the railroad from Annapolis to the junction with the Balti more and Washington road. The frequent seizures of drugs, medicines, and other contraband goods from smugglers, who were engaged in unlawful traffic with the rebels, south of the Potomac, gave evidence that these new troops were vigilant and reliable guards. In his report of operations on the line of the Annapolis railroad, General Dix commends the conduct of both officers and men of the First regiment, for the manner in which they performed the special duty to which he had assigned them.

Soon after Colonel Roberts took command at Annapolis> a party of negroes arrived in the harbor in a small boat and were picked up by the revenue cutter "Forward." The negroes said they were the slaves of a disloyal owner; that they had stolen the boat from their master and had made their escape. The captain of the cutter made application to turn them over to Colonel Roberts, who, not being allowed, by orders from his superiors, to admit slaves into his camp, nor to return them to their masters, applied to General Dix, commanding the department, for instructions. The fact that the boat and men had been taken by a revenue cutter, made it necessary to refer the question of disposition to the Secretary of the Treasury. A full and complete statement of the case was submitted through the proper channel, to Secretary Chase, but no answer was ever received by the captain of the "Forward." By a law of Congress he was not permitted to discharge his captives; they were consuming rations and occupying space on the cutter that were required for other purposes, yet no one would receive the prisoners or authorize any disposition to be made of them. Finally, the men were allowed to escape from the vessel at Philadelphia, without any official notice.

The four companies of the First regiment stationed at Annapolis Junction, were presented with an elegantly finished flag, the gift of the loyal ladies of Prince George and Montgomery counties in Maryland. The ceremonies of the presentation, in the presence of a large assemblage

of citizens, was the first evidence to the troops that they were not surrounded wholly by enemies.

On the 30th of August the regiment was relieved from duty at Annapolis, and on the following day joined the camp at Tenallytown.

The Thirteenth regiment marched from Harrisburg on the 8th of August, and taking transportation on the Northern Central and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, reported for duty to General Thomas of General Bank's army at Sandy Hook. This regiment and the Second, remained in the army commanded by General Banks until the close of September. They marched from Sandy Hook through Point of Rocks, Jefferson, and Hyattstown, to Darnestown; thence on the 25th of September to Tenallytown, where they joined their companions in the army of the Potomac.

The Fourteenth regiment of the Reserve Corps, which was the First artillery, had not yet been organized at the time the corps was called into service. Eight companies were recruited and three of the batteries were organized by the State and sent to Tenallytown. The other companies were ordered to Washington, where they were organized by the War Department.

The eight batteries of this regiment were never in immediate conjoined service; they were not permanently attached to General McCall's command as a constituent portion of the Reserve Corps, but were detached and assigned to other divisions. Some were sent out of the Army of the Potomac to serve in other campaigns. The three original batteries only were retained; battery A, commanded by Captain Hezekiah Easton; battery B, Captain James H. Cooper; and battery G, Captain Mark Kerns. In April, 1862, battery C, Fifth United States Artillery, Captain Truman Seymour, was assigned to McCall's division, in compliance with a general order, that to each division of three brigades there should be assigned three volunteer and one United States regular batteries.

The Fifteenth regiment, (the First Pennsylvania Cavalry,)

was organized after the arrival of the infantry regiments at Tenallytown. About the middle of August five companies in Camp Curtin, the "Juniata Cavalry," Company A, of Juniata county, commanded by Captain John K. Robinson; the "Lower Merion Troop," company B, of Montgomery county, Captain Owen Jones; the "Mifflin County Cavalry," company C, of Mifflin county, Captain J. P. Taylor; the "Smith's Cavalry," company D, of Clinton county, Captain William S. Gile, and the "Centre County Cavalry," company E, of Centre county, Captain Jonathan Wolf, organized by electing Captain David H. Hastings, of the United States Army, colonel, and Captain Owen Jones, major. Captain Hastings declined to accept the colonelcy of the regiment only half organized. Major Jones took command of the battalion and proceeded to Washington, where he was soon joined by three other companies from Harrisburg; the "Ringgold Cavalry," company F, of Green county, Captain Josiah H. Ray; the "Blair County Cavalry," company G, of Blair county, Captain David Gardener, and company H, Captain Theodore Strick.

These eight companies remained in camp near Washington until the middle of September, with a deficiency of organization that seemed to threaten every effort to form a regiment. The field and company officers were unskilled in military tactics and discipline, and though quite anxious to become soldiers, and to make their men such, they fully realized their deficiency and anxiously sought for assistance in the election of an experienced officer to command the regiment. Finally, General McCall in co-operation with Governor Curtin and his advisers, secured the services of Captain George D. Bayard, of the regular army, who was elected by the officers, and commissioned by the Governor of Pennsylvania, colonel of the regiment. Two companies from a disbanded organization, were then attached to the regiment, company I, Captain George T. Work, and company K, Captain Joseph H. Williams; its organization was then completed. Captain Jacob Higgins was elected lieu

tenant-colonel, and Lieutenant S. D. Barrows was appointed adjutant; Lieutenant R. R. Corson, quartermaster; David Stanton, surgeon; Samuel Alexander, assistant-surgeon, and Rev. J. H. Beale, chaplain of the regiment.

In January, 1862, the "Reading City Troop," company L, of Berks county, commanded by Captain John C. A. Hoffeditz, and company M, Captain Hampton S. Thomas, two independent companies, were attached to the regi ment, thus making it complete with twelve companies.

The regiment was originally armed by the United States Government with sabre and pistol to each man and ten carbines to each company; subsequently the number of carbines was increased, at different times, until in November every man in the regiment was supplied with that formid able weapon.

The original eight companies were clothed by the State of Pennsylvania.

The clothing was furnished according to the regulations of the United States army and was of a good quality. Nearly all of the original horses were selected with great care and were purchased by some of the officers of the regi ment in the State of Pennsylvania; the remainder were selected by Colonel Bayard from the Government horses at Washington.

These horses, under good care and training during the succeeding winter, became, notably the best horses in the United States service; some of them were accounted the best in the regiment, after five new lots had been worn out in its campaigns. The original team horses, performed all the labor of the regiment for more than two years, and still were the most hardy regimental teams in the cavalry service in the army of the Potomac.

This regiment was composed of the choicest materials in the State of Pennsylvania; the Governor refused all applications for the formation of cavalry companies, from large towns and cities. The companies were recruited wholly from the rural districts of a large State, at a time when

infantry was the favorite arm of the service. The men, therefore, who joined this regiment, chose the cavalry service, for the love of it, and because they were practical horsemen. They were mostly country laborers and farmers accustomed to the use and care of horses, and at least good, if not properly trained riders. Very few of the men were ever dismounted by accident or awkwardness, during their early drilling, and in their later rencounters, were never unhorsed, unless by missiles of death.

After Colonel Bayard was established in his position and his regiment was armed, equipped and mounted, the work of drilling was immediately commenced and prosecuted with great energy. He labored most assiduously to prepare the regiment in the shortest possible time, for actual contact with the enemy. Believing the cavalry arm of the service must be "made, and not merely improved," he called his officers around him once or twice a day to instruct them in tactics; company, squadron and regimental drill and sabre exercises on foot or mounted, were vigorously practiced morning and afternoon of every day, under the personal direction of Colonel Bayard and his field officers, until the regiment was called into continued service in the spring of 1862.