Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-08-14
Drafting in the Fifth District.

The drafting Tor this district commenced
at Belfast ca Tuesday of last week The
draft was TOR 2,l90 men with fifty per cent
added, making in all, 22S5 of the first class
enrolled. The Provost Marshall with his
staff was on hand at the appointed hour,
and a large number to witness the opera
ton. The district had been divided into
sub districts, making A in all. In Hancock
county these sub-districts correspondel to
the representative districts, and there was
an enrolling officer in each. The drafting was
for a sub.distrct, sepal atcly. The modus
operandi was this 4 tin box had teen pre-
pared, about Is inches long and 10 inches
wide and Deep with an opening on the top,
some inches square with lid to shut
down close when the box revolved. This
box was hung on piyots to two upright posts,
and ali the names of the first class Of sub
district written on cards was put into the
box. The first names drawn out were the
lucky ones For instance. the whole num-
Der of names for Ellsworth was 355. and the
number to be drawn was l0S-and these
were the first los names drawn from the
box. Mr.. Isaac {. Beckett of Belfast, who
once resided in this town for a season, and
is well known here. was the man who drew
out all tue cards He has lost his sight and
yet, in compliance with the law he was
blinitolded The cards. when drawn out,
were passed to draft commissioner Croker,
who announced the name and passed the
card to the recording clerk. The gentleman
who turned tue wheel OF fortune, then shut
down and fastened the lid, and revolyed the
box until the cards were well stirred up
The lid was then unfastened and another card
drawn out, read and passed ov-r to the
clerk. This was continued until the whole
number to be drafted was completed. Then
the balance OF the cards not drawn were
counted and added to thoss drawn, TO see if
no mistake had been made. This was the
operation all through. Before the draft was
to com mence, the cards Were united, they
having been tied up in bundles, and recount
ed. The district WAS then announced and
the whole number Of names and the number
to he drawn.
The whole business was conducted with
the utmost fairness and opcnncss. Any body
and every body had access to the Hall, and
the officers were pleased to see them. The
drafting for the whole district occupied just
week. We were in attendance during the
drafting of this county and Knox.
The persons drawn in the draft are to be
notified within ten days after being drawn,
ny written or printed notice to be served
personally, or by leaving cory at the last
and usual place Of residence, requiring them
to appear at designated rendezvous to re-
port for duty. All persons so drawn are to
report at the place Of rendezvous on or be-
fore the day required in the notice.
Upon the back of the notice served on the
persons drafted, there is a requisiton Tor
transportation. The various stage lines will
transport the men presenting the order and
charge the same to tie Government, the
men thus transported signing the order and
leaving the same with the person furnishing
the transportation.
The Government will pay all the necessary
expense of getting the men to the place OF
rendezvous; ana if the men are exempted.
# getting them back again. We under.
stand also, that such men as do pass, ii it is
necessary for them to leave for home to ar
range their business will have time allowed
them for this.
The Government desires the people to rally
to the support Of the Union, and the sus-
tainiag Of the national life. It has appealed
to them to maat the crisis, never doubling a