. Young folk's history of the war for the union . umber. In the spring of 1863 Congress found it necessary to followthe example of the Confederate Congress and to pass a conscrip-tion bill. Up to that time about one million two hundred 1862.] DRAFTING. 321 thousand men had vohmteered in the war for tlie Union, butscarcely seven hundred thousand were then left in the many men had been lost in the bloody battles of 18G2 andfrom sickness and other causes that a large number were neededto fill up the ranks, but enthusiasm for the war had died outand few volunteers came forward to take t
. Young folk's history of the war for the union . umber. In the spring of 1863 Congress found it necessary to followthe example of the Confederate Congress and to pass a conscrip-tion bill. Up to that time about one million two hundred 1862.] DRAFTING. 321 thousand men had vohmteered in the war for tlie Union, butscarcely seven hundred thousand were then left in the many men had been lost in the bloody battles of 18G2 andfrom sickness and other causes that a large number were neededto fill up the ranks, but enthusiasm for the war had died outand few volunteers came forward to take the places of the fallenand disabled. Congress therefore passed an act (March 3) forthe enrollment of all able-bodied citizens, irrespective of color,between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years; and in Maya draft of three hundred thousand men was ordered to be madefrom this enrollment. The picture shows the manner in whichthe draft was made. The names of all persons enrolled in theplace from which soldiers were to be drafted were written on. DrAFTINC; bOLDlERS. cards and put into a large round tin box arranged to turn likea wheel. The cards were thoroughly mixed up by turning thewheel round a few times, when a person, blindfolded, put hishand in through the door, and drew out one of the was handed to an officer, who read the name aloud, and itwas then recorded in a book by the clerk. This was repeateduntil enough names had been drawn to make up the quota ornumber needed from that place. The passage of the conscription act created a great deal ofill-feeling, especially among the lower classes. It permittedthose drafted to buy a substitute on payment of three hundreddollars, and this was claimed to be unfair, because, while therich man if drafted could easily buy himself off, the poor man 322 EMANCIPATION.—CONSCRIPTION. [1862. who was unfortunate enough to be chosen would have to gointo the army. When the drafting began there was so muchexcitement in regard to i
Size: 1912px × 1307px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1881
