Neither of the existing conditions would have won to the United States a constitution for their government such as was fixed upon and has come along, in its working, through all of a hundred years, without a break in any of its provisions. Every line of it, as to matters upon which men could differ, was agreed upon for submission to the States, because necessity admitted of no other course for them, and live. Well was it for stability of government that, when the substance had passed the gauntlet of discussion, the words had been so well placed, that not a letter was found astray when the great test came. No document of State has, or ever will, surpass it in sublimity of thought, arrangement of detail, clearness of expression, or force of power.
In the assertion of the binding powers of this Constitution, the 84th had a part, and you were a part of the 84th.
Your Regiment was to you the command which centred your soldier life. And well content may you be in the fact that its character secured for it a reputation which, to every one of us, has been a thing of just and affectionate pride. I studied that character at a time when I felt it was everything to me. My varied experiences in the several positions in company and regiment, which I occupied, enabled me to found a judgment which has been very clearly and most positively strengthened by every knowledge since acquired. The tenor of that judgment you will gather as I proceed, in an imperfect way, to tell you a part of what you did in three years and nine months of soldier life.
Recruiting and Organization.
In the month of July, 1861, authority was granted, directly by the Secretary of War, to recruit in the western part of Pennsylvania the Mountain Brigade, to be composed of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery; and upon its organization to be mustered into the service of the United States.
Among the persons named in the order was one J. Y. James, who was to be assigned to the command of the troops when thus organized.
The recruiting camp for the Infantry was located three miles out of the town of Huntingdon, on the Warm Springs Road.
In accordance with the purpose that the recruiting and organization of the Brigade should be under the direction of a Regular Army officer, Captain Crossman, of the Quartermaster's Department, United States Army, was detailed by the War Department for that duty, hence the name given to the camp to which the early recruits of the 84th ever looked back as their original soldier home, and the birth-place of the Regiment.
The projectors of the Brigade had reached out to three regiments of Infantry, to be numbered, respectively, 84, 110, and, somewhat uncertain but said to be, 39.
I have given the numbers in the order named, placing the 84th at the head, in view of the fact that its commander was to be the ranking regimental officer of the Brigade.