In August last, Captain William J. Palmer and others opened recruiting offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Harrisburg, and other chief cities of Pennsylvania, caused advertisements to be inserted in the most influential and widely circulated journals, aided by flaming and conspicuous posters, to the effect that they were authorized by General Buell, which authority was sanctioned by the War Department, to recruit a battalion of picked men, to act in the capacity of a body guard to Major-General Buell, commanding the Department of the Ohio; further positively asserting that the duty of the troop would be precisely like that being now performed by the original Anderson Troop, namely, to act as escort to the major-general commanding the aforesaid Department of the Ohio, and to perform special service as an independent organization, being permanently attached to headquarters.

It will be well remembered that at this time there was much excitement in Philadelphia, as elsewhere, concerning enlistments to fill the call for volunteers made by the President; but the inducements to join the Anderson Troop, just held out by Captain Palmer, being considered so much superior to those held forth by other organizations, that he was soon enabled to recruit his battalion, while others only drew their slow length along, making but comparatively slow progress in securing enlistments. Indeed, the fancy recruiting office of the Anderson Troop, on the southwest corner of Willing's alley, Philadelphia, was daily crowded by respectable young men, anxious applicants for membership in the Anderson Troop, none being considered eligible to membership save those who could produce unexceptionable written recommendations, attesting good moral character, general intelligence, and stern integrity. In a word, the opportunity was considered so rate, and the troop so superior in every respect, that doctors, lawyers, teachers, and professional men of every class who were desirous to serve their country in her hour of strong trial, were induced to close their offices and schools to join the troop as private soldiers, while merchants left their business places, others forsook lucrative positions, parents and guardians were anxious to have their sons and wards enrolled as members of the troop, and many having commissions in other organizations gave them up, all being willing to enter merely as privates in the troop, which was considered equivalent in point of honor to holding a lieutenant's or captain's commission elsewhere.

The recruiting officers finding efforts to recruit a battalion crowned with such unparalleled success, increased it to two battalions, subsequently increasing it to three battalions, still distinctively holding forth the idea that the whole command was to act as a body guard to General Buell, and perform special service, as originally announced to those recruited in the first battalion. However, many of those previously enlisted began to be alarmed at the increase of numbers, fearing they had been deceived by the enlisting officers, and were not to perform the service they were enlisted to do; began to make inquiries concerning the disposition to be made of the troop, trying to ascertain if we were actually to be General Buell's body guard, when Captain Palmer caused to be read to us on dress-parade at Camp Alabama, Carlisle, Pa., an order to the effect that, notwithstanding the increase in numbers, we were still to be General Buell's body guard, and to duty precisely like that promised when we were recruited. This order for the time quieted our fears.

About this time the rebels invaded Maryland, and, threatening Pennsylvania, our patriotic Governor issued a proclamation calling for 50,000 militia, to defend the border of our State against any attempted