At the beginning of the Civil War, there was initially some excitement and young men rushed to join local militias. The militia system had been established when the nation's founders rejected the formation of a standing army. They feared that a regular army could be too easily turned against the citizens, as had happened under corrupt monarchs in Europe. The Americans were confident that when a threat arose the local militias would rise to defend the nation. But by the 1860s, contempt for the militia system was common in Pennsylvania. There had not been a threat in the commonwealth since the War of 1812, and Pennsylvanians began to doubt the need for even the militias. As historian William H. Egle (1876, An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) described it

. . . the militia system had fallen into contempt, by reasons of the burlesques to which it was made a subject, [and] the distaste for that service had grown with the long period of peace which had surrounded the country; and this, added to the fact that the large Quaker and Menonnite portion of the population, the strong Methodist and Presbyterian elements which exist in all parts of the commonwealth, and which as a rule held the mere trade in war in abhorrence, pervaded the state. [Pennsylvania] was so barren in military material that when the first tokens of the impending storm were seen by the movement of secession, the people of Pennsylvania looked on with seeming indifference, lulling themselves in the false security [inspired by]  their hopes that there would be no collision. (Egle 1880: 260)

There was a distrust in the military, so when the arrest of two alleged deserters during the Civil War went badly it was covered in detail by the local newspaper. Brothers Jacob and James Anthony led a posse of about 10 men who arrested the deserters near Big Run, but they soon escaped. The Anthonys caught up with them on the property of H. Horton (Brandy Camp, Fox Township). Afraid that the deserters might escape again, James Anthony invaded Horton’s house at about 11 PM, demanding firearms. A scuffle followed, Horton’s gun was taken, and the posse went to the home of D. C. Oyster, the local sheriff. The sheriff was not home, and Anthony demanded a team from Mrs. Oyster, the sheriff’s mother. The posse returned to Horton’s the next morning and were invited in. A pocketbook found after the posse left the previous night was returned. Anthony immediately charged that money was missing ($5) and put Horton in irons and took him to the sheriff’s house. A soldier accompanying the party removed the irons; Horton quickly returned home, then hurried to Ridgway, arriving before the Anthony brothers. Horton related the actions of the posse to the Provost Marshal, Captain Campbell, who discharged James Anthony from his duty immediately on arrival. Curiously, the names of the arrested deserters was not included in the original press account.

This is how the story was reported in the Elk County Advocate, 28 January 1865.

Infamous outrage. An event of recent occurrence in our county demands from us more than a passing notice; and from those in power, speedy punishment. We refer to the recent outrage committed on the person of H. Horton, Esq., of Fox Township. The facts of the case as we gather them are as follows.

It seems that two brothers, named respectively Jacob and James Anthony, of Jefferson county, in the employ of the Provost Marshal of this district were ordered to arrest two men, alleged to be deserters; [that they] accomplished [the arrest] in the neighborhood of Big Run, near the line of Clearfield county. The men however afterwards escaped from the custody of the Anthony’s [sic] and secreted themselves about one mile from Hellen mills in this county [Elk]. A posse was then sent into Brandy Camp after them, accompanied by the Anthonys, who re-arrested the alleged deserters and took them to D. C. Oysters. James Anthony it seems was then seized with some qualms of courage peculiar to the “Bob Acres” [see below] species and refused to proceed from Oysters to Ridgway unless better supplied with firearms and immediately proceeded to obtain them in the most lawless manner. In company with some of the squad, which was nine or ten strong, he proceeded to Mr. Horton’s house in Brandy Camp, arriving there about 11 p.m. Mr. H. and family having retired for the night and in an outrageous, lawless and riotous manner broke open the house and demanded of Mr. H. all the fire arms in his possession. Mr. H. appeared with a gun in his hand and supposing, very naturally, that the party were a gang of robbers, very properly informed Anthony that if he did not leave at once he would receive the contents of his fire arm, instead of the weapon; a scuffle thereupon ensuing, during which the gun was taken from Mr. H. and Anthony dropped his pocket book, the party left the place, and returned to Oysters. There, Anthony, not being satisfied with having committed one glaring outrage, determined to commit others. He demanded a team from Mrs. Oyster, her son being absent, but was informed by Mrs. O. that the horses were unfit for travel; but Anthony saying that he had authority to take them, did so, and returned to Mr. Horton’s in the morning. On seeing the party, Mr. Horton invited them to enter, which they did; he then handed Anthony the pocket book which he had found the previous night. Anthony, having inspected the contents, charged Mr. H. with having stolen five dollars from it, that charge being so contemptibly ridiculous, we pass it by without further notice. Anthony then put Mr. H. in irons and conveyed him to Oysters in that condition, and allowed him to remain so, for some time, when one of the soldiers, having a due regard to law and justice told Anthony he was doing wrong and would bring trouble on himself; at the same time advising him to take the irons off Mr. H.; to this Anthony responded, “that he would be damned if he did anything of the kind: that he would keep him in irons until he arrived in Washington.” The soldier however insisting, Anthony’s courage again oozed out of his finger nails, and he gave the keys of the handcuffs to the soldier, telling him to take off the irons; being himself too cowardly to repair a wrong. Mr. H. was then set at liberty, and Anthony started to Ridgway, with the soldiers.

The end was not yet; on being released Mr. Horton returned home, and from thence proceeded to Ridgway, arriving there before Anthony, and reported to the Provost Marshal the events we have just narrated. On Anthony’s return, he was severely reprimanded by Captain Campbell, who, always willing to make reparation, immediately discharged him: this was only right, but a severer punishment should be meted out to him, who, under the guise of an officer, leading men, sworn to support the laws of the land, nay, himself so sworn, wantonly and after the fashion of a thief enters the house of a citizen and robs him of his property.

Unfortunately there are many James Anthonys, the refuse scum of humanity, who “dressed in a little brief authority” assume to themselves prerogatives such as Napoleon, in despotic power, dare not exercise. We have not words in which to express ourselves in relation to this matter. The “body politic” is sorely troubled at present: and those to whom power is given cannot be too careful in the men they select as their agents, or too prompt in punishing them when guilty of outrage.

Think of it! A ruffian enters the house of a peaceable citizen and because he refuses to part with his property, guaranteed to him by the Constitution of the United States and the State of Pennsylvania, is ironed like a malefactor, and at dead of night hurried from his family, carried whither they do not know! Is there no strong arm to protect us? Is this man to go unwhipped of justice? We demand in the name of all that is dear to us, the preservation of our rights; our liberties; of our country; we demand by virtue of their solemn oaths of office, that the civil authorities take this matter further in hand, bring this man to trial and mete out to him the full demands of justice; that men may know that there is power enough to save them from such outrages. In conclusion we say sincerely that we acquit the military authorities of all blame whatever in this affair; they have promptly disavowed it and made such reparation to Mr. Horton as lay in their power. As good citizens themselves, they must desire that Anthony be punished as he richly deserves. It is scarcely necessary for us to say that we presume Anthony will cease playing Marshal, at least in this county where he will find indeed, that “the way of the transgressor is hard.”

But it appears that this story was not an isolated incident. About the same time, that is, the 19th of January, 1865, another deserter was arrested in Clearfield County. The timing of this arrest and some of its details are similar to the previous account. Is this another version of the story? Note that the locations are different, so maybe not. The Clearfield Republican first published the item and it was republished in the Elk County Advocate (4 February 1865), as follows.

Death from fright. A little daughter of Daniel Bowman of Knox township, in [Clearfield] county, of some ten years of age, died on Saturday the 20th inst., under the following melancholy circumstances. About 3 o’clock in the morning of Friday the 19th, a squad of soldiers visited the house of Daniel Bowman, arrested and carried him off. The child was then to all appearances in perfect health. Soon after her father was taken away, she began to manifest indisposition, such as is occasioned by a high state of nervous derangement, which continued, but without causing any alarm until Saturday morning, when the soldiers were seen approaching from the direction of the residence of Jonathan Bowman, son of Daniel, having the son and brother as a prisoner. Immediately when told by her mother that “Jonathan was also a prisoner,” the child went into convulsions, which continued without cessation until about 10 o’clock the same evening when she expired.

Note: “Bob Acres” was a character in a play, The Rivals, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Acres was a clownish country gentleman who was courting a woman, only to find that he had competition for her affection. He was challenged to a duel to win her but is reluctant to fight (with swords!) and backs out, proving that his “courage always oozed out at his finger ends.” The play was first performed in 1775 but continued to be popular in the 19th century. It appears that the editors are using the reference to accuse James Anthony of cowardice.