The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-02-12
INV STARK, Jan. 20th 1864.

ED. JEFF:-
| am n war man and have done all
III my power since the commence
ment of the war to aid and assist the
/ Government and intend to do so un
till the close. But have one com
plant TO make.
! will give you little of my xpe.
rlence IN regard to some of our recrtl-
ting officers. To recruit for the L.
j >. y. in its proper and honest sense
IS one of the most honorable occupa.
lions man can engage in, but rs il
is conducted by some it seems TO I've
one OF the most contemplate and
loathsomc occupations a man can bc
guilty OF. There are men running
! through ourla land seeking all willinr
to accept service without regard to
age circumstances or law. They will
take children who under the law are
exempt from amy military duty what
ever, claiming to have the rirht to
take any one who they can induce 20
come and take the oath. ut the same
time Knowing that the boy is not
within reach of the service bv law
and that there are no orders for ta-
KING any one unncr eighteen wears Of
age. Their excuse is that thev did
not know how old the boy was, that
the recruit came and told them that
nc was eighteen, and they swore him
IN. By false Representations they get
the boy in their custody. The father
fnds it ont he comes post hast to the
spot and says to the official. ''see here
my son is not eighteen. want you
10 strike him OF your list" .You are
too late he is sworn in now and can
do nothing for you." "Weu but the
law SAYS that no enc can hold NV boy
until he is ci4htscn aud here / will
show You (pulls his bible from under
bis arm) the proof that he is orly
sixteen. Now sir you sec that he Is
not old enough" II see all that but
Your son is fast cannot help Won.
II he was not old enough it is his
fault. The father goes before the
commissioner. "Col. how is IL. INV
boy was taken in by recruiting OH.
Ger and he is not old enough by two
wears, and ] want him back If I can
get him "Well know of but one
way to get him, and that il Won will
have TO take out writ and take him"
is done, the sheriff serves the writ.
the officer won't honor it. The father
stands before provost Gen. "Well
sir Gen, l have son who was enlis-
tel 10y some recruiting officer aud he
ls only sixteen. can't / Get him dis
charged: ~ Gen. I'VE take for grant.
ed that when hoy takes the oath that
he is eighteen, that that is sufficient
aud no other evidence can be allow
ed Exit Gem
After all this is done we must hear
from some Of these officials that our
sons have periured themselves. This
is the wound that brought forth this
srticle. Now that these officials wo'd
obey the law to the lotter these bows
could not possibly commit the act OF
perjury, they would not be allowed
to take the oath until they were sat.
lslied that they were eighteen and
more than this am inclined to be-
lleve that those who administer the
oath are as deep in the mud as the
boys in the mire, they are sworn to
obey the law, but every boy they adj
minister the oath to who is not eirh-
teen ID a direct violation of that law,
| tell YOU that the curse of Sodom|
and Gomerah was not pronounced
upon more Godforsalen and devil.
loving action than this. We have
men enough that are within the law.
berween the age of eighteen and for
ty-ilve TO whip all creation. if they.
won't to come one way make them
come another and let every man obey
tbs law, but the way the things are
going laws are violated and the sons
of loyal men will he cleaned out so
that we will be left entirely helDlcss
upon our farms, We will have no helm
over fifteen, while on the other hand
they that talk 'nigger" war will have
a surplus Of help who cannot be en-
ployed by "abolitioncrs"be because they
sustain the government with this"nig-
ger freer Lincoln ut their head.
III the government must have those
that are under age let them first re-
peal this law and make every person
from one to one hundred subject to-
military law, / cannot see Justice in
violating any law care not by whom
or FOR what purpose. Law is law and
should be obeyed,
After | went through with the fore,
going officials left my son i'm the
barracks and returned home. On
my way l met a man perhaps of
disloyal character. Says he show are
you, did you get your boy?""No sir"
"Well i bish glad dat de black abo-
lishioners get all their poys in derl
army and den We git free oh de draft
and dat is vat we wants" / replied
that he was ------- old fool and
rebel and ought to be hung and eve.
ry body like him should be compell-
ed to dance on tight rope for Al
teen minutes. Such are the wishes
of these disloyal cusses, and they arel
nsing every means to get our youth
to enlist SO they may stay at homsl
and do the voting, and tell us that
the president could have stopped the
war lonr ao<o IN ha coul1 have bad'