1 Bucks County Intelligencer, Return of the Doylestown
Guards. July 30, 1861 Page 3 Col. 1 1
Return of the Doylestown Guards.—The term of en-
listment of Doylestown Guards ninety days ex-
pired on the 28th inst. (Sunday.) With Gen. Patterson’s
whole command, they were withdrawn from Virginia
more than a week ago, and after remaining two or three
days in the vicinity of Harper’s Ferry, the Guards were
conveyed to Harrisburg by way of Baltimore, arriving at
the State capital on Wednesday last. A pretty full ac-
count of their perambulations is given in our correspond-
ence published elsewhere. On Friday, by the tact of
Captain Davis, the men were paid off without being sub-
ject to the delay which has occurred in the cases of many
of our volunteer companies. They were then mustered by
the proper officer, and honorably discharged form the pub-
lic service. Three months’ pay was given to each man.
The Guards reached Philadelphia on Friday evening, and
most of them took up their quarters in the Diligent En-
gine house, the place of rendezvous during their outward
passage through the city.
It had been announced in Doylestown on Friday that the
Guards would reach home in Saturday morning’s train,
and most of our people were therefore prepared to extend
to them a cordial greeting. The town was in a bustle for
some time previous to the arrival of the cars, for the news
of their coming had spread abroad with great rapidity.
The troop of cavalry under command of Captain James S.
Mann, were on hand, ready to perform escort duty. The
inhabitants gathered, in great force near the railroad sta-
tion, in numbers nearly equal to the crowd that witnessed
the departure of the company. Many of them watched
anxiously for the coming of a near and dear relative,
while all expected to grasp in welcome the hands of our
gallant townsmen. When the train rolled up to the plat-
form with our boys on board, a hearty cheer arose from
the crowd, while numbers rushed forward to greet the
men as they emerged from the cars, each with his knap-
sack slung and looking grim enough to strike terror to
the heart of a secessionist. After spending a few minutes
in shaking hands with their friends, the Guards were
formed into line ready for the march up town. The Union
Troop of Cavalry took the lead in the procession, and were
succeeded by a handsome banner and an arch covered
with wreathed evergreens, and martial music at the head
of a large number of citizens. Then followed the Guards,
as coolly and patiently as if they were still toiling on
through the dust rising from the sacred soil of Virginia,
and bending under the weight of their loaded knapsacks.
Their muskets and cartridge boxes were all that had been
left behind. These had been given up at Harrisburg, to
be placed in the hands of men going forward to the con-
flict. The Guards marched through Main and Court
streets to the Court House, where they held a private
meeting which lasted a few minutes, and were then mar-
shalled for the last time in close ranks in the street in
front. Here they were briefly addressed by Capt. Davis,
in acknowledgement of their honorable and soldierly con-
duct while under his command, and then the order was
given—“ Right face !—Break ranks !—March !”—and
that was the last of the Doylestown Guards. The boys
struck for home in an instant, and in five minutes not a
soldier was on the spot. That day many a family circle
was made complete by the restoration of a husband, a son
or a brother who had been absent in the cause of the
Union.
The Guards returned home in good health and spirits,
with few exceptions. Edgar Kibby, it will be remembered,
died while the company was at the Arsenal, in Washing-
ton. A week or two ago, Orderly Sergeant Jas. Reed
Orem was taken sick—it is thought with typhus fever.—
He was left at Harper’s Ferry when the company started
for Harrisburg. Charles W. Hoffman and William P.
Haney remained to take care of him. Sergeant Orem was
the only man on the sick list. The others are as hearty
as bucks, and have lived on such plain food as crackers
and bacon so long that their appetites and digestion may
be compared to those of an ostrich. Most of them have
improved in weight and stature during their absence.—
They are mostly well pleased with their experience their
chief regret being that they were not permitted by Gen.
Patterson to give the rebels a slight dose of their Minie
bullets. They blame Patterson as the cause of the de-
feat at Manassas, and insist that he might easily have
checked the advance of Johnston, if he had been so mind-
ed. They think that Patterson is in sympathy with the
South, though he looks like a brave and Honorable man.
His apology for his course they say is not well founded,
as all the men were ready to stay a few days longer if
they were to be led against the enemy. Their hearts were
saddened by the news of the Federal defeat before leav-
ing Harper’s Ferry, and their journey homeward was
thus rendered gloomy and spiritless. Quite a number of
the Guards intend to rejoin the army as soon as they have
finished their visit to their friends at home.
A party of the Guards—George and Samuel Hart, Jas.
M. Carver and Sergeant Stavely—impatient to reach their
families, obtained a carriage upon their arrival in Phila-
delphia, and made a night journey to Doylestown. They
reached here about 2 o’clock in the morning, and made
their appearance very unexpectedly to their friends.
Corporal Marple, of Davisville, also proceeded directly to
his home. Private Hensel was detached from the company
before its departure from Harper’s Ferry, to proceed to
Washington to look after the new uniforms and other bag-
gage of the men. The uniforms were obtained by Capt.
Davis some time since, but the men were afterwards
obliged to give them up, as the whole regiment could not be
supplied at that time. They are of handsome blue cloth,
and are well made. Mr. Gensel, having been appointed to
a lieutenantcy in the regular army, is ordered to report
for duty at Washington on the 6th of August. His stay in
Doylestown must therefore be exceedingly brief.