The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-11-11

"
Soldiers Discha rged ON Account
of Disn biliIy Since the War
Begau-ForIy Millions Useless
~ Expended iD Bringing Them
Into the Field.
PRovosT MARSHAL GENERALS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct, 10, 1863.
SlR:-l have the honor to report for your
information certain general facts connected
whith the draft as shown by leports made
up to this time. .[.
The machinery for Executing the enrolls
ment Act is in complete working order The
law, as it stands, can not be made TO tieyel.
op the entire military strength OF the nation
and the execution Of it has been rendered ex
ceedinly difficult by the efforts made in yaIi.
GUS ways to resist or eyade it, or 10 escape
from its operation. -.
Its fruits, therefore, are not as abundant
as they will be from per ect law and more
thoroughly established system Of executing
it. All the advantages, however, which
could reasonably have been expected from
the law are aceruing
Its general principles distribute the bur,
dens OF military service fairly among those
liable to bear them, but there is perhaps
more generosity than business IL some of its
humane pTUVISlUuSs w lLu certain mOUl0Ca'
tions, which can readily be made by Con.
gress, the military strength of the country
may, by the direct and indirect operations Of
this act, be surely and chssply brought into
the field.
Several Of the Western States hsve not
been suhiugated to the present draft on &C.
count of the excess Of volunteers heretofore
furnished, and from the same cause the quo-
| -, otbo Woetarn -
quite small, the present draft is, therefore
but partial one, and no specific to.al was
established as the quta for it.
OF those drawn in the present draft, inclu-
ding the fifty per cent, additional, over eigh.
ty per cent. have reported, in accordance
with the orders of the Boards. or the TWEEN.
ty per cent. who have not reported, many
are not wll!ul deserters, being unvoidably
absent, al sea and the like. The deserters
are being arrested.
/ OF all examined, about thirty per cent.
have been exempted on account OF physical
disability, about thirty per cent have been
exempted under the provisions of the second
section OF the act, or found not liable to nils
itary duty on account OF alienage unsuitable
ness O age, non residents &C. Those who
are not liable to military duty, and form no
part Of the national forces, and therefore
have been enormously enrolled, appear in
The general reports OF the Boards among
those exempted, because their non liability
to serve could not be established until thew
came before the Boards. The number fthe
exemptions it thus made to appeu much
larger than it really is.
About forty per cent OF the men examin.
ed have cen held to service, and have enter
ed the army in person, furnished substitutes
or paid commutation.
About one hal OF those held to service
have paid communications; Of the remainder
about one third have gone in person, and
two thirds have furnished substitutes, and
all except few in transit and small por-
portion Of deserters from among the earlier
substitutes accepted are in the ranks of
their regiments in front OF the enemy 1t
fair TO suppose that most Of those who will
fully fail to report and thus become deserters
are physically ft Tor service; il they had
been examined the porpor ion exempted for
physical disability would havo been reduced
to about twenty five per cent. The propor-
tions Of exemptions would be still further 70
duced by purging The enrolment lists before
brait Of draft OF all cases OF manifest unfil>
ness and OF aliens and other not liable to
military duty, as may be done where this
system Of raising roops is well established.
The proportions above given al based up
on the reports up to this time hom the
seventy three Congl essional Districts where
the draft has been completed or has almost
nearly approached completion.
Since the rebellion began about 10000
soldiers, after entering service, have been
, discharged on surgeons certificate OF disa-
bility. 1t is probable that at least one half
OF them were Unfit for service when received
1t may be safely SAID that Iorty millions of
money were useessly expended in bringing
them into the field, to say nothing Of their
subsequent expense to the Government.
In Great Britain under the system Of vo
un ary enstments the rejec:ions average ov. r
27 per cent. In France, frou 1881 to 1912
the average runber oi exemptions annually
was 1850; so that TO secure the contingent
r OF $4,000 men, 174, $50 conscripts were an
Dually examined
OF the recruits who presented themselves
, for enlistment in our regular Army in 1852,
70 per cent. were rejected for physical mfr
mites exclusive OF age or stature Between
the 1st OF January and lst of July last more
than one half were rejected. These were
men who desired to be accepted. These pro-
portions are Of interest in connection with
the fact that less than one third OF the
drafted meR who desired not to be accepted
have been exempted on account CT physical
unftness.
There have been but few cases OF incom-
, potency, fraud, neglect or abuSe in the ex-
animation ot drafted men. These men have
however, in many ways been swindled by
, rouges having no connection with the Board
OF Enrolment, as Tor example the fact that
. certain drafted men were physically unf for
service have become known to these shar-
pers, when it was perhaps not known to tho
men themselves and they have SO lar impo
sed upon the ignorance or creduaity OF the
; drafted men as to get from them sums Of
money to secure and exemption to which
; the rouges knew they were entitled and
, would surely receive, and the drafted men
finding themselves exempted as promised
have sometimes thought and given out that
. they secured exemption by bribery Of draft.
ing officers whereas they were legally enti-
tied to exemption and have themselves been
swindled by sharpers.
All has been done that seemed proper una
! der existing laws to check these evils, and
to meet properly the few cases Of criminality
and incompetency which have occurred g.
mong the officers of this Bureau.
All the expenditures up to this time on
account Of this bureau, including the ENROLL
ment, draft, and pay OF officers and persons
connected with it. are but little over 81, ZOO
Q 600. These expenditures include all made
ON accent of the machinery which has pro.
, duced the arrest and return Of twenty thou~
sand deserters.
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