Summary:
In this August, 1863, dispatch, Union General Darius Couch, commanding the Department of the Susquehanna at Chambersburg, writes Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin to protest the governor's decision to remove troops from the Pennsylvania mining regions. Couch expresses the opinion that this would be disastrous for mine operation, and states that the governor would have to accept responsibility for any negative result.

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Governor CURTIN,
Harrisburg, Pa.:

CHAMBERSBURG, PA.,

August 8, 1863.

You certainly cannot mean for me to withdraw those troops from Pottsville before others can replace them.

In my opinion you subject every coal mine there to the risk of being destroyed. Order off these, you may have Pottsville laid in ashes and a thousand barbarities committed before the Gen. Government can assemble forces to protect her rights and your people.

If you demand it, every militiaman shell be turned over to you; but the responsibility must rest upon yourself. I trust you will give this your most careful deliberation.

D. N. COUCH,
Maj.-Gen.

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Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 3, Volume 3, Serial No. 124, Pages 657, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.