Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-01-13
The Bounty-Jumping Nuisance.

: Accounts of executions for desertion
are quite frequent Of late. Army cores
pondents say that the rigid enforcement
of this extreme penalty has been too long
delayed. Bounty,jamping had become
quite too easy business, and one oitbese
fellows who was sho; at indianapolis, the
other day, boasted that he had received
thirty bouniies. In bis single case the
government had been cheated of thirty
recruits and the people Of some $30,000
But quite as great an evil resulting from
the sending Of these worthless substitutes
to the front, to desert to the enemy, or
sneak TO the rear at the first sigD of dan
ger, is the demoralizing effect they have
upon the veterans. The old soldiers feel
iesulted a N d humilated by receiving
such riff>raif into their ranks. The 9th
New Hampshire, which has honorable
record, is suffering from this class Of re-
cruits, Of which New Hampshire has
sent an extraordinary proportion into the
army. Several deserters from this regi
ment were shot last week The cores
pordent Of the New York Times, giving
an account Of the affair, says:
"Of three detachmenls Of substitutes
sent from Concord, N. H., to join the 9th
New Hampshire volunteers, amounting
to 625 men, 1877 deserted on the passage
leaving only 498 to arrive at the regi-
meni. OF the ass who got to the regi-
ment and were assigned TO companies, 81
deserted to the enemy from picket line
! SO deserted TO the rear have been
: discharged as utterly worthless, their
} physical incapacity being so glaring, and
Of such long standing, that it must have
/, been known at the time Of enlistment
5 have been sent back to Concord to have
their cases OF enlistment investigated, by
: order Of the war department and 2 have
been discharged by order Of the war de-
partment. Thus, out OF 925 Of these
= bounty -tempied warriors s n to one
n regiment only since August last, ;her'
= are only $50 left ard, as these have
t come to the army through the same vena
Influences, and probably gone through lh,
same loose or fraudulent examination, i
: is impossible to tell how many more ma,
: follow suit, in spite Of death penalty be-
J. lore them"
4 "Wil it be believed when / tell you
that substitute brokers, aided, of course
: by boards Of enrolment, examining ply
IS sicians, &c, (wi,hout whose guilty con.
e nivance they could not ac:.) have hat
the audacity to send as recruits to oul
army, cripples from birth; men partially
= blind idiots from town farms people
n with hernia Of long standing; puuy boys
il of fourteen or fifteen; men being con-
siantly claimed as subjects of other gov.
ernments; graduates from Five Point.
d Of New York escaped prisoners from
n The Dry Torlugas; rebel adventures
e from Canada and elsewhere, some who
: have suffered by years of paralysis, and
hundreds who cannot understand one
word of the English language, and whom
u it is, Of course, impossible to drill and
It instruct in the duties Of soldier ? Indeed
it is to be feared that large portion OF
the deserters from the rebel army attract
E ed by large bouniies offered, form no
small part OF the bounty Jumping element
among u.s."
This statement does not exaggerate
b the facts. The need Of some remedy is
, evident enough. The Substitute system
cannot be abolished altogether, but Con.
gress and the war department should de-
e vote some attention to the erection ofnew
8 safeguards or the rigid enforcement OF
such as already exist The president
may call for half a million fresh men
j, every six months, and getthem, on paper
! but our armies will only grow weaker in
numbers and in character. unless this evil
can Be corrected.