John Denithorne's men took a vote upon the subject, and only two of them, Sam. and Charlie Milligan, were willing to remain. Colonel Jennings came down to see the Captain with the object of getting our own company into his regiment, which was then being formed, and all who were ready numbering forty-five marched up to the quarters of the mustering officer to be sworn in, but to our great mortification after waiting for a time we were taken back to the tents. Lieutenant McCord then told us that with those men we could only retain our Lieutenants, and would lose our Captain, to which he and all the rest objected. Toward evening Denithorne's company and a large number of ours left for home.
(Sunday.) Early in the morning two or three of us went over to see Owen Eachus, who was orderly sergeant of a company of students from Lewisburg. The next company to us on the ground was from a college at Gettysburg and I struck up quite an acquaintance with one young fellow who was guarding the officers' tent. I will have more to tell of them hereafter. Sometime in the day Colonel Jennings sent word that we could retain our officers with fifty men and we made desperate exertions to raise the required number, calling the roll frequently and endeavoring to hunt up recruits through camp. It was all in vain however, as we never got above forty-eight. At noon Mr. Ashenfelter[1] left for Phoenix and I sent a letter home by him. Colonel Ramsey arrived from the Iron Company with another order recalling positively their hands, which was read aloud and completely destroyed what little hope was left. Cyrus Nyce and Web. Davis from the Pottstown company came over to our tents and tried to persuade some of us to go
- ↑ Henry Ashenfelter.
