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Valley Spirit, June 13, 1866 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Statistics from the Report of the Provost-Marshal-General
(Column 7)

Summary: With the aid of statistics issued by the War Department, the article compares the sums collected from commutation, on a state-by-state basis, during the war, and provides data concerning black troops.

Full Text of Article:

In the New York Times , of the 21st ult., we find the following statistics. We furnish them in the language of the Times correspondent:

I have collected some interesting facts yet wrapt up in red tape of the War Office. I give the totals of the different States, paid into the United States Treasury as commutation money during the war. According to the great table, the great State of Illinois paid the least, while that of Pennsylvania paid the largest sum--the difference being $8,613,400! It is difficult to account for this vast difference on any hypothesis which will apply alike to all sections. The following amounts were paid by the people of the different States for commutation during the war:

Main	$ 640,200
New Hampshire	288,500
Vermont	503,400
Massachusetts	1,610,400
Rhode Island	147,300
Connecticut	457,200
New York	5,485,700
New Jersey	1,265,700
Pennsylvania	8,634,300
Delaware	416,100
Maryland	1,131,900
Dis't Columbia	96,900
Kentucky	997,637
Ohio	1,978,887
Illinois	19,900
Indiana	235,500
Michigan	614,700
Wisconsin	1,633,600
Iowa	22,500
Minnesota	316,800
Total	$ 26,366,316

This sum was collected by the Provost Marshal's bureau, at an expense of less than seven-tenths of one per cent., and without the loss of a dollar through neglect, accident, fraud or otherwise. It has been disposed of as follows:

Disbursed on account of enrollment, draft, substitutes, &c.	$ 16,976,211
Balance in the United States Treasury	9,300,105

Certainly it would be impossible to indict an epistle without a reference to the "darkey," so I give herewith some facts respecting colored troops.

The recruitment of men of color by draft and substitution, was exclusively under the control of the Provost Marshal General's bureau; but their recruitment as volunteers was mainly under the "bureau for colored troops," especially established for that purpose. To present together the entire results of these operations, which, however, were produced in the main by the action of the bureau for colored troops, the following extract is made form the report of the chief of that bureau:

On the 15th of July, 1865, the date on which the last organization of colored troops was mustered in, there were in the service of the United States 120 regiments of infantry, 12 of heavy artillery, 10 companies of light artillery, and 7 regiments of cavalry--in all as follows:

Infantry	96,938
Heavy Artillery	15,662
Light Artillery	1,311
Cavalry	7,245
Total	123,156

The foregoing is the largest number of colored troops in service at one time during the war. The entire number of troops commissioned and enlisted in this branch of service during the war is 186,017, divided as follows among the States:

Maine	164
New Hampshire	126
Vermont	120
Rhode Island	1,837
Massachusetts	3,965
Connecticut	1,764
New York	4,125
New Jersey	1,155
Pennsylvania	8,612
Delaware	954
Maryland	3,718
District of Columbia	3,203
Virginia	5,723
North Carolina	5,085
West Virginia	196
South Carolina	5,462
Georgia	3,486
Florida	1,644
Alabama	4,996
Mississippi	17,809
Louisiana	24,062
Arkansas	5,526
Tennessee	20,132
Kentucky	23,706
Michigan	1,237
Ohio	5,002
Indiana	1,507
Illinois	1,611
Missouri	3,544
Minnesota	104
Iowa	440
Wisconsin	150
Kansas	2,680
Texas	47
Colorado Territory	96
At large	732
Not accounted for	5,083
Officers	7,122
Total	185,017

The report of the Provost Marshal General, soon to be issued from the Government Printing Office, will contain much interesting and valuable statistics.

J. Q. T.

Trailer: J. Q. T.

Origin of Article: New York Times

Editorial Comment: "In the New York Times of the 21st ult., we find the following statistics. We furnish them in the language of the Times correspondent."

The Duty of the Democracy
(Column 1)

Summary: According to the editorial, the Democratic Party is the country's only salvation in this time of crisis. Without its return to power, the piece maintains, the "great mission of healing the wounds and allaying the animosities of civil strife" is destined to fail.

Excerpt: "The radical policy, if successful, would not be restoration; it would simply be revolution."

The Hartfrant Convention
(Column 2)

Summary: Proclaiming the Soldiers Convention recently held in Pittsburgh a misnomer, the editor characterizes the proceedings as a "an infamous libel" upon the "name and fame" of the state's soldiers. He argues that rather than being a truly open forum where the veterans were free to debate the issues, the convention was actually "a gathering of abolition fanatics" who hoped to use the meeting as vehicle to promote the failing fortunes of Geary and the Republicans.

Full Text of Article:

A bogus Soldiers Convention was held in the city of Pittsburgh, on the 5th inst., in pursuance of a call issued by Major General Hartranft, an abolition office holder of this State. That this was intended to be mere a gathering of abolition fanatics to bolster the failing fortunes of "no prefix" Geary was apparent enough from the first. The fact that the call was published, paid for, in the abolition papers of the States, while it was carefully excluded from Democratic journals was proof sufficient on the point.

But if anything had been wanting to show the utter partisan character of the movement, the action of the Convention supplied the deficiency and dispelled all doubt on the subject. It was in all respects a packed Convention, gotten up to advance the election of General Geary to the Gubernatorial chair of Pennsylvania. No difference of political opinion was tolerated in the Convention. When a soldier from Berks county, a regularly elected delegate, expressed himself in favor of Heister Clymer for Governor, he was immediately and summarily ejected from the Convention. Whole delegations from several counties were denied admission because they were known to entertain sentiments opposed to the disunion programme of Stephens, Geary & Co. Such was the character of this gathering, which it would be a slander on the brave veterans of Pennsylvania, who periled life and all in defence of the Union, to delegate a "Soldier's Convention."

The resolutions adopted were of the most radical, disunion stamp, denouncing President Johnson, Hiester Clymer, the Democratic party and conservative Republicans, in language modeled after the vituperative harangues of Thaddeus Stevens. The declared the "war a failure," against a restoration of the union and in favor of disunion and despotism on the plan of Thad. Stevens' "irresponsible Central Directory."--Who will say that these are the sentiments of the soldiers of Pennsylvania? It is an infamous libel upon their fair name and fame, which they will not fail to resent at the proper time and place.

To show how the soldiers were represented in this Convention, we need but refer to the manner in which delegates were elected in our own county. A few seedy politicians about town met together in a side room and resolved to appoint themselves delegates, and did. There were just as many present, we are informed as were required to make a full delegation from this county. The meeting, therefore, came fully up to the expectations of its friends. It was regarded as a most decided success, which it undoubtedly was, so far as the parties present were concerned. But will say one have the effrontery to say that the five self-elected delegates from this county in the Pittsburgh Convention were in any proper sense, representatives of the five hundred or one thousand of honorably discharged soldiers in the county who had no voice in the selection? We trow not. Yet these unrepresented soldiers are the real, bona fide soldiers of the county--the rank and file who did the fighting.

And what is true of this county is true of perhaps every county in the State. In Cumberland county, where the same game was attempted, the conservative and Union-loving soldiers of the county, hearing of the trick, turned out, en masse and voted down the disunion tricksters by a vote of 150 to 20. The indignant twenty then seceded from the Convention, organized a side meeting of their own and elected five of their number as delegates to Pittsburgh, who were admitted, as a matter of course.--Here then, we find twenty bolters represented in the Pittsburgh Convention, while the one hundred and fifty who controlled the regular Convention at Carlisle, are refused a hearing. Do you call that a soldiers' Convention, where twenty are preferred over one hundred and fifty. Oh, shame!

A Civil Necessity
(Column 3)

Summary: In an attempt to further the divide among the conservative and radical factions of the Republican Party, the editorial admonishes office-holders to support the President.

Correspondence of the Valley Spirit
(Column 7)

Summary: Contains a letter from a former resident of the Keystone State, now living in West Virginia, who writes to publicize some of the annoyances encountered by those below the Mason Dixon line but unknown to northerners, namely the registry law which, he says, has disfranchised many of the staunchest supporters of the Union.

Full Text of Article:

CHARLESTOWN, JEFF. CO., VA., June 8, 1866

MESSRS. EDITORS: The people south of the Mason & Dixon's line have a great many annoyances not known to the people north of it. The registry law is one of the worst, and promises to be the fruitful source of lasting enmity between the two classes.--In this part of West Virginia, just about nine-tenths of the former resident voters are excluded, the few voters are mainly men from the northern States--army followers--who found a lodgment among us after the war. The counties are divided off into townships, and each township has its registrar whose business it is to register the voters. If these officials were men of known respectability and capacity, the evils and injustice attending it would be sufficient, but when they are composed as a rule, of the refuse of society, it becomes a nuisance of the greatest enormity. The idea for instance of the most intelligent men in the country going before a registrar who perhaps cannot spell his own name! To give your readers some notion of the workings of this registry law I will state that no man is allowed to register if he is known to be of character and property; or if he does register he is obliged to prove his loyalty.

I will mention several names known to many of your readers as staunch and unflinching friends of the Union, when it cost something to be such, whose property, life and liberty were more than once in jeopardy for their adhesion to the old flag--who are required to prove their loyalty--Dr. Magruder, A. W. McCleary, William Dorsey, &c, Now I don't know a single instance where men of this stamp are not inanited and sought to be deprived of citizenship. These were the men who gave character to the Union cause in this country--who upheld it in its darkest days. At an election in Martinsburg the supervisors of the election, required an oath from Dr. Pendleton and one of them gave as a reason that he was an aristocrat. Any one at all acquainted in Martinsburg, knows that the last named individual has always been known as a Union man of the straightest sect. His brother Edmund Pendleton a distinguished lawyer and a member of the convention that passed the ordinance of secession, was the only member from this entire region, who persistently refused to sigh that fell instrument, was imprisoned during the election through fear that he would use his influence for the conservative candidates. Is this not a hopeful state of things? If we are ever to have peace and prosperity, a different order of things must be inaugurated. As it is our country is a pretty good chunk of a hell.

Enough of this, as it is sufficient to fret the gizzard of an army chaplain to think of it.

The wheat here, as a general rule, looks badly, owing chiefly to the freezing weather in March and the fact that blue grass had got too great a start. A great many farms are almost covered with blue grass--the land not being worked during the war. Very large crops of corn have been put out and should it be seasonable, we will have an abundance of this great staple. It is now exactly twelve years since your humble correspondent left the Keystone State for the Valley of Virginia--and this day and hour twelve years ago I indited my first letter to your paper.

Mr. Editor this is my home, but while life lasts I shall never cease to whish well for my native State; and should harm threaten her shall be found ministering to her necessities like a dutch Uncle to a sick pig!

OGLETHORPE.

P. S.--We are watching with breathless anxiety the progress of the political contest going on in your State. How will it go? The cause of the Democracy is the cause of the entire South. Let every democrat be at his post and the most damning defeat ever experienced will be the lot of the negro worshippers this fall.

Trailer: OGLETHORPE

Local and Personal--Barn Burnt
(Column 1)

Summary: On June 8th, the barn belonging to George Greenawalt burned down after being struck by lightning. The report states that the building contained 400 or 500 bushels of wheat and several hundred bushels of corn, all of which was destroyed.
(Names in announcement: GeorgeGreenawalt)

Origin of Article: Record

Local and Personal--Sudden Death
(Column 1)

Summary: Last Tuesday, John Gipe, 80, died suddenly after an attack of apoplexy.
(Names in announcement: JohnGipe)

Origin of Article: Village Record

Married
(Column 4)

Summary: On May 13th, James McCurdy and Mary Lehner were married by Rev. P. S. Davis.
(Names in announcement: Rev.P. S.Davis, MargaretLehner, JamesMcCurdy)

Married
(Column 4)

Summary: On June 3rd, M. S. Newcome, of Mt. Morris, Ill., and Annie C. Funk were married by Rev. Henry C. Lesher.
(Names in announcement: Rev.Henry C.Lesher, M. S.Newcome, Annie C.Funk)

Married
(Column 4)

Summary: On May 17th, Jacob Coby and Lydia Plum were married by Rev. Henry C. Lesher.
(Names in announcement: Rev.Henry C.Lesher, JacobCoby, LydiaPlum)

Died
(Column 4)

Summary: On June 3rd, George Price, 23, died.
(Names in announcement: GeorgePrice)

Died
(Column 4)

Summary: On May 25th, Mary Stouffer, 63, died near Waynesboro.
(Names in announcement: MaryStouffer)

Died
(Column 4)

Summary: On June 2nd, John Sollenberger, 29, died of consumption.
(Names in announcement: JohnSollenberger)

Died
(Column 4)

Summary: On May 17th, John C. Rankin, 66, died in Mercersburg.
(Names in announcement: John C.Rankin)