Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/91

 and immediately organized for work. Partisan spirit was ignored and in the selection of officers William Thompson, a former Democratic member of Congress, was chosen Chief Clerk of the House. On the first day of the session, ex-Governor N. B. Baker, leader of the Democrats of the House, offered a resolution requiring all volunteers who entered the military service from Iowa to be paid from the date of enlistment to the time of entering the service of the United States and also from the date of discharge until their arrival home. R. D. Kellogg, a young Democratic member of the House from Decatur County, immediately presented the following resolutions:

“, The President of the United States has appealed to all loyal citizens to aid the efforts to maintain the honor, integrity and existence of the National Union, and suppress treason and rebellion against the Federal Government; therefore be it

“Resolved, By the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring) that the faith, credit and resources of the State of Iowa, both in men and money, are hereby irrevocably pledged to any amount and to any extent which the Federal Government may demand to suppress treason and subdue rebellion, enforce the laws, protect the lives and property of all loyal citizens, and maintain inviolate the Constitution and sovereignty of the Nation.

“Resolved, That the Governor and Secretary of State be and they are hereby authorized to forward a certified copy of these resolutions to the President of the United States.”

The resolutions were adopted without opposition. In the Governor’s message, which was sent to the General Assembly, he informed that body that in the absence of laws providing for the raising of troops to meet such an emergency as had suddenly come upon the country, he had assumed the responsibility and promptly organized a regiment of volunteers to comply with the first call of the President. That, anticipating further calls for troops in the near future, he had accepted enough volunteers to make up another regiment, which was ordered into quarters in the counties where the companies enlisted. He also