Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-26
The Weakness of our Armies Explained.

LETTER FROM SENATOR HnL-THE NEW REGISTRATION
Jane, r. Mecormiek, asst Enrolling 9daesr Of
IToup County, q
LAGRANGE, Ga, October 5, 1854 g..
DEAR S1R:-In answer to your inquiries, l will
make statement Of facts and reasons in explana.
ton of the late order requiring registration ana
reenrollment of all persons between the ages OF
seventeen and fifty years.
Bv the laws Of Congress, all persons between
those ages are declared to be in the military ser
vice Of the Confederate States. Those between
eighteen and forty five enrolled for service IN
the field and those between seventeen and eighteen
and forty. five and fifty, form reserve corps to dis
charge the various duties connected with the service
in the field .....-7 -
But the plain fact is ascertained to be that not
more one third Of the men fit for duty, between the
ages of eighteen and forty ve actually present
with the armies 10 the field. Where are the two
thirds? What excuse have they for being away?
By whose permission and for what reason are they
permitted to stay away? To get these men to the
field, and to ascertain and expose and remedy the
various frauds by which they have thus far been
allowed to remain away from duty, form the pur-
pose Of the order which you are now called on 10
execute If this order shall be faithfully executed
our armies will be replenished, the enemy will be
defeated and our country recovered from their pos
session. II this order shall not be fothtuly exscu-
ted then the whole machinery of what is called the
Consumption Bureau is shown to be failure, and
those engaged in administering it ought themselves
to be ordered at once to !he field.
Gen. Grant writes home that our material for
the army is exhausted; that our only reliance now
is children and old men, and for this reason he begs
the people of the North to submit to the draft and
press US little longer, and we cannot but fail
Ills statement is not true. We do have the men
between the ages of eighteen and forty-hve to whip
this fight and that speedily, if they can be brought
to duty. But two-hrds of these men are absent
This startling fact is enough to make every old man
and woman In the land turn voluntary enrolling Of
ticer.
Your first duty is to register every white male
between the ages specified IN your orders. Mark
the language: Every one, it matters not wfat bis
age position or business Register the man and
his excuse. If the excuse be good, the man is not
harmed; and if it be bad the man must be sent to
duty, aud the method by which he has heretofore
evaded duty nust be exposed and its author pun
ished.
There are many absent from all our armies, who
have furloughs or leaves of absence which are not
legal or proper. Many are granted by subordinate
officers especially to their relations and favorites,
who have no authority to grant them. Many are
granted by the proper authority, upon untrue rep
reservations, or for reasons that have ceased to
ist and many arc forged.
Many have been detailed for some light duty,
while sick or slightly wounded, who still remain
away under of such details long after health
has been restored or the wounds have healed. Ia
all cases details and exemptions end when the res
sons for granting them cease. Never cease your
inquiries where paper is shown anting detail
or exemption but know whether the reason for
granting it was true and continues to exist
Many have applied for exemptions and details,
and received furloughs, which are renewed from
time to time, until the applications shall be finally
determined Soms of these employ lawyers (faisely
so caed,) who, if they do not get the final order
AS desired can, at least delay final action-the fee
often beng measured by the length of the delay
Thus an ungranted application is made practically 10
operate discharge from service.
Some persons are still carving old commissions
where their offices have ceased but the commissions
have not been surrende, ed or cancelled
Many are showing contracts in every conceivable
shspe-manv of them spuriOus-aHd upon them
claiming exemptions or details No contract what
with the government entities u man, per Sc to
an exemption or detail. The contractor must show
the order IRON the War Office for his detail or ex
cmptlOn, and that the Secretary Of War himself
cannot grant except upon the certificate OF the chief
Of the bureau that the personal attention OF the
contractor is indispensable to the proper execution
Of the contract
Many have certificates from some bureau or un-
der officer OF bureau, stating that the bearer IS
appointed to do some duty or make some indefinite
investigation. / saw one some Time since stating
that Tire bearer appointed to examine Tor IRON
anu copper deposits in certain counties wheIe such
deposits never suspected to exist; and where
exhaustess uantties did exist, the oearer would
never find than. All such appointments are wlth-
out authority.
Many are clerks, agents and employees OF Guar
teruasters, Commlssarcs ana Otler officers. No
sucd officer has the right 10 appoint any man as nj
agent, clerk employee, III any capacity, VINO Is
between tho ages Of eighteen and orty-hye, unless
suci a man be disabled FROM service i'll the heid
Mark the ord-not sick Or wounded-but dtsddteG
Many ar acting as proves: n'arsnais ami guards,
agents and employ ees Of provost aIshals, in our
Inferior towns. No such otiucr is authorized by
law, and no power, loI even lie Prosldent Secrs
tary of War, or Commanding General of an army,
has the right to appoint sucn All officer OUTSIDE the
hnes Vi the army, snd all such, with their numer-
GUS retinue, are illegally away from their commands.
The same remarks apply 10 military ton'uaIuants
away from the army.
The number who have surgeons certificates OF I'll
health in their pockets and natures certificate 81
good health in ther persons, the truth ol the iatten
being confirmed ~ tie patients daily hAbis, ane
| beyond Estimation. When you fud snch thin4
| you ought, in charity, to assums that Inc health
has been restored since the cert6ca.e was gt-eta.
! dvsfe in this connection, to STATE two fsots q
the truth If both of which have no DOUBT. Tue
FIRST is iat the great portion of these abscntes ar
enabled to remain away from duty by ineflcie ncy ="
intentional negligence Ito use NO harsLer ,e1m,) e.
the enrolling and medical officers and their assist
ants. The second is that while thus con tent II
many cases, they have been in other eases, as if L
satisfy conscience cruelty and numerically oppres
+ sve. There is no excuse Tor either fault lnstan
! ccs have been reported 70 me of enrolling officer
and medical boards advising and directing applicant
TOR exemptions, details, etc, to go to lawyers Q
their own naming to make out their applications an
/ appeals. Those who complied and paid well foune
easy treatment, those who declined found treatnen
not so easy. State broadly, that it never was in
tended that honest applicants of this kind shout
need lawyers, and they never can need them whe
officers do their duty.
1t is also said that about ten thousand men are KEEP
at home in Georgia protected by militia cor mission