been taken at par, and a large number of bids were in excess. Thus the enthusiasm to volunteer in the armies, manifested by those who were able to endure the hardships of the service, found a worthy counterpart in the liberality of the wealthy citizens and corporations, who, with a com mendable promptitude, supplied money to defray the military expenses of the State.

Immediately after the passage of the Act creating the Reserve Corps, Governor Curtin invited George A. McCall, of Chester county, to accept the position of major-general provided for in the law. McCall accepted the appointment, and was confirmed a major-general of Pennsylvania troops by the Senate on the 16th of May, and on the same day entered upon his duties as commander of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps.

General McCall was born in the city of Philadelphia on the 16th of March, 1802, and graduated at the West Point Military Academy, 1822. In 1831 he received the appointment of assistant adjutant-general on the staff of MajorGeneral Gaines, who was then commanding the Western Department of the United States. In 1836 he was promoted to a captaincy in the Fourth regiment United States infantry. He served with his regiment in the war against the Florida Indians, and was recommended by General Worth for the brevet of major "for gallant conduct in the battle of Pelalicaha." Gen. Worth in recommending McCall for promotion said, "He will do more honor to the rank than the rank can confer on him."

At the beginning of the war with Mexico, Captain McCall accompanied his regiment to Corpus Christi, and marched under General Taylor to the Rio Grande. He participated in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and received the brevets of major and lieutenant-colonel, “for gallant and distinguished conduct" in these battles. The citizens of Philadelphia also acknowledged his services by presenting to him an elegantly mounted sword.

At the close of the war with Mexico, Lieutenant-Colonel

McCall resigned his staff commission of assistant adjutantgeneral, and crossed the Atlantic to spend a year in Europe in the hope of regaining his health, which had been seriously impaired during the campaign in Mexico.

While in England, and also on the Continent, he obtained permission from the authorities to visit the military schools, fortifications, camps, barracks and hospitals, and thus in his tour acquired much useful knowledge, which subsequently he put into practice.

On his return, he took command of the Third regiment United States infantry, stationed at Santa Fe. Before leaving Washington to assume this command, he was required by the War Department to prepare a historical sketch of the newly acquired territory, embracing a statistical account of its population, mineral and agricultural resources and commerical advantages. This "Report" was published by order of Congress.

In 1850, McCall received from President Taylor the appointment of Inspector-General of the United States Army, with the rank of colonel of cavalry, which appointment was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Having made inspections of the troops and military posts in New Mexico, California and Oregon, Colonel McCall found his health again failing, and therefore in April, 1853, resigned his commission and retired from the service.

After leaving the army, Colonel McCall devoted much of his time to scientific pursuits and made numerous valuable contributions to natural history.

In 1855, he removed from his residence in Philadelphia to a farm in Chester county, where in retirement, enjoying the society of his family and friends, he remained until the rebellion of the Southern people and the bombardment of Fort Sumter called his country to arms. Immediately thereafter, in April, 1861, Governor Curtin summoned Colonel McCall to Harrisburg to advise with him on the military organization of Pennsylvania. While at the capital he was unanimously elected colonel of the Tenth regiment of Penn

sylvania Volunteers enlisted for three years or the war. Having declined the position, he was on the 15th of May appointed by the Governor of the State, Major-General of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. General McCall without delay entered upon the work of organizing fifteen regiments of troops in the manner provided by law. On his staff, Henry J. Biddle, who graduated at West Point in 1835, was appointed assistant adjutant-general with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Henry Sheets, of Philadelphia, and Eldridge McConkey, of West Chester, who had just graduated at Cambridge College, were appointed aids-de-camp. Subsequently Professor Henry Coppie, late Captain of United States Artillery, joined the staff as inspector-general of the corps.

General McCall gave his personal attention to the orga nization of the troops. The renowned regiment of skirmishers known throughout the world as the "Bucktails," received his special care. The men were armed with rifles and drilled to manoeuvre in wooded hills, swamps and ravines. Henry H. Smith, Surgeon-general of the corps, received orders from the general commanding to allow no man to pass through his inspection into the companies, who would not be received into the ranks of the regular army as physically unexceptionable. The surgeon strictly enforced this order, and to this military foresight is due much of the gallantry and power of endurance the corps subsequently evinced. The riflemen were selected from those districts in the State where game most abounds and the people are accustomed to the use of the rifle; the cavalrymen were recruited in the mountainous counties where the young men travel on horseback, and the entire body of infantry and artillery, was culled from the noblest sons of the industrious citizens of all classes in the State. The best materials in Pennsylvania were placed at the disposal of the commanding general. Men, horses and munitions of war, were supplied in numbers and quantities that enabled the authorities to select materials proper for the most honorable and severe service a generous people could expect.

Through the most untiring efforts of Major-General McCall, heartily seconded by the State authorities, the organization of the corps proceeded with such rapidity that on the 21st of June, two regiments were sent to the relief of the Eleventh Indiana regiment at Cumberland in the State of Maryland, and on the 21st of July, the whole corps responded to the call of the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army, by marching to the defence of the Capital of the nation. Of the companies that were organized in response to General Patterson, which was countermanded on the 30th of April, many maintained their organizations and were variously distributed over the State. Some were still in the immediate vicinity of the homes of the men, others were at the county seats of the respective counties, in which they had been organized, and a few who had reached designated camps before General Patterson's order had been. countermanded, remained there awaiting further orders. The first duty devolving upon General McCall, was the collecting of these companies into camps.

It was found that a much larger number of companies. applied for acceptance than could be received under the Act of the Assembly. Hon. Eli Slifer, Secretary of the Commonwealth and Assistant Secretary Samuel B. Thomas endeavored to apportion the companies throughout the State in an equitable ratio; yet in many cases, when men were told their companies could not be accepted into the service, they turned away in tears and wept bitterly, because the honorable privilege of fighting in the defence of their country was denied them. The required number of companies which had been accepted were ordered into designated camps of instruction.

On the 27th of May General McCall directed William B. Mann, Esq., of Philadelphia to take the organized companies that had been mustered into the service of the State, in that city and march them to Easton. In accordance with instructions, Camp Washington, a camp of instruction, was established on the Fair-grounds at that place, and thirty com

panies were ordered to rendezvous there for the purpose of forming three regiments. Most of these companies were from the city of Philadelphia and had maintained their or ganizations from the time of the first call for volunteers in April. Colonel Mann was placed in command of the camp and proceeded at once to make arrangements to instruct the men in the manual of arms and in company and battalion drill.

By a special order, dated at Harrisburg June 1, 1861, Captain Henry M. McIntire, of the Brandywine Guards, was ordered to march his company to Camp Wayne, near West Chester, on Monday the 3d of June, to assume command of the camp and of all companies of the Reserve Corps as they arrived at that post, until they were regularly organized into regiments.

In response to these orders, the "Brandywine Guards," company A, of Chester county, commanded by Captain H. M. McIntire; the "Union Guards," company B, of Lancaster, Captain Thomas B. Barton; the "Slifer Phalanx," company C, of Delaware county, Captain Samuel A. Dyer; the "Safe Harbor Artillery," company D, of Lancaster county, Captain George H. Hess; the "Lancaster Guards," company E, Lancaster county, Captain Aldus J. Neff; the "Archy Dick Rifles," company F, of Delaware county, Captain William Cooper Talley; the "Phoenix Artillery," company G, of Chester county, Captain John R. Dobson; the "Carlisle Light Infantry," company II, of Cumberland county, Captain Robert McCartney; the "Carlisle Guards," company I, of Cumberland county, Captain Lemuel Todd; and the "Adams County Infantry," company K, of Adams county, Captain Edward McPherson, which companies subsequently constituted the First Regiment, rendezvoused at Camp Wayne, near West Chester.

On the 9th of June these companies held a meeting, as provided in the Act authorizing the establishment of the corps, and proceeded to elect field officers and to organize the First regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. R.