May 2, 1864 (Wednesday): Mutiny?

General Samuel S. Carroll

HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Numbers 23. May 2, 1864.
   The commanding general having learned that, notwithstanding the caution contained in General Orders, Numbers 22. of April 25, 1864, from these headquarters, * there are men in its army who refuse to do duty on the ground that their term of service has expired, it will be made known to such men that their conduct, being open mutiny, will be punished with death without trial unless they promptly return to duty; and, hereafter, any soldier who refuses to do duty on a similar plea will instantly be shot without any from of trial whatever. The honor of the service, and the necessities of the hour, admit of no other disposition of such cases. The commanding general again express the hope that the soldiers of this army will respectfully ask for and cheerfully abide by the decision of the War Department with respect to their term of service, but he has no further word of warning for those who, at at a time like the present, choose to defy lawful authority. Corps and other independent commanders are charged with the execution of this order.
    By command of Major-General Meade:


    S. WILLIAMS,
   Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,
May 2, 1864.
Brigadier-General GIBBON,
Commanding Second Division:
    GENERAL: The major-general commanding desires you to send to him at once a statement of the affair which occurred in the Eighth Ohio Volunteers yesterday, where certain men declined to do duty.
    I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,


   C. H. MORGAN,
   Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Staff.

[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION,
May 2, 1864.
    A disturbance took place yesterday morning in the Eighth Ohio Volunteers. Measures were at once taken by Colonel Carroll to suppress it, and 12 of the ring-leaders were placed in irons. Every man has now returned to duty; a more healthy state of feeling exists, and no further trouble is anticipated. In case of such, however, I have directed that any man refusing to do duty will be shot on the spot.
    Respectfully,


    JOHN GIBBON,

    Brigadier-General, Commanding Division

[Second indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,
May 2, 1864.
    Respectfully forwarded for the information of the major-general commanding the Army of the Potomac.


     W. S. HANCOCK,
     Major-General, Commanding.


[Third indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 2, 1864.
    Respectfully returned to the commanding officer of the Second Corps.
    Any refusing to do duty will be shot on the spot, being in open munity.


   By command of Major-General Meade:


   S. WILLIAMS,
   Assistant Adjutant-General.
      A general order will be issued on this subject to-day.*


    S. WILLIAMS,
    Assistant Adjutant-General.


* See Vol. XXXIII, p. 970.

* Transmitted to General Meade 1 p. m. May 2. 



Official Records, Series I., Vol. 36, Part 2, Pages 331, 335, 336.

The 8th Ohio was a veteran regiment with a fine record, most recently at Gettysburg.  Some troops in the regiment refused to continue service when their terms expired.  With the Union and Confederate armies in close proximity and the possibility of combat Union commanders took extreme steps to keep soldiers from leaving the army.