Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-10-26
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aTheMeabness q. .our ArmiesE El-

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L.ETTEB FIR on. .sESAToR. HILL
james e eormick, Asst Earosliag OFF,
Ger of Troupe County :sz ..s; -ssissEFsrss.
: ..sassvskg .-.LIGRANGE,s GA1eocts 6. 1864.
: DEaR SIg:: ::sIn answer to pour inquiries,
will make statement of facts and reasons
in explanation of the late order requiring q
sregistration and ollment of AL persons
betwcen .the ages of seventeen and. nifty
years, - s,s,z,iz~55S -ge,;s -
By.the laws7of Congress, all persons be-
tween these ages are declared to be IN the
military service of the Confederate States,
Those between eighteen and forty-h are
enrolled for service in the field, aud those
between seventeen and eighteen. and forty
Eve eand fifty, form reserve 4corps to dis
charge the various duties connected with the
service; not In, the field. ), ~ ~. 80.
But tue plain fact is, ascertained to De that
not moreahanzonest sthirdsof the men fit Tor
duty between the ages of eighteen and forty
. fgs. are actually present with she armies in
the field. Where are the two thirds? What
,excsnse. have they for being away2 By whose
permission aud for what reason are they per-
initted to.bs, away? TO get these men to the
field. and to ascertain and expose and Ieme-
iythe various frauds (which they have thus
far been allowed to remain away from duty,
fornrthe purpose of the order which you are
now called on toexecute. If this order shall
!ke Faithfully executed, our armies will be
rsplenished, the enemy be will defeated, and
our.eountry recovered from their, possession.
If this order shall not be faithfully executed,
then the whole machinery of what is called,
the Conscription Bureau is shown to bo q
failure, and those engaged in administering
thought themselves to be ordered at once to
the field. ,;
Len. Grant writes home that our material
70. ;he army is exhausted; ;,that cur only re-
lance now is children and,old men,, and for
this reason he .begs the peopleof the North
to submit to the draft. and press ASA little
longer. and We cannot but fail. His state
raent is not trse. We do have the men be
tween tue ages 6f eighteen and forty five to
whip this iight, and that eneeaily, if they can
he brought to duty. But tso-thirds of these
HieYare absent! This startling fact is enough
to make every oldsman and woman in the
land turn voluntarily enrolling officer. s'
:. Your FIRST duty ia tosregistcr every white
male between the ages specified in yonr or:
ders. Marx the Language: Every yone, IT
matters not what Els age, POSITION or bust.
ness. Register the man aud his excuse. If
the excuse be good, the man is not harmed /;
snd lift Se bad, the man must be sent to duty,
and the method by which he has heretofore
evaded duty must be exposed and It's author
published. .5.y,z sz
There are many absent from, our armies
who haze fu-lopshs or leayeso absence which
arenot legal Or proper. Many are granted
by subordinate officers. especially 10 their
relations and .fayorites, who have. no authority
to grant them. Many are granted by the.
proper authority, upon untrue representations,
or for reasons that have ceased to exist, and
many are forged. -, -. -, ,.:ats
Many hare been detailed for some light:
duty while sick or slightly wounded, who still
remain away under cover of such details long
after health has been restored r-tke wounds
have healed, In all cases, details and ex'
crnptions and when the reasons for granting
them cease. Never cease your inquiries where
is shown paper granting 2 detail or exemp'
tion, but know whether the reason for grant
ing it was true and continues to exist.
Many have applied for exemptions and
details, aud received furlougbs, which are re-
newed from time to time until the applica-
tions. shall be finally determined. Some Of
these employ lawyers, falsely so-called, who,
if they do not get The final order as desired,
can, st least delsY fhal sct;on-the feet fter
being measured BY the length cf the delay.
Thus an ungrantcd application is made
practically TO operate as o discharge from
service.
Some persons are still carrying OLD COM
missions where their offices have ceased, but
the commissions have not been surrendered
or cancelled,
Many are showing ton.racts in every con-
ceivable shape-many of them splricus-and
upon them claiming exemptions Or details.
contract whatever with the Government
entities man per sc, to an exemption or de-
tail. The contractor must show the order
from the War Office for his detail or cxemp-
lion, and the Secretary.ef War himself can
not grant except upon the certificate of the
chief Of the bureau that the personal atten-
HON of the contractor is indispensable tosthe
proper execution of the contract
Many have certificates from some bureau
or under officer Of bu.euu, stating that the
bearer is appointed to some duty or make in.
definite investigation. ssw one, some time
since, stating that the bearer was appointed
to examine for iron and copper deposits in
certain counties where such. deposits were
never suspected TO exist and where, if ex.
hsustless qualities did exist, the bearer would
never find them. All such appointments are
without authority.
Many are clerks, agents and employees of
Quartermasters, Commissaries and other Off
GERS. 30 such officer has the right to ap-
point any man as his agent, clerk CT employee
in any capacity, who is between the ages of
eighteen and forty-fye, unless snch q man is
disabled from service in the field. Mark the
word-not sick or ,counded-but disabled.
) Many ere ac:ing as provost marshals and
gnards, agents and provost lnarshals, in our
Interior towns. No such officer is spthor;z-
ed By lsw, and nc. power, not even the Presi-
dent, Secretary Of War, or Commanding
<f a., ory,r hos tba rirht t,,o ppoinf