Rev. Mr. Scandlin In Fitchburg

The town hall in Fitchburg was filled to overflowing, Wednesday evening, to listen to the appeal of  the Rev. Mr. Scandlin in behalf of the Fifteenth regiment.  Hanson L:. Reed, Esq., presided, and the esteemed chaplain made a statement of the conditions and wants of the regiment, which, the Sentinel says, “met a warm and sympathetic response in the hearts of  the large audience present, as was manifested by many a tearful eye.

Dr. Hitchcock followed him, speaking as an eye and ear witness of the events immediately after the battle of Ball’s Bluff, and paying a tribute of respect to the heroic devotion of the chaplain of the regiment during those  dark and sad days.  Remarks were also made by Rev. Mr. Loud, Rev. Mr. Trask and others, in response to the appeal that had been made.

Corporal George T. Daniels, who was wounded in the fight, has opened  recruiting books at the office of A. P. Kimball, Esq., and it is thought the patriotism of Worcester north will in a few days accomplish its full part in repairing the broken ranks of the Fifteenth.

Rules For Enlistment

As there has been some misunderstanding of the rules and qualifications for enlisting recruits, Lieutenant  Jorgensen requests us to publish the following:

Any free white male person above the age of eighteen and under the age of forty-five years, being at least five feet two inches in height, effective, able bodied, sober, free from disease, of good character and habits, and with a competent knowledge of the English language, may be enlisted.  No person who is under the age of twenty one years is to be enlisted without the written consent of his parent, guardian, or master.  Blanks for this latter purpose can be obtained at the recruiting office.

Pay and rations commence on enlistment.  A bounty of $100 will be paid at the end of the war.  The state aid  for families commences from the date of mustering into the service of the United States .  Upon application at the adjutant general’s office of this state, giving the name, place of enlistment, name of enlisting officer, and number of regiment, a certificate will be issued to the applicant.  this certificate must be presented to the selectmen of the town in which the applicant for aid lives.

City and County
Meeting in Aid of the Fifteenth Regiment

There was a large assemblage of citizens at the City Hall, last evening to listen to Rev. Mr. Scandlin and others, who were to speak in aid of the recruiting for the gallant Fifteenth.  His honor Mayor Davis presided, who, after appropriate remarks introduced Mr. Scandlin, who spoke for an hour in an earnest and eloquent manner, appealing to the patriotism of the citizens of Worcester to respond worthily to the call which is now made upon them.

He drew many graphic pictures of scenes and incidents in the late fight, at which our officers and men bore themselves so bravely against such terrible odds.  The men seemed to have perfect confidence in their officers and the officers perfect reliance on their men.  While the banners of other regiments were trailed in the dust or destroyed, to prevent their capture, the colors of the fifteenth, given to them by the ladies of Worcester , were sacredly and  safely guarded, and borne unsullied from the field amid the fire of bullets, in fulfillment of the pledge made by Col. Devens on receiving it.

He concluded by submitting the honor of the regiment to the men of Worcester county, who sent them to the field, trusting the city would be equal to the country towns in which he had spoken, in zeal and efforts for the good cause.  Judge Chapin was then introduced, and made a spirited and stirring appeal to the young men to rally again at the call of their country.  Like the mayor, he had been almost tempted to enter himself into the service.  But it was in the order of Providence for the young and vigorous to lead in service of this kind, while it was the duty of those who remained behind to aid them in every possible manner.

In this struggle two modes of civilization, totally irreconcilable, and as impossible to be mixed as oil and water, were striving for the mastery, it was a face to face conflict with freedom and slavery, and one or the other must prevail universally, one or the other must be extinguished, there is no other alternative.:

Those who shed their blood like rain,
The fathers of our race,
They surely shed their blood in vain,
If we their names disgrace!

If Freedom’s forces rally not
On mountain, vale, and strand,
To wipe away the dark plague spot
That curses this our land.

At the conclusion of Judge Chapin’s remarks, a committee was appointed, consisting of Hon. Dwight Foster, A. McF. Davis, and Charles B. Pratt, to aid in enlisting recruits in this city for the fifteenth regiment.  The meeting then adjourned.

RECRUITING FOR THE FIFTEENTH

Lieut. Jorgensen sent, on Wednesday, twenty more recruits to the fifteenth regiment, making ninety-one in all sent by him.  He expects to make the number up to one hundred by the last of this week.

To The Friends of the Fifteenth Regiment.

We are happy to learn that Rev. Mr. Scandlin, chaplain of the fifteenth regiment, has so far recovered from his recent indisposition as to be able to resume his labors in behalf of his regiment.  In a note addressed to us he writes as follows:  “during the winter months there will be many days when the usual duties of camp life will be prevented by the inclemency of the season.  To ward off the usual monotony of such periods, and turn them into seasons of culture and profit, I propose the organization of a regimental library.

Any person desiring to contribute books for the purpose may forward them to the care of Lieut. Jorgensen, Lincoln House Block, before the 4^th of January, 1862 .  I notice in your issue this morning a statement that ‘the volunteers at some of the encampments are charged four cents for postage stamps.’  no such charge can be placed on the record of the fifteenth.”

FIFTEENTH REGIMENT   

The committee of twenty one appointed to superintend recruiting  for the fifteenth regiment, in this city, composed of the following named gentlemen, Hon. W. W. Rice,  C. B. Pratt,  Geo. Spaulding,  Geo. Sumner,  T. J. Spurr,  Alexander Thayer,  James P. Paine, Michael O’Driscoll, Isaac D. Matthews,  Alanson Carey,  Rev. J. J. Power,  Francis Strong,  Patrick O’Keefe, Philander Bodwell, Wm. L. Clarke,  E. N. Childs,  A. McF. Davis,  Wm. Adams,  A. G. Walker,  Joseph Walker,  T. W. Wellington, are requested to meet at the office of A. McF. Davis, No. 188 Main street, this afternoon at four o’clock.  PER ORDER  A. McF. DAVIS.

The Fifteenth Regiment

The committee of twenty one, appointed to superintend the recruiting in this city for this regiment, shortly after their appointment solicited subscriptions in aid of that object.  There was collected on these subscriptions the sum of $225.80, and probably a much larger sum could have been collected.  But the gentlemen who had the matter in charge thought that the resolutions upon the subject, passed in the two caucuses held for the nomination of city officers, expressed the sentiments of the people so clearly as to the manner in which money  for this purpose should be raised , that they did not extend their efforts to raise money beyond what they conceived to be their immediate necessities demanded.

The committee have advanced to Lieut. Jorgensen, to meet his various expenses, the sum of seventy dollars.  A portion of this amount will be refunded by the government, when he shall settle for his office, printing, & ect., but the greater part has been expended by him; in extraordinary expenses, for which the government makes no allowance.  They have expended $25.49 for the printing and distribution of circulars, posters, & ect., and have paid an agent $24.58 for fifteen days services, and his expenses during that time.

The agent employed, Mr. C. M. Ruggles of this city, devoted his entire labor during that time to the service of procuring recruits for company D.  Besides laboring in Worcester he visited the towns of Auburn , Shrewsbury , Paxton, Rutland , Clappsville, Charlton, Holden, Hubbardston and Gardner , personally endeavoring to procure recruits.  In the majority of these towns, through his agency, meetings were held and committees were appointed to canvas their respective localities.  In addition to this he corresponded with the selectmen of other towns.  His labors met with no immediate success, thought it is to be hoped that their effect may ultimately be felt.  He was kindly aided in his labors by Mr. C. B. Pratt of this city, who allowed him to use his team for that purpose, free of charge.

The experience of Mr. Ruggles led him to believe that the offer of  a bounty would act as a spur to the recruiting  service.  In his opinion The Rev. Mr. Scandlin fully concurred, and the committee who have this matter in charge, voted at a meeting held at A. McF. Davis’s office on Saturday afternoon, to authorize Mr. Davis to petition the city to appropriate a sum of money which would enable Lieut. Jorgensen to offer a suitable bounty for recruits  for company D.

A few citizens of the town of Uxbridge have offered a bounty of ten dollars to recruits for Co. H, and, either through that means or the activity and influence of their agents, they have secured a number of recruits since doing so.  By the payment of a small bounty, the committee have secured some recruits, and if they had the means to advertise bounty they would soon fill the ranks of Co. D.  Unfortunately, the funds of the committee are at so low an ebb, by the payments made yesterday, that they cannot actually pay but a few more recruits, but it is to be hoped that the city will make a suitable appropriation for this purpose at the next meeting of the city government.

Lieut. Jorgensen will send a squad of eighteen men to Boston this morning.  Nearly all of these men have been secured to the service by the bounty, and the greater part of them enlisted yesterday.  All of these men would have gone into company H, had not the timely intervention of the committee secured a few.

Recruits enlisting in Worcester ought naturally to be placed in company D, but the presence of an agent from another town prepared to pay a bounty, will prevent this, unless the same bounty can be offered here.  It would be very unwise t enter into any competition with the citizens of Uxbridge, or any other towns in the offer of bounties, but it is plain that we have got to offer a small bounty, say ten dollars to each recruit, if we would fill our company

                                                                                                                              Com.

To the Editor of the Spy:  In an article headed “The Fifteenth Regiment” in your issue of the 21^st inst., it appears that the committee on recruiting in Worcester voted to petition the city to appropriate a sum of money which would enable me to offer a suitable bounty for recruits for company D.  I wish you to rectify this, as I cannot offer any bounty to any recruit for any particular company.  Such offers must be made and paid to the recruit by citizens of the town which made the offer.  I enlist men for the regiment, and, as a recruiting officer, have no partially for any particular company.

Yours, very truly
H. P. Jorgensen, 15^th Reg., M. V.

City and County
The Worcester Committee In The Fifteenth regiment 

The citizens committee to facilitate the recruiting for the fifteenth regiment petitioned the city government, a few evenings since, to appropriate a sum sufficient, so that a bounty might be offered, in order to speedily secure recruits for company D.  But as the city cannot legally appropriate money for such a purpose, it becomes necessary to resort to private subscriptions to raise the required funds.  Twenty three recruits are needed at the present time for the city company in this regiment, and it depends upon the liberality and patriotism of our citizens whether the work shall be successfully prosecuted or not.

Objections may be urged to this action on the ground that the offering of a bounty is prejudicial to the recruiting service.  this, as a general rule, is certainly true.  But it should be remembered that we are not now engaged in rallying men under the standard of a new regimental organization with its many attracting influences and the public excitement running high on the war question.  The present duty is to fill up the ranks of our own company in a regiment which has nobly sustained the ancient name and fame of the commonwealth in the rude shock of battle.

The public enthusiasm, an important auxiliary in the work of enlistments is now dormant.  The means ordinarily used have failed to yield success.  The company and the regiment under these unfavorable auspices will never receive their much needed levy of recruits unless every true patriotic citizen will come forward cheerfully and aid in this important work to the extent of his ability.

It concerns the honor of the county that the Massachusetts fifteenth should have its thousand good men and true to respond to the call of duty; it equally concerns the honor of the city of Worcester that its own company shall not want men.

Company H. in this regiment was made up, principally from the towns of Northbridge and Uxbridge.  At a meeting recently held in Uxbridge, and addressed by Rev. Mr. Scandlin. a committee was appointed to consider what course should be adopted to promptly fill the company, which required some eighteen recruits.  The committee after several consultations, were of the unanimous opinion, that it was advisable to offer a bounty.  Three or four citizens of Uxbridge immediately subscribed over two hundred dollars, and in ten days time, eighteen able-bodied men were engaged for company H.

It remains to be seen, whether the citizens of Worcester will imitate the timely and liberal action of the Uxbridge people.  Measures will be instituted by the citizens committee in order to collect a fund by private subscription to enable them to offer a bounty of ten dollars to each man enlisting in company D.  Those persons who may not chance to receive a call from the soliciting agents, and wish to subscribe to the fund, can be accommodated by leaving their names and the amount of their subscriptions with Lieut. Jorgensen, at the recruiting office in Lincoln House Block.

                                                                                                                                          COM.

What Northbridge Has Done For The War\
Northbridge, Jan. 29, 1862

Editor of the Spy:  In yesterdays edition, in speaking of what the town of Uxbridge has done by way of sending men to the war, you ask, “What town can show a fairer record?”  I do not wish to speak at all disparagingly of what that town has done; but I think that there are several towns in the county that are some distance ahead of her.  The town of Northbridge , which joins Uxbridge, has, to say the least, sent one hundred and twenty five men to the war.

Some two or three weeks since, in speaking of the bounty offered by a few citizens of Uxbridge, you said that company H was composed principally of men from the towns of Uxbridge and Northbridge.  Now I may be mistaken; but I venture the assertion that not ten men in Co. H were citizens of or came from the town of Uxbridge at the time the fifteenth left for the seat of the war. A stranger would have supposed that Uxbridge furnished as many or nearly as many men as Northbridge, which did not begin to be the case.

I notice also, in speaking of the issuing of commissions for members of the fifteenth from the headquarters in Boston , the name of James Taft of Uxbridge, as 2d lieutenant.  Very good.  Mr. Taft is worthy of the honor.  But why “of Uxbridge,” when Mr. Taft at the time of his enlistment owned and occupied a farm in Northbridge, and by holding town office had gained a residence there?

“Honor to whom honor is due.”  Give us fair play, if we don’t publish all our actions.  All honor to Uxbridge for what she has done, but her neighbor Northbridge can show a fairer record as yet.

                                                                                                                                                    S

Lieut. Col. Ward of the fifteenth regiment, it is understood, arrives here by the steam boat train this morning.  Mrs. Ward went on by the boat train last evening to meet him at New London .

Recruits For The Fifteenth

Lieutenant Jorgensen has forty six men in camp, in addition to those already sent, who will go to Poolesville the first of next week.

The Fifteenth  

Major J. W. Kimball of Fitchburg , Capt. Watson of the Oxford company, and Capt. Philbrick of the Northbridge company of the fifteenth Massachusetts regiment, are at home, on a short furlough.  They report matters all right, at Poolesville.  Lieut. Jorgensen has recruited 67 men for this regiment since the first of January, who will start from Camp Cameron for Poolesville, this afternoon.

Recruits For The Fifteenth

Sixty-eight recruits for the fifteenth Massachusetts regiment, left Camp Cameron for the seat of the war, yesterday afternoon, by the Norwich route, passing through this city in the regular train about seven o’clock .  They were under charge of Lieut. Taft of Co. H., and Sergeant Doane of Co. F.  They are a fine looking body of men, and appeared in excellent spirits.

                                                   Recruiting For The Fifteenth

Lieut. Col. Ward, Lieut. H. P. Jorgensen of Co. A., Leominster , sergeant A. E. Shumway of Co. E., Oxford , sergeant Shove of Co. K., Blackstone, corporal Collar of Co. H., Northbridge, and private Ralph T. Phinney of Co. D., Worcester , have been detailed from the fifteenth regiment, for six months, to recruit for the Massachusetts regiments.

City and County 

Lieut. Col. Ward was strong enough to pay the recruiting office a visit on Saturday, and satisfy many people who have been anxious to talk with him.  His crutches and missing leg are eloquent reminders of how much he has willingly sacrificed on the altar of patriotism.  We trust the gallant colonel will never again be obliged to face such fearful odds as the fifteenth found opposed to them at Ball’s Bluff.