New Port Walthall Junction, Va., May 18," to The ALLEGHANIAN, gives the following as the list of casualties in Co. A., recruited in Cambria county: Killed Capt. David W. Fox Wounded and Cared For: Second Lieutenant John Lynch, kidneys Corp. James C. Fagan, right leg slight Private Demetrius Bendon, right arm Private George Dunmire, left hand Private Henry Flenner, left shoulder Private John G. Noel, left arm and right hand. Private David M. Parker, both legs Private Thomas Rupe, in hand Private Jeremiah Topper, thigh Private Joseph Wherry, right arm and side Wounded and Captured First Lieut. P. F. Hodge. Corp Henry Bennett Private John A. Conway Private Elias Edminson Private William Howard Private James Montgomery Private John Otner Private Michael Stanley Private Michael Cawley Captured Corp. Bernard M'Atamany [died from his wounds in prison, Richmond, May 31, 1864] Corp. Richard P. M'Guire Corp. Peter M'Guire Private Samuel Brindle Private George Beierline Private George Brown Private Philip Cramer Private John Donaldson Private Andrew Dougherty Private Robert Dufur Private Theodore F. Devlin Private James Dasher Private Patrick Daisy Private John Flemer Private John Fry Private David Gibson Private Samuel C. Hite Private Jacob Helsel Private Robert Kaylor Private John Keating Private Samuel Langham Private John W. Long Private Felix J. M'Guire Private John D. Moreland Private Henry Martz Private Michael M'Call Private Nicholas Semore Private Michael Stanley Private John Varley Private Paul Wilble Private James Wharton Private John H. Wilt Recapitulation Killed, 1; Wounded, 20; Captured, 32. Total loss: 53. Mr. Leavy states that the above list is as reliable as it was possible to make it, under the circumstances, and his letter goes on to say: "The Regiment left camp on the morning of the 11th, 1,100 strong and returned on the 16th with 774. The great number of casualties is attributable to the fact that the regiment, advancing as skirmishers through a dense fog, were flanked by the enemy, before our men were aware of the near proximity of a foe. We were subjected to a sudden enfolding fire of artillery and infantry, and were forced back with the results stated. The right wing suffered more severely than the remainder of the regiment. "Our forces retired to their line of entrenchments on the evening of the 16th, in good order, having accomplished at least a portion of the expedition, namely, the destroying Lee's communications south of Petersburg and between that place and Richmond. By this means all reinforcements are prevented from going forward to Lee. "In the action of the 16th, we captured prisoners who had just arrived from Lee's army, going to show that part of that General's command has been withdrawn from Grant's front to check Gen. Butler's demonstrations on Richmond. "In the fight, Col. White had command of the 1st Brigade 3d Division 10th Army Corps. He is either killed or wounded and in the hands of the enemy." It is announced in the daily papers of the 24th, on authority of rebel prints that Col. Richard White, Capt. James Metzgar, Capt. David W. Fox, and Lieut. Pat O'Connell, all of the 55th are now in prison in Richmond. The 54th Regiment P. V. Cut to Pieces We learn from the Johnstown TRIBUNE (extra) that the 54th Pa. Vols., Col. Jacob M. Campbell, composed part of Sigel's force when he met with his unfortunate repulse at New Market in the Shenandoah Valley. The regiment was in the thickest of the fight and suffered severely. The following is the list of casualties: Lieut. Col. John P. Linton, slightly wounded, but remains with regiment. Co. A: Killed James Allen J. Clark D. Findley N. Griffith H. Smith Co. A: Wounded H. Carroll ---Callahan ---M'Clellan H. Snively James F. Howard W. H. Lindsy Charles E. Smith Thomas Williams Co. B: Killed Lieut. Sylvester Colburn Hiram Lohr Edward Fleegle William P. Kneeper Co. B: Wounded Abraham Faith Jesse Liston H. J. Penrod John Wagner William Wilson Co. B: Missing Wesley Young Co. C: Killed Jonathan Baker Jonathan Lohr William H. Patterson Samuel Pile Frederick A. Smith John Yoder Co. C: Wounded William Barclay John Hawn Joseph D. Miller Joseph Rhoads Henry Speice John Spicher John Weimer A. Ingram Ellis Samuel Faith John G. Klingaman Josiah F. Klingaman Michael E. Shaffer Alexander Showman Walter Scott Co. C: Left on the Field Francis Dickey Solomon Huffman Henry Horner George Weller Josiah Wendell Joseph C. Yutzy Co. C: Missing Melanothon Walker Co. D: Killed George Beltz William Luke Cyrus Pile M. Fierstone Co. D: Wounded Christ Ball Jacob Hutzel Sylvester P. White John Robinson William Aitkins Samuel Bowman Thomas Walters David Yeager Co. E: Killed Capt. P. Graham Lieut. B. P. Anderson William Crider Michael Hagan Thomas M'Clure John M'Fadden Peter Robinson Co. E: Wounded and Left on the Field Sol. Bagnel Daniel Crider Benjamin Davis Edward Harbaugh Joseph Rodgers Co. E: Wounded John Depther James Glass John Glass Ben Hummel Thomas Johns John Stacer Nathaniel Teeters Daniel Young Robert Bennett D. Goughnour John Gore Daniel Hill William Holmes John Jordan John M'Manamy George Morris Co E: Missing John Murphy Andrew Sims William Thomas Henry Weddel Val Wolford John Young Co. G: Killed Samuel Stout Co. G: Wounded William Owens Joshua Ringler J. B. Atchison Co. H: Killed Capt. Geisinger Peter Gearhart Daniel Kelichen Tobias Miller Henry Oaks Lewis Sourbrine Co. H: Wounded Charles Bently Henry Flegel James Gilmore Edw. Reichart George Williams M. Gindelsperger P. Gindelsperger Abram Fry Lieut. A. J. Kilpatrick Co. I: Killed Capt. William B. Bonacker Robert Burke J. Craig Joseph Donahoe George Hartz Henry Helsel John Knees Robert Marlett John Plummer Co. I: Wounded Sergt. Hagan Corp. Holsapple Mark Burke G. Penrod Charles Cullen Peter Cullen Jacob D. George John Morris Lewis Nagle Corp. Funk Samuel J. Custer John Brem Charles Amsler Adam F. Brenner Noah Fry John Kahoe Daniel Murphy John M. Stull Jacob Weaver Co. K: Wounded John Cairn John Coffel ----Kessler Edward Krisler Corp. Walter A new recruit, name not known Henry Donstead Edwin W. Miller The killed were all left on the field, and fell into the hands of the enemy; one hundred of the wounded were brought off with the regiment. -- Since the foregoing was put in type we have received a note from Col. Campbell enclosing copy of his official report of casualties in regiment, in which he says: "Only six hundred of my command were in the engagement, the balance being on special duty at the time. All the officers and men conducted themselves most gallantly and are entitled to the gratitude of their countrymen." List of Casualties in Co. A, 11th Pa. Reserves Through the kindness of Major James C. Burke, we are enabled to lay before our readers the following full list of casualties in the above company up to May 10th: Killed: Capt. Dan D. Jones William J. Patterson Wounded: John Makin Wm. Powell Sergt. George W. Brown Dallas Patrick John M'Feely Prisoners: Lieut. Charge Fagan Sergt. Luke Sergt. Bolewine Jacob S. Boring William M'Creery John Gillespie Sam Boocks In a note accompanying the list, Major Burke writes, "All the men marked prisoners are undoubtedly wounded. We were surrounded and had to cut our way out and they were with us up to the last fire we received when they all suddenly disappeared." In addition to the foregoing casualties, Joseph Owens of same company, was wounded slightly in the hand. He is now in hospital in Washington. We have been shown a letter from Adjt. Thomas D. Litzinger of the 11th, of date 15th inst. He states that the regiment went into the fight with 348 men and came out with only 118. George W. Brown, of same regiment writes us that he is now in Mount Pleasant Hospital, Washington, and that he is wounded in left hip, not dangerously. Local and Personal Our friend, J. Alex Moore, proprietor of the "Mountain House," was rather seriously injured on Tuesday by being thrown from a horse. We commiserate him in his misfortune. Peter B. Cassidy of this county has been appointed Adjutant to the 188th Pa. Vols. His friends will be glad to hear of his promotion. Robert Davis of the 12th Regular Infantry, a resident of this place, is reported killed in one of the recent battles in Virginia. Major Robert Litzinger has been appointed Post Master of Strongstown borough, Indiana county. Local Correspondence Johnstown, May 22, 1864 Last week a telegraph was received here by Sheriff Linton, from Lieut. Nix Kinkead, stating that the 54th Regt. P. V. - four companies of which hail from this place – had been in an engagement near Strasburg, Va., and had been badly cut up. Among the casualties he mentioned the names of Capt.'s Bonaker, Graham and Geisinger killed and Lieut. Col. Linton wounded. The most intense excitement was manifested by our citizens to learn the extent of the loss and on Friday evening several copies of the CUMBERLAND UNION (Extra) were received, giving a list of the killed and wounded. The following embraces the total loss: Killed 32 Wounded, at Cumberland 40 Wounded, at Martinsburg 38 Wounded, Left on the Field 22 Missing 42 The above includes three Captains and two Lieutenants killed and one Lieutenant wounded. Col. Linton received a severe flesh wound in the thigh, the ball from which has not yet been extracted. He returned here this morning. The 54th went into the fight 550 strong. It will be observed that the total loss is 174 – a very large proportion in one Regiment. An extensive robbery was perpetrated there last Friday morning. Two Germans came to this place from New York for the purpose of obtaining employment at the Rolling Mill. They began work about a week ago, boarding at a house near the Iron Bridge. On Friday morning, they started to work, as usual, but one of them shortly returned to the house, upon pretence of being sick. He immediately went to the chest of his room mate and breaking it open, abstracted therefrom $1,400 in gold, a valuable gold watch and a passport and then left for parts unknown. The other party did not discover his loss until evening when he immediately telegraphed in all directions, describing the robber and offering a reward for his arrest. Lawyer Henning starts tonight for New York in pursuit as it is said the robber intends leaving the country. The losing German is almost crazy over his loss. William M'Lane of this place was tried in Wheeling, Va., a few weeks ago, for deserting from the 54th P. V., and sentenced to five years at labor in the Tortugas. Joseph Moore, with his wife and son, departed for Iowa last week. A great deal of sympathy had been manifested in his behalf hereabout but by this unlooked for act he deprives himself of a great portion of it. A son of Peter Maltze of Conemaugh boro was kicked in the face by a circus horse on Wednesday and badly injured. Irvin Rutledge, Esq. has commenced correcting the enrollment list in Johnstown and Mr. Canan in Conemaugh boro. Doran, the map man, has a new map of Johnstown in the hands of the lithographers. Perspective views of the new churches, Woolen Factory &c., taken from designs, will embellish it. The following are the appointments of teachers for our Union schools for the summer session: Room 1: Miss Sterling Room 2: Miss Swank Room 3: Vacant Room 4: Miss Ramsey Room 5: Miss Strubel Room 6: Miss Marshall Room 7: Miss Dickey Room 8: Miss Postlethwaith Room 9: Miss Wilcox Room 10: Miss Flanagan Yours, [Signed] May Leon Cambria County and the Draft The following table will show at a glance the condition of Cambria county with regard to the draft. One column gives the number of men required from each delinquent sub-district after deducting credits to date; the other the sub-districts having quotas filled or a surplus. The figures are official and may be relied upon as being correct. No. of Men Required Surplus Allegheny and Gallitzin 55 Loretto 7 Carroll 38 Carrolltown 3 Susquehanna 22 Chest 21 Clearfield 11 Chest Springs 1 White 23 Washington & Summitville 29 Munster 9 Croyle 4 Summerhill 12 Wilmore 3 Richland 28 Taylor 31 Conemaugh 23 Yoder 29 Johnstown Full Cambria Boro 38 Conemaugh Full Millville Full Cambria twp. Full Blacklick 5 Jackson 16 Ebensburg Full Total number deficient in county: 392 By reference to an advertisement in another column it will be seen that the draft for this district will commence at Hollidaysburg on the 30th inst. Frauds Upon Soldiers On the 10th of March last in the State Senate a joint committee of six was appointed to make investigation of the manner in which certain of our soldiers have been swindled out of their bounty money by their officers and make report of the same. This report which is very voluminous has been published. We transfer so much of it to our columns as relates to the 55th regiment Pa. Vols., commanded by Col. Dick White, formerly of Cambria county:- The 55th regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Col. Richard White, was the first brought to the notice of your committee. This regiment had been doing duty for the past two years at Beaufort, S. Carolina and had reenlisted in the month of January, 1864, and were sent home to recruit. In a few days after the arrival of the regiment, the rank and file were permitted to depart for their respective homes with orders to report at Harrisburg on a day fixed in their furloughs. It appears that when the men of the 55th reenlisted they were not credited to any particular locality; and Colonel White, finding by order of the War Department his men could be credited to any locality in the state they might select, set himself to work to make arrangements for that purpose, with a view to make money out of the transaction. In order that there should be no failure in the process, he selected, as his coadjutors in the business his own brother, Alex M. White of Baltimore, Md.; a man by name of A. B. Farquhar of York, Pa., and Captain David Fox of Company A, 55th regiment P. V. - (Both Captain and company from Cambria county). Through the agency of Farquhar, Col. White and his brother, A. M. White, were put in communication with a Mr. Reuben Bernard of Chester county, Pa., who was authorized to procure a large number of recruits to fill the quota of Chester county and to pay a local bounty to each man amounting to such sums as might be agreed upon not to exceed a limited amount per man. From the evidence of Representative M'Clellan, of Chester county, we learn all the particulars of this interview which we give in his own words: "My connection with this business was at the request of the county commissioners to assist Mr. Bernard in securing recruits to fill the quota of our county. It was proposed by Mr. Farquhar that he could get over three hundred men of Col. White's regiment. Mr. Farquhar told me either then and there or previous to that, that these men could be had for two hundred and seventy-five dollars per man. This I think was on the last Thursday in February. On Monday by appointment, Mr. Bernard, Mr. Farquhar, Col. White, A. M. White and myself went into one of their rooms, either the Col's. or A. M. White's to make arrangements to pay two hundred and fifty dollars per man to Col. White. He offered A. M. White as security for the faithful performance of the trust, A. M. White agreeing with his brother Col. White in signing a bond to that effect. After the bond was prepared and signed, Mr. Bernard, Col. White, A. M. White and myself went over to the Harrisburg Bank to deposit part of the money to Col. White's credit. A difficulty arose as to the arrangement with the bank. A. M White proposed that the money should be deposited to his credit. Mr. Bernard objected to that and stated that he would prefer to pay the men in person, to which A. M. White took umbrage, as rather impeaching his integrity and demanded his bond from Mr. Bernard, which was given to him. The controlling idea for making this arrangement was that the men were on furlough, and that it would be impossible for Mr. Bernard to pay them in person with a great deal of trouble. The next day Mr. Farquhar made a new arrangement which was that the men should be paid in person. On Thursday I heard Farquhar say that the men were to get two hundred and twenty dollars apiece and the other thirty to be paid to the Colonel (White). I don't recollect how many men were paid on that day; but I believe some 18 or 20 and the rest the next week. Mr. Bernard counted the money as I marked their names on the roll; and I did not know till this evening but that the men received two hundred and seventy-five dollars apiece. I had no conversation with Col. White in making the bargain as to what was to be done with the money particularly, nor did I hear him say. Did not know but that the men were to get two hundred and fifty dollars paid down in cash until a few minutes before we commenced paying. I don't think Mr. Bernard knew it, because he counted out two hundred and fifty dollars to the first man. I then said to him, on information received from Mr. Farquhar that the men were only to get two hundred and twenty dollars. Col. White was present and did not object. At that I said to Col. White, that is the arrangement. He said, "Yes, it was." From the foregoing testimony we have the following facts established beyond doubt or cavil, viz.: 1. That Col. White, in conjunction with his brother, A. M. White and A. B. Farquhar, did attempt to effect an arrangement by which the sum of one hundred and thirty-eight thousand dollars should be put on at the sole disposal of A. M. White who was in no way responsible to pay the sum or any part thereof to the men of the Fifty-fifth regiment; and failing in that attempt, A. M. White relinquished the transaction on the rendition of the bond by Mr. Bernard. 2. That when Col. White, A. M. White and Farquhar failed to induce Mr. Bernard to place the funds at the absolute disposal of Mr. A. M. White, that Farquhar, the next day, renewed the attack, by proposing that the money should be paid to the men in person; but when the agent commenced the process of paying the men, it was discovered that the sum of thirty dollars should be retained in each case for the benefit of Col. White, Mr. Farquhar and the other officers of the Fifty-fifth regiment, which amount was actually retained from the beginning to the end of the transactions, thus revealing, in the most unmistakable manner the original design of Col. White, A. M. White and Farquhar when they proposed that the money should be placed to the credit of A. M. White – that these three men should deal with the men of the Fifty- fifth regiment as they thought proper, in other words, pay them just such sums as suited their purpose. Your committee cannot avoid the conclusions drawn from these damning facts, that a dark conspiracy had been deliberately formed between Col. White, A. M. White and Farquhar to defraud the men of the Fifty-fifth regiment out of a large portion of the money honestly coming to them from the county of Chester, to which they had been credited by Col. White, without the least assent from any of the men, indeed without their knowledge of what disposition had been made of them by the Colonel. Suppose that the arrangement first proposed by these men to Mr. Bernard had been assented to and the entire amount of money been placed to the credit of A. M. White, would not Col. White have had it in his power to pay the men just such sums as suited his purposes and where would they have had a remedy? The men, it is fair to presume, had confidence in their Colonel and would have been satisfied to receive one hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars in full for local bounty; or such other sum as the Colonel and his confederates, A. M. White and A. B. Farquhar, might agree upon; so that the margin should be large enough to satisfy the desires of their worthies, to do the very best for the men of the Fifty-fifth regiment. It is too palpable to admit of doubt that instead of making the pitiful sum of thirty dollars per man, on three hundred and fifty eight men, which is ten thousand seven hundred and forty dollars, which went in the pockets of Col. White on that item alone, while Mr. Farquhar got seven thousand five hundred dollars according to his own receipt dated March 5, 1864, that the dividend would have been swelled to double or treble these sums had the original design not been frustrated by the objection to place the funds under the sole control of A. M. White. Colonel White had assured his men, so had Captain Fox, that they should have the highest bounty that was paid to veterans and recruits; and the men believed them, because they confided in their honor as men and officers, without the slightest suspicion that they were to be deceived. It will also be found that Colonel Richard White acknowledges to have received from Mr. Bernard as per receipt under date of March 1st, 1864, on account of the local bounty of Chester county, the sum of ten thousand and fifty dollars and that the receipted rolls for twenty-six men at two hundred and seventy dollars each, making the further sum of seven thousand and twenty dollars, making in the aggregate seven thousand and seventy dollars, and if we presume that he paid the bounty to twenty-six men, two hundred and twenty dollars each and retained thirty dollars off each man, he pocketed on that item seven hundred and eighty dollars. It is worthy of remark here that the sum paid by Chester county was two hundred and seventy dollars and it is well established that none of the men of the Fifty-fifth regiment received more than two hundred and twenty dollars, so far as the testimony before your committee goes, except the eighteen or twenty men paid on the first day by Messrs. Bernard and M'Clellan. If we deduct twenty men from three hundred and fifty eight we have a total of three hundred and thirty men to whom but two hundred and thirty dollars were paid, if, indeed, all these men were paid (the testimony shows that nine at least have not been paid) which would leave the sum of fifty dollars retained off each of the three hundred and thirty three men, making the respectable sum of sixteen thousand six hundred and fifty dollars to be accounted for by Colonel White. To show beyond a doubt that the plan was well laid to cover the track so Colonel White and those acting with him in this nefarious business, it is only necessary to refer to the form of receipt which these men were required to sign on receiving their two hundred and twenty dollars instead of two hundred and seventy dollars, to which they were entitled, in these words: "Harrisburg, Pa., February 24, 1864 We, the undersigned veteran volunteers belonging to Colonel Richard White's regiment, No. fifty–five Pennsylvania volunteers have this day received of Reuben Bernard the local bounty of Chester county." The above receipt is couched in such language as to close the door against all inquiry on the subject of the amount received by the men of the Fifty-Fifth Regt. Pennsylvania volunteers, so far as the record is concerned; and if Colonel White had not been intercepted by this investigation and some of his victims from his regiment detained and examined before your committee, his guilty participation in these dark transactions might have escaped that just exposure and punishment it so richly merits until called to account before another tribunal, from which no adroitness or finesse will shield the guilty from the scrutiny of that eye that never slumbers. Your committee regret the fact that just about the time that this investigation was instituted, the Fifty-fifth regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel White) was ordered to South Carolina and thus they were deprived of the opportunity of examining the men of that regiment in detail and thereby eliciting all the facts from the mouths of living witnesses, to establish the entire transaction touching the fraud that have been but partially detected. But your committee are fully warranted in saying that enough have been disclosed to fix upon the Colonel of the Fifty-fifth regiment Pennsylvania volunteers and Captain David Fox of Company A, of said regiment, the charge of willfully and knowingly deceiving and defrauding their men by the most shameless and barefaced misrepresentations and artful deceptions that bad men could resort to in order to make money at the expense of both truth and honor. It is the opinion of your committee that Colonel Richard White and Captain David Fox should immediately be summoned before the court of inquiry to answer such charges as the Secretary of War should feel disposed to base upon this report.