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Semi-Weekly Dispatch: July 9, 1861 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

President's Message
(Column 2)

Summary: Lincoln outlines to the Senate and House of Representatives the course of the war thus far, including the firing on Fort Sumter, and discusses the constitutional issues surrounding the war. Then Lincoln asks for four hundred thousand volunteers and four hundred million dollars to step up the government effort against the secessionists.

The President's Message
(Column 1)

Summary: Comments that Lincoln's speech shows him to be the right man to be leading the country during this crisis.

Cheering in Congress
(Column 1)

Summary: Points out that after the part of his speech where Lincoln asked for 400,000 men and $400,000,000 to bring the war to an end more quickly, "the whole mass of the people rose up in their seats and vented their approbation in three tremendous cheers."

The "American Union"
(Column 1)

Summary: Announces that the Union troops who occupied Martinsburg, Virginia, have started a campaign newspaper called The American Union. Two of the people involved with the paper, S. A. Stouffer and John A. Seiders, are printers from Chambersburg.
(Names in announcement: S. A. Stouffer, John Seiders)

Advance into Virginia
(Column 1)

Summary: Describes a skirmish between the troops under Major-General Patterson who marched into Virginia the previous Tuesday and the Southern forces. Reports that the Southern forces turned and ran, and that they sustained many more deaths than did Union troops.

More Troops
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that in the past two days, more than three thousand troops have passed through Chambersburg on their way to join General Patterson's column in Virginia.

Promotion
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that Alexander Johnson, son of former governor Johnson of Pennsylvania, was promoted to Captain in the 16th U. S. Infantry. Captain Johnson passed through Chambersburg the previous morning.

On Furlough
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that J. William Reilly of Chambersburg has arrived in town on a two-month furlough. Reilly has been attending West Point Military Academy for the past two years. Reilly intends to return to the academy after his furlough, unless he is called into active duty.
(Names in announcement: William Reilly)

The Fourth in Chambersburg
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that there was no formal celebration in Chambersburg on the Fourth of July. Instead, there were only a few small picnic parties, and young boys set off firecrackers at the street corners. In the evening, however, the shining of the comet led the boys to stop setting off their "Sky Rockets and Roman Candles."

A Narrow Escape
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that H. P. Krebs, a picket guard stationed near the Maryland line for the protection of the Franklin Railroad, was fired upon the previous Tuesday night. Luckily, the ball passed through his cartridge box, whereas had the shot been a few inches further toward the right, it would have "doubtless killed him."
(Names in announcement: H. P. Krebs)

Marriages
(Column 2)

Summary: Mr. Peter Lansbouer and Miss Susan Silvers, both of Chambersburg, were married on June 30.
(Names in announcement: Mr. Peter Lansbouer, Miss Susan Silvers)

Marriages
(Column 2)

Summary: On July 1, Mr. George D. Kaufman of Pittsburgh and Miss Mary F. Weatherspoon of Chambersburg were married.
(Names in announcement: Mr. George D. Kaufman, Miss Mary F. Weatherspoon)