The Portland daily press., 1863-12-22
Tuesday Morning. December 22, 1868.


The following is synopsis of Colonel Fry's
report:
The enrolment was begun about the 25tl of
May, and proceeded rapidly In all the States ex-
cept Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oregon
and California, being delayed in those on ac-
count OF the difficulty in selecting officers.
Drafts were ordered as fast as districts were
enrolled and quotas assigned. The business
was on the whole well done, with as few de-
lays as could be expected. There was serious
opposition to the enrolment, but wherever il
occurred, 1t was promptly put down. The or
ganized resistance III certain mining districts
of Pennsylvania was overcome. Persons ar
rested have been turned over to the civil au-
thorities for punishment.
There has been great difficulty in equalizing
the calls upon the several districts. The
number each State had furnished was easily
ascertanable, but in volunteering, men from
one district had enlisted in another, aud the
whole business was consequently in confusion.
There were complaints, therefore, Of unequal
draft, for which the law furnished no remedy.
In future, however, by help OF the enrolment.
the assignment OF quotas may be more i'm
partially made.
The enrolled national forces, not now in the
militia service, number 3,ll3,3o5 men; seven
States not being included.
The draft was begun as soon as possible,
anu III each QlStIlCL Ote-ntlu Oi lHe uQlnDtI
enrolled in the first class were called on. The
calls of 1861 aud '62 had been upon popua-
tlon, and sufficient percentage called for TO
make given number. Therefore those States
which contained moro females than males
were really charged with greater quota than
those in which there was an excess OF males.
This explains the apparent discrepancy be-
tween some of the Eastern and some of the
Western States. The main object was TO APP
tfxaS tafa hat
those previously furnished and those TO be
furnished would make given part Of their
available men, and not given part Of their
population. And this object was successfully
accomplished
The examination OF the drafted men is still
in progress. Up to Nov. the draft had pro-
duced about $4,000 men. lnasmuch as aliens
and persons disqualified were included in the
enrolment, the proportion of men received
from the draft was much less than II would
have appeared TO be If these classes had been
stricken from the rolls before the draft began.
Some notifications have been made in the
lists of diseases .exempting from liability. 1t
appears from tables prepared by the Medical
Inspector that the ratios for rejection for men-
tai and physical inilrmity in the United States,
France, and Great Britain, for the period stat
ed, were as follows:
United States France. Great Britain.
1853. 1881 to ia 1859 1912 to 50 1850. 1851
Ratio re.
Zoo, paalsl s2l4 81 sa5 ols a5i
The draft was forcibly resisted in n. York,
Boston and Troy-the opposition in the two
latter being promptly crushed. In New York
the mob was composed mainly of foreigners.
The results OF the riot made II impossible TO
resume the draft for more than month.
Writs Of habeas corpus, issued by United
States Courts, have been obeycd, and their
judgment abided by. The jurisdiction of
writs from State Courts was denied, and the
person in custody was not produced. Embar-
RAISING questions arose, in some Instances,
from the claims Of the State Court They as
sumed jurisdiction also in cases of claims for
exemption, OF which, by the law, the Board OF
Enrolment was made the only judge. SO
many difficulties occurred, that IN order TO
proceed with the execution OF the law, the
suspension of the habeas corpus, by procla-
nation Of the President, became necessary.
It is recommended that the $500 clause be
repealed, or confined to cases OF persons pre-
vented from serving by their religious creed.
The commutation money under the clause
amounted to $lO,51s,000. This amount has
been duly deposited by the Collector of Inter-
nal Revenue, appointed by law TO receive 1t.
1t constitutes substitute fund, and is now
used In the procurement of recruits by boun-
ties.
Large reinforcements are expected under
the Presidents last call for volunteers. The
payment Of $500 bounty TO raw recruits, and
$500 10 veterans, is recommended. Between
Jan. and Nov. l, 1868, S3,249 volunteers
were received into the United States service,
of whom GA, ,43 were enlisted for three years
or the war. Between May and Nov. /, near
ly 22OO0 deserters and absentees have been
arrested. The number Of deserters in Sep
tember and October Is only one-half as great
as in May and June, owing to the greater
probabilities Of arrest, and the punishments
that have been inilicNd.
The organization Of the Invalid Corps was
intended
l. To secure the military services for gar
rison, hospital, and provost duty OF that class
of deserving officers sand amen, who from
wounds received in action, or disease con.
tracted In service, were unfit for further duty
in the field, and who would otherwise be dis
charged from the service but yet were able to
do light duty, aud TO bring back for like pur-
poses those who had been previously dis
charged on similar grounds and were still
unfityor active duty aud not liable TO draft,
2. To provide honorable and useful occupa
tion and suitable compensation for a class o
persons whose claims upon the nation no one
can question.
The corps on the 1st November consisted 0
401 commissioned officers aud l7,164 enlisted
men. This force is organized as infantry, com
posing 203 companies; 100 of these compane,
have been formed into l6 regiments; the re
mainder are not yet formed into regiments
but will soon be-
Each regiment contains six companies o.
the LIST Battalion, and four companies Of th,
Sd Battalion. The lst Battalion are armed
with muskets, and perform garrison duty tn
I'd Battalion are armed with swords and pis
tolls, and are on hospital duty as guards, cooks
elarks nurses attendants &c. 1t Is designed
In having the regiments composed of compa
nies of both 1st and I'd Battalions, to ena6l
each regiment TO afford proper material at an
point where 1t may be stationed for both gar
r.s0n and hospital duty.
The corps isnow In the full performance Q
the duties for which It was organized; dutie
which would otherwise have to be performe'