The Alleghanian, Ebensburg, Pa. Thursday, October 3, 1861 Volume 3, Number 2 To the Ladies of Cambria County As winter is rapidly approaching when our brave soldiers now in arms for the cause of Liberty and Justice will need to be provided with warm and comfortable clothing, it has been suggested that the patriotic ladies of the State be allowed to come forward and contribute a willing share to the Good Cause. Acting on this hint, the Quartermaster General of the State has issued a call for blankets and stockings, and the ladies of many counties have already formed themselves into associations to furnish the articles. The ladies of Cambria should not be behind in the matter. Four or five thousand pairs of stockings could easily be furnished and the time consumed in their manufacture scarcely be missed. Will you not interest yourself, lady reader, in this behalf? Let those knit who never knit before and those who knit, why, let them knit the more. And thus you can show your appreciation for the Government that fosters and protects you, and your solicitude and careful regard for the comfort of the volunteers that are doing battle for the perpetuity of that Government. The following official notice from the Quartermaster General explains more fully the state of the case: Headquarters, Pa. Militia Quartermaster’s Department Harrisburg, Sept. 10, 1861 Pennsylvania needs Blankets and Stockings for her 30,000 brave soldiers in arms to support the Government. Every factory capable of making Blankets even to a single loom should at once be put in operation. Liberal contracts will be given to all such. Blankets should be wool grey; 7 feet long by 5 ft. 6 in. wide and weigh full 5 pounds with the letters, P.V., in black, 4 inches long in the center of each Blanket. Stockings will be needed for the coming winter, half hose or socks, good sizes, one-fourth pound each. Let every mother, wife and sister knit one or more pairs. Let associations be formed in each county with a treasurer at the county seat with whom the stockings can be deposited and forwarded to the military store of Harrisburg. The United States contract price, twenty-five cents per pair, will be paid to each county treasurer and thus a fund can be raised to supply the wants of volunteer families to which every patriotic woman in the State can contribute her share. R. C. Hale, Quartermaster General, P. M. An Accident and Narrow Escape On last Friday, during the continuation of a heavy rain storm our old and much respected fellow townsman, John Williams, Esq., met with an accident that came well nigh proving fatal. He is the proprietor of a mill a short distance below town and was returning at the time from an inspection of the damn attached thereto, the safety of which was endangered by the unusually high water. While crossing what is commonly known as the “overshoot” or outlet by which the surplus water escapes and across which a narrow flimsy bridge had been thrown, a plank broke and precipitated him into the seething torrent beneath. So terrific was the force of the angry waters that he was swept over the falls, down into the reservoir beneath and on and on with the current, through piles of logs and brushwood and over rocks and stones, for a distance of a hundred rods or so, in almost an instant! At this point he succeeded in obtaining a foothold and although nearly drowned, managed to regain terra firma once more. He was considerably bruised by his perilous voyage but not seriously injured and at the present date is almost entirely recovered. He lost several dollars in change, a pocket-book containing valuable papers, a bunch of keys and several other articles in the stream. The preservation of Mr. W. from instant death or serious injury is indeed wonderful and can only be attributed to Providential interference. He has had many “hairbreadth escapes by flood and field” in his life, but none more narrow than this. Letters from Our Volunteers [The following letter was intended for last week’s issue, but came to hand too late for insertion. We hope our correspondents will mail their favors that we may receive them by Tuesday as that is the last day of grace for such matters.] Camp Tennally, September 23 1861 Fort Pennsylvania, on which the 11th had been working for some time recently has been completed and fifteen guns mounted. The Fort is surrounded by a ditch twelve feet wide and eight feet deep; large limbs and tree tops are placed around on the outside of the ditch, pinned to the ground, the small branches being cut off which causes it to present a very formidable appearance. There are two other Forts being built, one about one and a half miles Southeast of Fort Pennsylvania, and the other about three miles North or Northeast. They are built on elevated ground, commanding a large scope of country. The Reserve has the building of these forts. The Second Brigade builds the one North of Fort Pennsylvania. The Reserve has been divided into Brigades and Brig. Gen. Mead commands the Second, which is composed of the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 11th Regiments and Kane’s Rifles. The Rifles form the right and the 11th the left. I do not know what Regiments form the other three Brigades. On Saturday morning the different Brigades of the Reserve were viewed by Gens. McClellan and McCall. They were followed by a number of other officers and also by Prince De Joinville, his son and nephew. A very large crowd had assembled to witness the parade. The health of the troops, as a general thing, is good. There are several cases of Typhoid fever in some of the Regiments; one in the 11th and also a few cases of Ague. The following is the programme of each day: At sunrise, Reveille, at which time breakfast is to be ready; two Company and two Regimental drills per days; Dinner at one o’clock, or rather, when it suits; retreat at sunset; tattoo **[this word as appears in the newspaper] at 9 o’clock, taps at 10 o’clock. Brig. Gen. Mead is very strict with his orders, neither officers nor soldiers being permitted to pass the chain sentinels without a written pass from the Col., stating the business of the bearer. A soldier cannot go fifty rods along any of the roads from his quarters unless he has a pass without being arrested by the patrol. We have been favored with very pleasant weather for the last few days. Co. A. enjoys good health and the men are in excellent spirits. We were paid off yesterday. Each man received $15.90, ten dollars in Treasury notes, and the balance in silver. Signed: K _________________________________________________________________ See how Windows connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your life. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093175mrt/direct/01/