The Crescent City Guards marched out to their camp at the Fair Grounds yesterday forenoon, under the command of Capt. Thompson. As already stated, they have been received into the service of the State, and are to remain in their present quarters until called into active service. While they remain encamped here, it is our duty to see that they are well supplied with every soldier’s comfort. Every city and town in the State and all over the country is doing its utmost to clothe, feed, and sustain them. They recognize the fact that the brave volunteers have undertaken the dangers and hardships of the camp and the battle field, to maintain and preserve for them this free government, and that they cannot do less than comfortably equip, clothe, and provision them. Let us not hesitate to do our whole duty to our volunteers. The City Council, we believe, have undertaken to provision them. But they need a good uniform, and should have it without delay. They may need flannel shirts, more blankets, comforts and other materials. Let none of us stand back. – Let them at least be furnished with uniforms complete. Our impression is that the Government deducts the price of the uniform from the pay of the soldiers when it is furnished by it. The pay of the brave men is little enough. Let us not compel them to take the price of the uniforms from their wages.
Evansville Daily Journal, Evansville, IN
The Crescent City Guards
The Crescent City Guards was a volunteer unit formed by Mexican War veteran N.S. Thompson in late April 1861 in response to Lincoln’s call for Volunteers. It was organized into the 25th Indiana Infantry regiment. The 25th Indiana served first in the western theater, fighting at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth, then with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign and the March to the Sea.