Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-10
ENLIsrMENrs FOR THIS DISTRICT.

IN this city, with the view OF relieving our people
as lar as possible from the impending draft which is
nounced to take place early in January next
Inc results oil the meeting thus called have been the
appointment Of Ward Committees each consisting of ten
members, who have subsequently organized and selected
JOHN H. SEMMEs, Esq as their treasurer, and now
TO enter upon their active abors by calling upon
their feowczens and soliciting contributions to enable
them to carry out the humane and patriotic objects their
appointment
We earnestly bespesk for the gentlemen composing these
committees prompt generous contributions All classes
OF our people are interested in the Of their Efforts
and all should give literally according to their
whatever IS bestowed will in degree diminish the
burdens and alleviate the affections which would neces-
sariy be enaied upon this community by another draft
for u will, we think, be found cheaper in the end
promote by private bounties the enlistment of sin
gle men, and who by enistng will also secure the
liberal bounty of the Government than to permit our
working population to be still further reduced by
discriminate draft which would add to the public obiga-
tions already incurred in the way of providing for the
comfort of such additional families might be rendered
or less dependent of the absence of
their lawful guardians
And it is highly important that what can be accomplished
in aid OF enstments should be done speedily for the
son that even in the procurement of recruits
brought into competition with other and wealthy
towns, which competition must continue to increase and
| become more active as the advances.
Another motive to aacry in this movement is the very
large quota required of this District and to supply which
will test to the utmost the capacity our limited popu
ation Our quota is larger proporonatey than been
assigned to any other city state, far their re-
spectve quotas have come under our notice We can
only account in part for this disparity by supposing it to
arise from the very thorough and comprehensive enroll
hal aau
made in other parts of the country. On this point the
official figures have at hand will enable to contrast
it with only two other enrollments viz In the city of
Baltimore having population of 2l240O, the enrolment
is q 652, being but 1876 than this District with
population of only $4,000 and the State Of Connect
cut having population of AGO. 100 the enrolment is but
39345. Every reader will at glance the vast dis
parity here presented The enrolment at Baltimore to
be proporionate with that of this District ought to be
5i73 and that of Connecticut 11S sos The deficiency
in the first is $685. and 10 the latter 20 22O The
enrolment of the District I9,327) is exces.
sve than those of the cities of New York and Brook
m which upon being brought officially to the notice Of
the Government annulled and new ones ordered
But we have before said the enrolment will account
only in part for the large quotas assigned this District
They range from thirty to fifty per cent nsome
instances two three hunded per above the quotas
of other places. The draft here last summer required
three out of every ten enrolled. The number of
drawn 5,7S4 leaving the remainder of our
enrolment ,543 and now under the quota 2730D
with the fifty per cent added if another draft shall take
place 4,095 additional names must be drawn, which is
rather more than three in every ten, and which will
exhaust than half Of the entire enrolment In CON-
psrisnn with this requsition upon the District having
$4,000 population, We fnd that the quota Of Con-
nectcut with population AGO. 100 only 5432 that of
the city of Boston, with population of l78000 is only
$500 and that of the city Of Philadelphia with popu-
laon of 562 000 is only about 5000" these are the
only data have before the of writing all
being derived from official statements except the quota of
Philadelphia, which obtained from a respectable
newspaper published in that city, To base these quotas
population and make them equal to the quota of this
District that Of Counec icut should be 1S O2 that of
Boston 900, and that Of Philadelphia % Ill
We shall not attempt further to for these ex
cesve demands upon the District They be recon-
cled with the acquisitions upon any State city. 1t has
been suggested to and the suggestion perhaps well
founded that quotas have been made dsproportion
aey large owing denial of due credits to the District
for troops heretofore supplied We are informed that no
credits whatever have been given except for the troops
obtained by the draft OF the past This true
will shed some further light the subject These credits
ought to be allowed, and most probably will be- when the
ioCt vi thcir nave Leoh known to the
proper authorities
1t ael.aested fact that in the beginning of the
war; and at the most critical period for the ssty Of the
national capital the people of this District, whose popu
laton is confined mainly to the city of Washington fur
nshed troops largely in Of any quota which in fair
could have hem allotted to them and that in three
months especially, they contributed greatly in ex-
cess Of several Of the smaller States and if regard be
had to their respective populations in of any of
the States At that important iuncure before the troops
from the States had reached the capital in numbers su
cent to protect it, nearly three thousand Of our citizens
had promptly enrolled themselves as three months men,
and duly accepted by the Government; and at later
period 10 the year thousand three years. men
also organized here and duly mustered into the public
service More troops Of both descriptions were recruited
and offered but in view Of the influx Of troops from the
States their services then declined Subsequently,
however second regiment Of three yesrs men we're ae-
cepted from this DISTRICT hesid several companies Of
cavalry aud infantry, alao three years men, who were re-
cruted here but in order to obtain acceptance were in
corporated with Of the State regiments
All the troops thus accepted have faithfully performed
their duty The hree months men, after undergoing an
active campaign in protecting the railroads to tho city,
guarding the ords and shores of the Upper Potomac and
of them forming the Of the small army which
6rst marched into Virginia at the time Of the capture of
Alexandria, were honorsby discharged at the expiration
Of their respective terms. The three years men with
ter ranks reduced Of course by the casualties of the
camp and the geld, arc still in the service And more
recently, two regiments of coored troopa have baen