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of your constituents, in conferring upon you, during your absence with the army and without solicitation on your part, a position attended at this time with peculiar responsibility, are, we trust, such as may induce you to relinquish, at least for the present, that military life in which, through more than one campaign, you have already earned a just distinction." To this Colonel Biddle replied:

"It has been my earnest desire, at this great juncture in our National affairs, to give my humble services where they may be most useful to my country. With this purpose I took the field; and holding, during the period of the extra session, a separate and important command, I did not feel at liberty to quit it to take the seat in Congress to which you had, in my absence, elected me.

"It is true that, according to high authorities, I might at once hold the two positions; but it is plain that I could not perform the duties of both, and, waiving the bare legal question, it seems to me to be incompatible with the character of a representative and a legislator to be a paid officer, subject to the orders of the Executive, and present in his place only by the revocable leave of a military superior. I have, therefore, reached the conclusion that your representative must not now be thus trammelled: yet, should the tide of war, indeed, roll around the National Capital, I hope that my brethren in arms will find room in their ranks for one soldier more."

The resignation of Colonel Biddle as colonel of the "Bucktails" was accepted by the Secretary of War December 12, 1861. While the enemy continued to threaten the Capital from Mannassas, he held the position of volunteer aid to General Andrew Porter, then commanding in Washington City.

Two days after receiving his commission Colonel Biddle reported for duty to General McCall. He was ordered to join his regiment at Camp Curtin and to assume command of the encampment. He repaired at once to the post of duty and commenced the work of organizing and disciplining the

companies that were daily arriving in camp. The rigid military discipline enforced by Col. Biddle, was new and, in a measure, distasteful to the volunteer soldiers, who had so recently been of the sovereign people. Though while in Camp Curtin some of the men murmured, after engaging in active service and through all their long and severe campaigns the companies and regiments attributed due credit to the lessons of military duty learned while in camp at Harrisburg.

The "Jersey Shore Rifles," company A, of Lycoming county, commanded by Captain H. C. Ulman; the "Taggart Guards," company B, of Northumberland county, Captain James Taggart; the "Washington Cadets," company C, of Clearfield county, Captain J. O. Loraine; the "Slifer Guards," company D, of Union county, Captain Thomas Chamberlain; the "Centre Guards," company E, of Centre county, Captain John I. Gregg; the "Bradford Union Guards," company F, of Bradford county, Captain A. J. Trout; the “Huntingdon Infantry," company G, of Huntingdon county, Captain A. S. Harrison; the "Pollock Guards," company II, of Northumberland county, Captain John McCleery; the "Scott Infantry," company I, of Huntingdon county, Captain George Dare, and the "Cookman Rangers," company K, of Lancaster county, Captain J. W. Fisher, were ordered to report to the commanding officer at Camp Curtin.

On the 20th of June these companies organized themselves into the Fifth regiment of the Reserve Corps, by electing Captain John Irving Gregg, of Centre County, colonel; Captain J. W. Fisher, of Columbia, lieutenantcolonel; and Captain George Dare, of Huntingdon county, major of the regiment.

The following day Colonel Gregg resigned the colonelcy of this regiment to accept an appointment in the regular army. Seneca G. Simmons, a captain in the regular army was elected and commissioned to fill the vacancy. Colonel Simmons was a man thoroughly educated in the science of military tactics, and was a soldier by profession

and experience. His service in the regular army eminently fitted him to command the men who had chosen him to be their colonel. Lieutenant A. G. Mason, of the Bradford Union Guards, was appointed adjutant; John Bigler, quartermaster; John S. Carpenter, surgeon; and W. F. Marsh, assistant-surgeon of the regiment.

The original strength of each company, in conformity to the army regulations, was limited to seventy-seven men, including officers and privates; but on the 20th of June instructions were issued from the headquarters of the Corps, at Harrisburg, to commanders of regiments and companies, to establish recruiting rendezvous and fill up as rapidly as possible, the companies to the full maximum strength of one hundred and one men, the number authorized by the War Department under General Order of May 14th.

In obedience to these instructions, the work of recruiting was begun, and in a few days the ranks of all the companies were filled with men, who rejoiced at the opportunity thus offered to enter the service.

On the 21st of June, General Winfield Scott, Commanderin-chief of the United States army, telegraphed from Washington to Governor Curtin, at Harrisburg, requesting him to send immediately two regiments of Pennsylvania troops to the relief of Colonel Lew. Wallace, commanding the Eleventh Indiana regiment, at Cumberland, in the State of Maryland.

On the same day General McCall ordered Colonel Charles J. Biddle to march, without delay, with his own regiment and the Fifth, commanded by Colonel Simmons, and Battery A, First Pennsylvania Artillery, commanded by Captain Charles T. Campbell, to the relief of Colonel Wallace. The brigade comprising these regiments and the battery, was at once placed in cars on the Pennsylvania Railroad, opposite Camp Curtin; the trains moved westward early on Saturday morning until they arrived at Huntingdon, and thence over the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad to Hopewell, where the command camped during the night of the 22d of June.

The citizens along the line of the railroad cheered on the soldiers as they hurried away to the threatened border. At the stations where the trains stopped, baskets of provisions were distributed to all who could partake. The ladies of Huntingdon, however, excelled in their attention to the marching brigade. An ample dinner had been provided for the coming soldiers, of which they partook most freely, and filled their haversacks with the choicest dainties.

Early on Sunday morning the command resumed the march moving in the direction of Bedford Springs. At Bloody Run the command halted to partake of a dinner prepared by the citizens of that village. The brigade encamped that night near Bedford Springs, where it remained three days.

This first day's march of twenty-three miles, through sand and dust, beneath a burning sun; the first night's sleeping on the ground, without bed or covering, and the drenching rain that poured down on the men during the night, appropriately formed the introduction to the campaigns that followed, and, which in results were honorable, as in execution they were severe.

Colonel Biddle had received instructions to move his command to a convenient camping ground near the State line, and there await further orders. The object of the demonstration was to assure the people in the border counties, by the presence of an organized force, that they would be protected against inroads from Virginia through Maryland; and also to be within supporting distance to Colonel Wallace.

The command moved from Camp McCall, near Bedford Springs, and after two days' marching reached the Maryland State line where Camp Mason and Dixon was established, in which the troops remained two weeks.

While statesmen discussed the constitutional propriety of passing State troops beyond the State limits, Colonel Biddle diligently instructed his command in military movements and prepared it to render efficient service whenever opportunity should offer.

On the 7th of July, the citizens of Cumberland, becoming alarmed by a report that a body of rebel cavalry was about to make a raid into that place, urged the colonel commanding the brigade, to occupy the city and protect the lives and property of the citizens. The troops broke camp at night and arrived in Cumberland at twelve o'clock. They surrounded the town and laid on their arms till daylight, awaiting the approach of the enemy, who, however, learning of the arrival of so large a force, did not attempt to execute his designs. Colonel Biddle then directed his command to occupy the camps that had been previously occupied by the Indiana regiment.

From this point scouting parties were frequently sent out to reconnoitre the country in every direction. These expeditions were intrusted to the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas L. Kane of the Bucktail regiment. One of the most considerable of these excursions was made to New Creek on the 12th of July. The day after the scouting party had left camp, the entire command followed and camped about two miles from New Creek towards Cumberland. Lieutenant-Colonel Kane posted his men in a house a short distance from the village on the road towards Romney. Before daylight on Sunday morning, a great noise was heard at the New Creek depot; a detachment of men was sent from the house to ascertain the cause of the uproar, and were instructed, if they discovered the enemy, to fire on him and retreat to the house so as to draw his forces under fire of the concealed riflemen. The skirmishers advanced within one hundred yards of the enemy, delivered their fire and retired towards the house, closely pursued by the enemy's cavalrymen. When the troopers came within easy range they received a well-aimed volley of rifle shot which emptied their saddles and caused the precipitate flight of the whole force, leaving Lieutenant-Colonel Kane and his party in quiet possession of the village.

In his report of the affair to Colonel Biddle, LieutenantColonel Kane says:

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