Found in Translation

I am most grateful to John Comeau, who applied his time and skills to transcribe the handwritten letter from my AmmoLand article on Civil War gun confiscations:

Here's what I got so far. Some of it makes no sense which means I obviously guessed the wrong words, but if I got the names right you might have some more grist for searches.

Hookstown Penna July 26 1861Genl. H. B. BeiselDr Sir

Your favor of 22nd wish to Major Littith is before me. I am at a loss to understand how it is that the Gov. and Adjutant Genl. authorized you to hold the Arms and equipments now in your possession. the order is in direct opposition to the instructions received by me on yesterday to collect all arms &c good and bad in the county and ship to E. M. Biddle Adjutant Genl. immediately [....] a circular from Maj. O. H. Wheeler which will explain itself. 

 Acting by virtue of authority delegated to me by [....] Wheeler I now authorize you to box up and ship to E. M. Biddle Harris burg all the arms and equipments now in your possession and belonging to your company, taking care to mark on boxes 2nd Brig. 19 Div. of which you will make a full and exact report to me, giving the number of arms of each of the [.....] necessary equipments on receipt of which I will send you a receipt for same and just as soon as the Arms are remodeled you will receive a sufficient [...] to equip the [.] which you are now organizing. Any necessary expenses which you may be at in having Arms &c hauled to Brighton will be paid by me Make out a bill in due form for same & send it to me receipted. 

The circular which I now enclose you in this you will please return Your request to meet with you on Saturday 3rd July will be promptly attended to by Littith or myself. 

I am very truly yours J M B Carothers Deputy Brig [....] 2 Brig 19 Div

Comeau continued with further observations:

E. M. Biddle is mentioned on this page... H. B. Beisel is mentioned on p. 301 of this book as being on the "committee of 100" in Beaver County...archive.org has the whole book for download.

And David Hardy clued me in to "The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," for those lazy days when I find myself with too much time on my hands which so plague me...:-)