Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-13
Corrections Of the EnrOllment---Letter from
Provost Marshal Lowell to Hon. w. p. Lynde.
Acre ASST. PROvOsT MARL GEMS OFFICE
MADISON, WIS.,, Aug. 8, 1868.

Acre ASST. PROvOsT MAR'L GEN. OFFICE,
MADISON, WIS.,, Aug. 8, 1868.
Mr. W. p. Lsp,de, Milrntkee, WIS.,:
SIR: have the honor to acknow edge the
receipt of your letter of the LIST inst, relating
to a new revision of the enrolment lists il
certain wards in the city of Milwaukee.
You may be sure that /, so far as lies il
my power, have done and will do, everything
to make that enrolment just one, and that
the quota shall be fairly distributed to sub
districts.
As early as May 9Th, Provost Marshals were
instructed as follows:
"Boards of enrolment will commence immedi
ately and carry out promptly and thoroughly the
six tn section of the amended enrolment act. The
boards will appoint and nut the necessary enroll
ing officers to duty without delay, and let the ques
tions of striking from the lists the names of per-
sons not liable to duty be determined by the
boards as promptly practicable. 1t is desired to
get a revised and corrected enrolment at the ear
liest day possible"
And again, May 18th:
0Let the revision of the enrolment be pushed
to completion at the earliest possible day, and
axe known to the people that it is plainly for the
interests of each town, ward, &c to have strlcke
from the list all names improperly enrolled, be-
for from each town, ward, &c. 1t is equally for
the interest of each person enrolled in given town
d ward to place upon the list all persons In his
town or ward liable to do military duty, because
the greater the number to be drawn from the less
the chance that any particular individual will be
drawn.
that the quota in which he is concerned shall
not be made too large, &C., that his own chance of
draft shall not be unjustly increased, and as both
these objects will be attained by striking out the
wrong names and putting in the right ones, there
can be serious diff Guilty in securing the coop
Grafton of citizens for the purpose Of making a
correct enrolment"
In the 5th ward of Milwaukee complaints
were made by responsible parties, that large
number of fictitious names had been placed
upon the enrolment lists through the inter-
vention of citizens under the mistaken idea
that they were lessening their chances of
draft. A new enrolment was accordingly
made in that ward.
make the above quotations from orders,
and state these facts in evidence of the de-
sire upon the part of the Government that
a. complete enrolment should be made, so
that perfect justice might be rendered to all
parties.
In spite of great care on the part of Off
GERS who have the enrolment in charge fc-
titious names, and those of persons exempt
from one cause or another viii creep in. A
remedy is easily had in the correction of
these lists at any time before the draft.
In view of the fact that many doubtful
names were enrolled in your locality, you ask
chat ba ouata for o,,h dicfricfo in, ha rcf
district be distributed upon the basis of the
enrolment as it now stands, and not as it
stood upon July LIST, upon which was based
the present quota of the district at large.
To do this would be manifest wrong to
other sub-districts whose eRrollment is pre-
sumed to be correct, and in justice to these
sub-districts, if my orders from the War De-
partment did not decide the point, l should
decline to revoke the present orders assign
ing quotas based upon the enrolment of July
LIST.
beg leave to call your attention to the
provision in the late amendment to the En-
rollment Act, which provides that the draft
is made for only 100 per centum in addition
to the number required to fill the quota of
each sub-district. The previous law required
that the drawing should be continued until
the full number were obtained. ''s
/ am, Sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) CHAS. S. LOWELL,
Lit. Col. 18th Inf'y A. A. P. NJ. G..
A true copy:
GEO. WARD NICHOLS, Capt. & A. A. d. G.