THE RAISING OF MEN DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.
[To TER EDITOR OP TER sricrAroz."] SIR,—The following summary of the experience of the North with regard to conscription in the War of Secession is offered as a supplement to your article of September 26th quoting President Lincoln on the subject.
In April, 1861, President Lincoln called for the Militia of various States for three months' service, and under this call 93,326 men went within a few days. A few weeks later the President called for volunteers for three years of the war, and under his calls during the first twelve months 714,231 men volunteered and went. The Militia, of course, went home at the end of three months, but many of them re-enlisted for three years. In April, 1862, these last enlistments were stopped by order of the Government because Congress and the people believed that no more troops would be needed. On July 2nd, 1862, the call for volunteers for three years was resumed, but, under the check put upon patriotic impulse, volunteering was so slow that only 431,938 more men enlisted. In the meantime, on August 3rd, 1862, the President directed the States' officials to draft 300,000 Militia for nine months' service on account of the pressing need of the Army, and in the same Order came warning that a further draft would be made for Militia to make up any deficiency in the number of volunteers which he had already called for. This proposed draft was never made. By the Census of 1860 the population of the loyal States was fixed at 21,262,190, of which number 10,795,422 were males. Before the enactment of the Draft Law of March 3rd, 1863, 1,146,589 men volunteered for three years' service, and therefore there remained 3,500,000 subject to enrolment under the law, of whom 986,904 volunteered and 168,649 were drafted for one, two, or three years' service. In addition to these men there were 93,399 coloured men enlisted from the States in rebellion.
It cannot be said with confidence that the volunteers were obtained by the law of compulsory service ; in fact, many men were induced to enlist by the liberal bounties offered by nation, State, and town, and also individuals. These bounties increased to an excess, even reaching $1,500 for an enlistment for three years' service. This bounty, rather than the law of compulsory service, obtained eleven-twelfths of the volunteers enlisted after March 3rd, 1863. Men in delicate health could not have served in the field, and men too old for service hired young men to take their place. Many a man could go if his family were cared for, and it was for them that the bounties were used. Probably after the enlistment of 1,100,000 young men daring the first two years of the war many men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years who were liable to call for service had wives and relatives dependent upon their daily wages. This obstacle was removed by the bounties; but greed also influenced certain mer- cenaries—chiefly from Europe—who in considerable numbers were accepted as volunteers or substitute, for drafted men. It should be added that these men (" bounty-jumpers" as they were called) were of little use and often deserted.
The facts and figures here given are direct from the Report of Provost-Marshal General Frye, and were published in the appendix to the Report of the Secretary of War, Govern- ment Printing Office, Washington, 1866. These facts and figures are given to me by Colonel Thomas L. Livermore, who served through the Civil War, first as a private, after. wards as an officer, rising to the rank of Colonel, and who had varied experience with his regiment and with Staff duty with General Humphreys, one of our very best Generals. Since that time he has made a study of many points con- nected with our Civil War and other wars, and has written much on the subject. His standing as an author of such things is very high. Of course we had many complications in our Federal system, and, among others, was the allotment of men due from one State to another, and from this arose various disputes and complications. It would seem as if your system had not been adequate for the present occasion, and yet was far better than ours. If these figures do you any good, I shall be glad.—I am, Sir, &c., Z. Boston.
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