Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-08-13
Drafting and Volunteering in Wis
cOpSin.
STATE OF WISCONSIN, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, I
Madison, Aug, s, 1868.

On finding a report in the public
journals that the General Government
had given thirty days time to the State
of New Jersey, before enforcement Of
the draft therein, in order to enable the
people to raise their quota Of troops by
the volunteer system, [ applied to the
Secretary of War for the same privilege
for Wisconsin, and have received the fol-
lowing reply:
"The preparations for the draft in
New Jersey are not yet completed, and
the Governor Of that State is permitted
70 continue the enlistment of troops by
volunteering until the draft takes place,
when the State will be credited with the
men thus raised
"The case is similar in Wisconsin
the preparations there, also, are not COM
pleted. You can, therefore, proceed
with the enlisting of volunteers until
the draft is ordered and the troops 50
raised and reported to the Adjutant
General Of the Army, as mustered into
the United States serveice, will be cred
tied on the quota Of the State"
IF, therefore, towns, cities or counties
in this State desire to avoid CONSUMPTION,
or to reduce their quotas by volunteer
ting, they may proceed to furnish volun-
teers for three years or during the war,
and will receive credit for them. These
volunteers may enlist in Wisconsin reg
iments in the field, or in the battalion Of
heavy artillery now being recruited. I
have not yet been advised Of the num-
Der Of men required from Wisconsin, or
from any district, and whether new reg
iments can be organized.
In another communication from the
Provost Marshal concerning the assign
ment Of quota to towns, he says:
Your letter Of the 25th inst. has been
received.
"When the quotas of the several dis
tricts Of Wisconsin are calculated, the
excess or deficiency Of troops furnished
by each district under the calls of 1861
and 1862 will be considered, and due
credit given, but in regard to assigning
quotas to particular towns or localities,
there are no sufficient data upon which
to make the necessary calculations.
"The statement furnished to Col.
Lowell by the Adjutant General of Wis
consin and by him sent to this office,
gives only portion Of the number
claimed to have been furnished, to par
ticular towns. For example in the
statement referred to, the 1st Congress
sional District is represented to have
furnished 1914 men enlisted since the
enrolment Of 1862, Of which only II are
assigned to towns, the remaining 81 be-
ing reported as persons whose exact
residence cannot be ascertained"
'lt is therefore impossible to calcu-
late the quotas to be furnished under
the present enrolment in any other way
than by taking the number enrolled in
the whole Congressional district as a
basis and and allowing credit for any
surplus which may have been furnished
by that district under former calls.
This will be done, and if it shall be
found, after quotas have been thus as
signed, that any particular town has
actually furnished surplus of men over
its previous quotas, number Of those
drafted equal to this surplus will be dis
charged"
'"Ihe only means of ascertaining
whether a town has actually furnished
an excess will be. to- have list of the
names of all the men furnished by the
town claiming an excess prepared, and
compared with the names of all men
from that town actually mustered into
the service of the United States, and
borne upon the muster-in rolls on file
in the office Of the Adjutant General of
the army"
''This will show how many men from
a town have been actually furnished,
Whlle the tables giving numbers claimed
to have been furnished differ SO much
from the numbers known to have been
mustered into the United States service,
that no just conclusion can be arrived
at from them.
Under these circumstances, I would
advise and request that the people Of
each town, or ward Of a city or Village,
appoint at once a committee to prepare
at once a complete list of. all men that
have volunteered from such town or
ward, as they may be ready with the
required evidence These lists should
be very carefully made, giving accurate
" the name of the soldier and the Com
pany and Regiment in which he enlist
ed, and not containing the name Of any
one who was not, when he enlisted, an
actual resident Of such town or ward,