Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-13
HOW BOSTON FILLS her QUOTA
Curious scheme of Emigration-AB BOs-
ton secret-Shiploads of Emigrants
Enlistihg i'm Our Army : Scenes Mt
Antwerp-NOvel Proceedings.
TFrom The New York Evcning Post ]

The British steamer Bellona, which left
| New York on Saturday last had, few
days before, quietly landed on Deer Island,
In Boston harbor, between four and five
hundred men. She did not touch at any
wharf in Boston; but after leaving the
men, put out of the harbor and sailed 1i-
rectly for New York, bringing few bales
of rags, which constituted her entire
cargo.
Two other similar trips have been made.
The first vessel came from ireland, the
other from Hamburg Most of the men
brought on these three vessels are now in
the Union army, though the emigrants from
Ireland did not enter the service immedi-
ately, some of them having been persuaded
by their friends that they could do better.
They began their voyage to the United
States, however, with the intention Of en-
tering the service, and their passage was
taken with that understanding. Their fail
ure to do as they had agreed in Boston in
volved heavy loss to persons who had paid
their passage money.
| The second company, as soon as they ar
rived at Boston, put on the Federal uni
form, received their bounty money, and
went into the Federal ranks; thus provid-
ing exemption from the draft for several
hundred Bostonians, whose business en-
gagements did not admit of their personal
service in the field. Four hundred of the
emigrants who came on the Bellona also
entered the service, thereby exempting four
hundred other Bostonians.
A majority of these emigrants had al
ready been trained to the use of arms, and
some OF them had been in battle. 1t is be-
lieved that they will do good service in our
army.
The secret of this business, by which
Boston obtained substitutes, and two or
three persons obtained large amount of
money, was at first well kept. rl.
| But it finally got out; desperate man, a
| Servian by birth, who arrived on board the
Bellona, and was afterwards brought to
this city, has divulged the scheme to sever
al unscrupulous individuals, who say they
are lawyers, but who possess neither ability
nor learning, and are without character or
influence-yet they promise him that they
will get money for him, and expect to get
more for themselves, If he put the case in
their hands.
These New York sharpers are unwilling
| that the gains of the Boston men should be
so much, and their own so little; and they
threaten to put an end to this kind of emf
grafton by going to Europe and making
Representations about it, unless the Bosto-
mans pay them for keeping silence.
A part of the story of this curious emf
| grafton scheme is not secret, but it is novel
and interesting. The men who came in the
| Bel ona were of different nationalities, but
were collected in Belgium under the drec-
| tion of Julian Allen, formerly Colonel of
the well-known organization called the
Polish Legion" of this city, regiment
which it was proposed to recruit at the be-
ginning of the war among the Polish refu-
gees of this country, but its ranks were not
| filled in time, and the men were consoli
dated into other regiments. Mr.. Allen
went abroad to assist his countrymen in
their late struggle for independence, and
he is now doing what he can for American
| interests.
Six hundred men were gathered within
three weeks, and constant accessions were
made to their numbers. 1t was not diff
cult to collect them. The people of Eu-
rope are acquainted with the efforts making
here to obtain recruits, and many persons
desiring to come to this country frequently
make application to the Consuls, suppos-
ing, not unnaturally, that some facilities
for transportation hither might be afforded
by our diplomatic representatives, but those
officers, in accordance with the instructions
of our Government reject the proposal.
When, however, it became known at Ant
werp, recently, that Mr.. Allen would re-
ceive persons and send them across the
ocean, the tidings were quickly conveyed
to the principal cities near the seaboard of
the continent; and Immediately men came
from all directions. They walked about at
Antwerp in crowds. A part of them were
so much elated with the prospect of going
to America that they marched in process
sion, carrying rags to represent banners, on
long sticks like flagstatfs; much to the as
tonishment of some of the town-people and
the amusement of others, who thought
new society had suddenly sprung into eX-
istence, and that ragamuflins were che only
members. H-..s
The Belgian Government would not per-
nit the embarcatfon of the emigrants with
out careful examination of them, and the
signing of contract by each person, which
was to be certificate that he went by his
own desire. This paper (or copy of it)
was to be left with the custom officers, else
the necessary clearance for the vessel could
not be obtained.
The contract bound the signers, when
they should arrive in the United States, to
do whatever might be required of them;
and all the men were asked by the officers
If they understood what the contract i'm
piled. and If they were willing to abide by
1t. The questions answered satisfactorily,
and the name attached to the contract, COM
pleted the preliminaries. Some of the Bel
gians were unable to write their names, and
the Custom officers made the required sig
natures, saying to the emigrants as they did
so, that they were going to America and
must do their duty. -
The Bellona was ready to sail on the 9th
of July; but it appears that a dishonest
contractor had sent on board quantity of
bad provisions, which were served out to
the emigrants, some of whom thereupon
marched off the vessel, and were followed
by more than half their fellows. 1t Is said
even less than hundred remained on
board. Here was a dilemma. The vessel
had been chartered at high rate. She
was to carry seven hundred or eight hun
dred men. Her owners thought she could
carry a thousand. The Belgian authorities
had surveyed her, however, and would not
allow more than four hundred and twenty
six to 90 on board. OF these three-fourths
had abandoned the vessel, and by their rep
resentations would deter others from COM
ing in their places. A summary measure
was then resolved on. All the provisions
were thrown overheard before the faces of
some of the discontented men, and they
were promised that the best food in the
market should be procured for them, and
that they should have double rations. The
new food was bought, and was followed on
board, soon afterwards. by the runaways.
The men had another reason for returning
to their places on the ship. They were
nearly all rough persons; In anticipation of
the trip they had disposed of everything
thew possessed; even their spare clothing,
for LIQUOR, and had had general ''spree."
So, now they had neither moneynor means