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Semi-Weekly Dispatch: October 11, 1861 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

The Election
(Column 1)

Summary: Announces that in the preliminary election returns, Mr. Nill is projected to have won a majority of about 600 in Franklin County and that his overall majority should be about 500 or 550 in the entire district.

Voting in Camps
(Column 1)

Summary: Voices an objection to allowing soldiers in camps to vote in elections, because voting disturbs soldiers who are engaged in fighting for their country.

Origin of Article: Philadelphia Bulletin

Full Text of Article:

Now that the election is over, we can urge a matter which we have heretofore refrained from urging, lest our motives might be misconstrued: that is, the repeal of the law providing for the holding of elections in the camps of the Pennsylvania volunteers, on the regular election days. As it has been claimed that a majority of our volunteers were Democrats, it might have been pretended that we opposed the law because its operation might favor the Democratic cause. The reverse proves to the be fact; for, so far as can be ascertained, the Democrats, although actively canvassed, polled a much smaller vote than the People's Party's men, at the election held yesterday.

But no matter who may be in the majority, the effect of the law is bad. Soldiers engaged in the service of the country, with an enemy almost within sight, should not be disturbed by electioneering politicians. It is evident that they think so themselves, for in some regiments no polls were opened, and in those where they were opened, scarcely half the men voted. This proves that when men go to fight, they do not care to vote, and probably not one volunteer in twenty would consider himself injured by being deprived of the right of sufferage while in the army. The officers of the army, we know, from the Commander-in-Chief down, condemn the law, and it was contemplated, at one time, to forbid voting in the camps. But is was propably [sic] thought well to try a single experiment, the opportunity being thought favorable, as there was no danger of an attack from the enemy. But as it has been proved that the soldiers do not set a very high value on the privilege of voting while in active service, we trust that the law will be repealed at the next session of the Legislature, or else that the opening of the polls and the introduction of politicians into the camps will be forbidden by the General in command. The effect of carrying party politics into the army cannot foil to be most demoralizing.--Phila. Bulletin.

Election Day
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that election day was marked by no particular incidents, and that the weather was chilly in the morning, but "the sun came out very warm," causing the day to be a pleasant one.

Wagon Stolen
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports the theft of Mr. Alexander Martin's one-horse spring wagon from the alley outside his stable.
(Names in announcement: Mr. Alexander Martin)

Cool
(Column 1)

Summary: Relates that one warm day during the previous week, Mr. J. Geo. Wolf hung his coat and vest on a stake while working in one of his father's fields. His coat was subsequently stolen, with the thief taking care to place the papers that had been in the pockets of the coat into the vest before leaving.

Suicide
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that D. Watson, a middle-aged man who had previously failed in his attempts to secure a position in the army, committed suicide on Sunday at the Jones' House in Harrisburg.

Patriotic Firemen
(Column 1)

Summary: Relates that the Hope Fire Company turned out four officers and thirty privates for three months' service and four officers, fifteen privates, and a telegraph operator for three years' service.

An Example
(Column 1)

Summary: Points out Mr. John Monn, Sr., of Quincy township as an example to all Northern men. Mr. Monn, 91 years of age, turned out at the ballot box the previous Tuesday to cast his ballot.

More Soldiers
(Column 2)

Summary: Announces that Mr. A. Jack Brand is attempting to raise a company of infantry and that Mr. J. T. Hoskinson, clothier of Chambersburg, is raising either a Zouave or a Rifle company.
(Names in announcement: Mr. A. Jack Brand, Mr. J. T. Hoskinson)

Departure of the Troops
(Column 2)

Summary: Reports that the soldiers from Colonel F. S. Stumbaugh's Regiment left Chambersburg on Monday evening, bound for Pittsburgh, but after marching from their encampment around 4 o'clock, they waited for two hours in the pouring rain before their train arrived. Some of the soldiers became intoxicated, and one was "terribly mangled" when he was run over by the cars.

Full Text of Article:

Col. F. S. Stumbaugh's Regiment left this place on Monday evening last, for Pittsburgh. Owing to bad management somewhere, the soldiers were marched from their encampment about four o'clock, P. M., at which time they were to take the cars, but were detained at the depot in the midst of a drenching rain, for two hours. The soldiers had supplied themselves with mean whisky before they left, and consequently, many of them became intoxicated, producing a great deal of confusion and fighting. Through the efforts of the officers, a partial quiet was restored, when the cars left, bearing them towards their Western destination.

A soldier named Myers, from Luzerne County, connected with this Regiment, but to what Company we have not been informed, was run over by the cars when near Carlisle, and terribly mangled. It is supposed that he jumped from the train, when the accident occurred. He was discovered the next morning by the Freight train, which passed over him, and on going back to pick him up, he was found to be cold, which is evidence that he met his death the evening before. His remains were taken to Carlisle and interred.

Not True
(Column 2)

Summary: Explains that the rumor concerning the shooting of Colonel Knipe was a hoax, probably perpetrated by a woman on the run from the authorities of Colonel Knipe's regiment. The woman had pretended to be a man in order to be near her husband, but was discovered and ran away.

Full Text of Article:

The report that Col. Knipe was shot by a soldier, turns out to be a hoax, which probably owes its origin to the following:

A supposed young man, of feminine manners and appearance, belonging to the regiment, was detailed as hospital nurse, where, having control of the supplies, he become [sic] somewhat addicted to an indiscriminate use of the wines, and in an unguarded movement divulged the fact that she was a female, the wife, it is said, of one of the privates. Finding her sex discovered, and learning that she was to be discharged, she managed to obtain the countersign, passed the guard, and made her way, still in male attire, to a neighboring farm-house. She had her hand bound up with a handkerchief, and begged some camphor to put upon it. She then stated that she was the son of Col. Knipe, that he had been assassinated by a private, a friend of Lanagan, and she had received the wound in attempting to save the Colonel's life. She wanted a horse and buggy to pursue the murderer to Rockville, where she knew he had gone. The unsuspecting farmer conveyed her to Rockville, upon promise of remuneration; but on arriving there she gave him the slip, and has not since been heard of, except, perhaps, by the reporter who so ingeniously furnished the press with the information referred to.

Marriages
(Column 3)

Summary: Mr. Curt. Lowry and Miss Lydia Myers, both of Quincy township, were married on October 8.

Marriages
(Column 3)

Summary: Mr. Henry Gushart and Miss Sarah M. Swartz, both of St. Thomas township, were married on October 3.