The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-08-09
VOLUNTEERING vs. DrafsiaE.

Volunteering ". Drafting.
On and after the 18th inst the rolls of
all able-bodied men in the State will be
in the hands of the State authorities. A
footing up will then be made Of the num-
Der who have voluntarily enlisted, and
whatever that number falls short of the
IS regiments this State is called upon to
furnish, will be charged to the roll of the
militia and drafted. We do not say that
all chance for volunteering will then
cease; but those who are then drafted
will thenceforth be debarred from volun-
teering, while only those who escape the
draft will have that privilege.
Now there is not an able bodied man
among US but stands chance equal to
one in three, four, or five of being hit, and
common sense dictates that il he must
take the chance of the one or the other,
it will look better, sound better, ard PAY
better to volunteer. He can volunteer in
three ways either to join a new regiment
for three years, and get the 800 bounty,
with the additional county bounties, &C.,
amounting to nearly 500 more offered;
or he can volunteer for three years in one
of the old regiments with the 500 bounty;
| or he can volunteer for IL months in any
of the old regiments now in the field and
get $50 bounty.
Under the present offers for volunteers,
the pay of a private in the army is as
follows
The Government bounty, part of it
paid i'll advance, for every private,
| Is. $lVb
| Add other bounties to these as much r.
more. ......................,. 100
A man at home must pay his board
and tailOrs bills. The Govern
ment allowance for rations, when
the ration is not drawn, is forty
cents day, which is for the year. AS
The allowance for clothing is. 800. AZ
The pay of a private is $l3 . month. loo
Making the privase's pay for the year s4o3
And when promoted to First Ser.
geant the pay is $2l q month, $S
more for the year, add. ......... 96
Showing highest pay of enlisted men
to be-. .............. $4S3
This is certain, paid whether you are
sick or well. and whether it rain or shine,
and in these hard times How many men
in good business are making half Of it?
And besides all this, the Government
will give liberal pensions at the close of
the war.
But on the other hand, If you wait for
the draft TO catch you, then your case
will stand as follows:
You are in for nine months service, it
is true; but
You will get bot 81 month wages.
instead Of $l3;
You will get no bounty;
And your service will be but the drudg-
cry of camp life; building and defending
Notifications conquered cities, outposts,
&c. or fighting guerillas
In every view, then, to an ambitious,
capable young man, DESTROYS Of making
money as we'll as his mark in the present
war, and Of winning his way to distino.
ton, for promotion is rapid from the ranks,
volunteering is preferable to awaiting the
draft.
But, in either case, let US say here while
on the subject, that the dread Of entering
the military service Of the country, is the
merest bugbear in the world. A few
months in camp life will inure most men
to it SO perfectly that they will enjoy it
quite as much as any ordinary mode of
living 1t is true, the wealthy, unaccus-
g EnI har "a
work but if at first unpleasant, even labor
will be found by them vastly more endu-
rable than they imagined; while with
their money they acn surround themselves
with little comforts which they can enjoy
with zest utterly unknown at home.
But the chance Of getting killed or Of
diving of disease Nonsense! You stand
better chance of coming out safe than
any child in our schools does of living
another year We know Of our. Sunday
school in this city, with an average attend
ance of so scholars, of whom ten have
died within a year. We presume tho
average is the same in all schools, and
among all children between s and l6 years.
Ian a company Oh OO Lueh Uc nAu1Su tudS
left this county year ago that has lost by
death, either in action or BY disease, ten
men -? Houghtalings artillery company Of
l.O men has been in service IA months.
1t lay "rotting' at Cairo and Birds Point
IS the expression was, during all the heats
and dust Of last summer; it waded through
the Mississippi swamps about New Madrid
in winter, and was "in" at the surrender
of Island No TO- 1t was then placed in
the advance in front of Corinth; was in a
number of heavy skirmishes and picket
fighting constantly. Yet by enemy's bull
lets: dsease, and all the accidents of war,
it has up to this day lost but FIVE MEN BY
death. Wepresume, had we the statistics,
the average in other companies is no
greater II is true, the ranks have been
thnned by discharges, designations, &C.
But .he men are all alive, and have the
same chance of living to hale old age
that they would have had, had they never