Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-25
Inc Rebel COngress-Important Debatss rl
Employment of Blacks i'm the Reha, -, lhe

oh the Soth ult., the rebel House of p
ieSen'atlVes mad before it the bill "amnndp-
sory VI tue act to put an end to the evemr-
.ioh roiu 'nliltary service of those who baTa
heretofore furnished substitutes y 7, 80
course OF the debate, Mr.. Smith of VI
Carolina, sid, the whole pumher os wi vi
the muster rolls was 400. 900 hn+ 49, - on
bly, less than half that number wero 800
IN the field, and it was we'll known tbar.
unable to feed these. And he asI,od = . were
100000 required the seizure of half +ba
VISIONS OF the country, where were tho ~
ind the means to feed ten times that nnr3;bon
who remained at home. He declared TO- -
operation OF the bill would be to hraak m
the farms and reduce the observation-disclosures
TO naught; and that private appeals were dali.
" coming to members of Congress from the
army speaking OF the suffering at their homes
anu stating tnat their families are wanting the
necessarles of life when they are unable IN
senu Inem any part OF their scanty pay The
prospects OF starvation at home and the def
cheney of food in the army, he said drive
many to despair and desertion. A V;rcinia
member stated that there was as great a def.
cheney IN manufactures aud CLOTHING as in
food, but believed there was enouoh of the
latter TO iced twice 100000 men, and thew
must De mad by Spring, as the next CAMPAIGN
VIII De the heaviest and most decisive that
VIII occur. Another Virginia member said
on the authority of the chief of the Conscrint.
bureau, that that State could not stand an
| other draft. Still another member declared
that the bill would add 100000 men to the
army, and 1t was not possible to escape STAR
walton when there were none at home to nro-
vide for them. In Virginia. he said. the last
crops were tar below the average. their snace
had been contracted, and all must now he de-
voted to the production of provisions for the
next year, and if the men were taken away
starvation at home and ruin in the army
would be the inevitable result. The bill.
however, passed Al to 81, and provides that
each person exempted shall devote himself
ana the labor he controls to the production
OF provisions and family supplies that there
shall be contributed for the use of the army
from every farm, besides the 1.-THE REQUIRED
by tax, an additional tenth of all the nork or
bacon produced; and that if required, the
persons exempted shall sell all their surplus
provisions for the use of soldiers families or
the army at prices fixed by commissioners.
On the lst OF February, bill was under
debate for the increase of the army by the
employment OF free negroes and slaves t
was stated that It's passage would bring 40
| ooO more troops into the field A heated dis
cussion ensued, and doubts were expressed of
the fidelity of the negroes on one hand, and
strong hostility was evinced to their being
made equal to the whites as soldiers on the
other, but the friends of the bill argued that
It's effects would be to employ the negroes in
mental services in the army, and increase its
efficiency by placing able-bodied whites, now
| performing those services in the ranks. The
bill finally passed, and provides that all free
| negroes between Is and so are liable to mill
| tary duty in the way of working on fortifca-
| tions, or in the production of material of war;
or in the hospitals, for which they are to be
paid Sll per month. 1t also provides for the
| employment in similar duties of 10000 slaves,
whose owners are to be paid $l1 per month
for their services. The Secretary of War is
| empowered to impress the latter, if there is
| any deficiency after impressing the free ne
Sroes, said impressment to be made at the
| rate of one in every five slaves, in those dis
tricts the products of which are least availa-
bic for the use of the army or remote from
facilities of transportation.