History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

THREE MONTHS' SERVICE. 27
rival at the Capital, until the 28th of June, near the Arsenal, where they were
instructed and drilled. At this date, an order was received from the War Department, directing the regiment to march, with fifteen days' rations and sixty
rounds of ammunition, and join Colonel Charles P. Stone, then at Rockville,
Maryland. When the regimental organization was formed, it was the intention to consolidate the entire force; but when the order for the march was issued, it was deemed unwise to remove the companies stationed at the Arsenal
and at Fort Washington, and hence the order only included five companies,
D, F, G, I, and K, Captains M'Donald, I'Cormick, Yeager, Davis and Dart.
The battalion marched on the 29th, under Lieutenant Colonel Selheimer,
and reached Rockville on the 30th. Here Colonel Cake rejoined it and assumed
command, and Major Campbell, who was then a member of Congress, returned
to Washington, to attend the special session, called to convene on the 4th of
July. On the 1st of July, the battalion reached Poolesville and reported to
Colonel Stone, commanding the Rockville expedition. Moving via Point of
Rocks to Sandy Hook, it encamped opposite Harper's Ferry, on Maryland
Heights. At this time, Harper's Ferry was occupied by the enemy, and considerable skirmishing occurred. To obtain possession of the place, it was arranged to storm it on the morning of the 6th, but just before the movement
commenced, orders were received to march rapidly to Wiiliamsport, and thence
across the Potomac to Martinsburg. Arriving on the 8th, after a fatiguing
march through clouds of dust, under a broiling sun, it went into camp in a
little valley outside the town, which, in consonance with the feelings of the
men, was called Camp Misery.
Here the battalion was assigned to the 7th Brigade,* 3d Division of General
Patterson's army. On the 15th, it marched, with the Brigade, to Bunker Hill,
where it went into camp. From this point, it was the general expectation that
an immediate movement against the enemy would take place. But on the 17th
the whole command marched to Charlestown, and on the following day the
battalion moved to Harper's Ferry and encamped. Remaining until the 23d,
an order was received from the commanding General, conveying his thanks for
its patriotic tender of service after the expiration of its term, and directing it
to move by way of Baltimore to Harrisburg. The battalion, together with the
companies serving in the neighborhood of Washington, assembled in Harrisburg, and were mustered out of service on the 26th of July.
On the 27th of May, 1861, previous to the departure of the Battalion from
Washington, a beautiful stand of colors was presented to the regiment by Joseph W. Cake, of Pottsville. The presentation took place in the square east
of the Capitol, in the presence of the Secretary of War. In the absence of
the donor, the presentation was made by Colonel John W. Forney, and was
received on behalf of the regiment by Major Campbell. The speeches were
unusually eloquent and patriotic. Upon its disbandment, Colonel Cake, with
other-officers, returned to Pottsvllle, and immediately commenced the formation of a regiment for three years, which was intended to be a re-organization
of the Twenty-fifth, but which subsequently received the designation of the
Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania volunteers.
* Organization of the 7th Brigade, Colonel Charles P. Stone, 3d Division, Major General Sanford. Seventeenth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Francis E. Patterson; First
Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, Colonel Tappan; Ninth New York State Militia, Colonel Styles; Twenty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, (five companies,) Colonel HIenry
L. Cake; Detached District Columbia Volunteers.