The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-26 00:00:00

Federal Recruiting in Europe,

Mr Isidor Sigismund, who was formerly in the
United States army, and who, after passing a year
in Europe, has returned to the United States, has
given a long account, published in the Boston
Courier, of the way in which the Federal armies

are recruited. He says :
When ebout to return to the States I formed the
acquaintance of a Mr Julian Allen, a Pule, from New
York. lle informed me that his mission to Europe was

for the purpose of assisting emigrants to the United

States, as ho said labourers of all sorts were greatly
wanted here, and he would assist those who wished to
emigrate to do so. He then desired me to go with an
expedition that was then fitting out at Antwerp, Belgium,
and see those men to the port of Boston. A steamship
(British) was ready to take 426 men, a great deal of s% h'eh
seemed mysterious to me. Making inquiries, Mr Allen
informed me that some of those men intended to enlist
in the United States army on their arrival here, in =se-

quenca of which he wished the whole affair to be kept a
secret, the steamer being chartered for the purpose, and
would take no other passengers. Accordingly I was
introduced to the men, and they were informed that I
wou:d be placed over them, to see them safely here.
Another man, a Servian, by name of Radislavovitz, was
to act as their "lieutenant," and I was requested by Mr
Allen, since many intended to enlist, to drill them on
board the steamer on our passage, in order to teach them
the command in the English language. They all signed a
contract (which but few could read), purporting to be that
they bind themselves to take employment on their arrival
in the States. We then left Antwerp on July 6. Captain
Farmer (an Englishman), commanded the ship Bellona.
. . On July 20 we arrived opposite Deer Island. On
the passage I drilled them regularly, most of them doing it
for a pastime. On our arrival opposite Fort Warren, seve-
ral gentlemen came on board, the pilot being previously in-
structed under no consideration to permit any one to board
the ship except the parties concerned, nor should the men
have any communication with anyone. A :quo dof police
also came on board, and the men were all landed on Deer
Island. The steamer immediately steamed off to New York.
On our arrival at Deer Island the truth began to dawn upon
us. The men were all placed under a strict vigilance of
police, and wore informed that they would be mustered into
the United States army; that the contracts they had signed

before their departure were to that effect, and on anyone
demurring, force would be used. An enticement of 100 dole
on their being sworn in was also held out to them, and fur-
ther promises when at Galloupe's Island. Some of the men
desired to communicate with their friends in the city, but
that they were not allowed to do, their friends being kept in
ignorance of their arrival. Their lieutenant, who knew the
fact that the men not wishing to be mustered in could not
be compelled to do so,and who might have communicated the
same to them, was not allowed to stay with the men, but
kept in the House of Correction over night, and the next
day sent to the city and run off to New York. This man,
who worked very hard in getting the men together and in
bringing them hero, was promised that ho would be well
rewarded. He received on stepping into the cars for Now
York the sum of 20 dole. . . . All the men (with the
exception of 24, who were rejected by the surgeon)
were then mustered in, 100 dols. paid them, and sent
to Galloupo's Island. Some of the men complained to
me that furloughs were promised them to come to
the city, but none of the promises were kept. No further
bounty (but the 100 dohs. they received) was given them,
and after a short time they were sent off to Fortress Monroe,
and from there they will be sent to: the " front," none
of their friends knowing anything about it. * * The
facts I am now going to state I vouch the truth of, and am
ready to prove them to anyone desiring me to do so. The
batch in the steamship Bellona was the second one brought
to this city, and consisted of 426 men. The cost of bringing
them from the places they started amounts to about 60,000
dols. (in currency), not quite 150 dols. per man. Add 100
dole. paid to each man when mustered in, and which covers
all bounty, &c, that makes 250 dole per man, or 100,000 dole
for 4CO men. I don't think that any of those men have been
sold for less than 900 dole. each—that leaves a balance of
650 per man:net profit. I, who have worked harder than
any interested in bringing the men here, and subsequently in
seeing them off,received the magnificent sum of 100 dole. to
liquidate all claims ; and had I not been compelled by
the necessity of my expenses while working for those men
I would not have accepted the money. The net profits they
have made are as follow :--The whole expense of these 400
men, pay included, amounted to (at 250 dole. each) 160,000
dole. The receipts for them (at 900 dole. each) make 460,000
dole, that leaves 360,000 dole. 1 have seen a letter from
one of them, before leaving Galloupe's Island, which some
one had published in the New fork Deniocrai (a German
paper), bitterly complaining of the treatment they received ;
that none of the promises made to them have been kept.
Another batch arrived yesterday morning, in the ship Gar-
land, Captain Behrens, with 255 men. She left Antwerp
July 18. The men were all landed before sunrise yesterday
mor"ing on Deer Island, where they were strongly guarded.
The capiain of the G irland informs me that the men, after
hay .ng left Antwerp and learned the true object of their
going to Boston, gave him a good deal of trouble until he was
compelled to off.. to land them en the coast of England,
but the men being unable to speak the English language,
and perfectly destitute of all means, hell a consultation,
and at last decided to proceed with the ship and stand their
lot. The vessel has not come into dock. Another ship is
•
soon expected.

THE COMEDY BY DUMAS, " INldlle. du Belle Isle,"
about to be produced at the Haymarket, is being played at
the Iheatre Francais at Baden.