Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-16

iUr enlistmeuis hot pre- viousiy ereditsj, re-
opred that call aud rendered necessary he one
OF Dec. mbsr 10, Is 81, for 3nLop.
Inc object, therefore, OF the last call f. 10 put
5H coo men In the service Whether they are
sEiste ior one, two. or three yesrs, they Will
oe COUNTS d rs uDits in filing the al auoa aud the
excess or credit which any LOCALITY may he
entitled 10, on account OF niilug SIS uucra with
three yeaIs'smen. will be estimated in the
assignment OF futuJs quotas, should thsrs h.a
another call, upon the stme principle ,hat has
varied the Quotls under the present c,IJ
because some localities have filed their quotas
under the call of July IS, 1884 with three yeays,
men, and others with one years men.
1t VIII be observ, that ths numbers OF men
to be furEis he'd under the present call are not
in proportion to the population OF States or
Districts, nor TO the number enrolled. Had all
localities filed the call for 50J,OU0 with three
years men, or all one years men, or all in tho
same proportion uf both, the number OF men TO
he furnished under the present call would be
IN proportion to the numher enrolled, and
approximate thrae.rfths of the quota under
The call for $4,000, varied only 20 correspond
with the changes in the enrolment as revised
ard corrected.
But as it would be unjust and illegal to re-
quire district which has filled its quota M
der the last call with RTet yrars' men, 20 fur
nish as many men under the present call as an
equal district bich had filled its quota under
he last call with one years men, the for uer
having furnished three times the number OF
SehIsrf service which The later had fu rnie he'd.
1t het anne necessary tn estimate the umber or
y-srs uf service which each state, district, or
".
in ascertainipg The req uired number for each
6istrict, an orde, to obtain three hand ed hoIsdnG
men, each locality would receive full credit for
the number CT years OF service furnished un-
der the last call, or excess carried for ward and
credited upon that call, previous calls being
nlled with three years men, or enlistments re-
duced to the three years basis.
Tie call OF December 10, 1861, having bean
made TO make UP deHcien cies under the cill OF
July 1S, 1864, II IS not 10 he expected tina. tho
number OF men req uired from localities will
NON uyif fhe n mn h.ra anr laA thaIe
quotas under the call for $40 0OU. In order,
therefore. to ascertain what number OF men Is
due from given district, we must look TO
what IL actually Furnished under the cali OF
July IL, instead Of what IL was required 70 fur
nish. Tins, where two districts, having the
same enrolment. were REG uired, under the Gall
of July Il, 1864, to furnish two thousand men
each and ose actually furnished but one thou
sand men, while the other filed its Quota, Il
would not be lawful for the latter district,
which had put two thousand men In service,
to be required now TO furnish the came num-
bsr as the former, which had furnished only
one thousand.
Bnt suppose that both OF the ahoye districts
had filled their quotas, the former with one
years men, and the latter with three years
men, the one furnishing 1000 aud the other
5,CoO years OF service; now, as the law pro-
vIdes that quotas shall be assigned .,among the
districts OF the several States, conside. inc and
allowing for the numbers already furnished as
aforesaid, and the time Of heiy service" in as
signing quota under a call TO make mp den.
ciepc1es, the deficiency IN years service, as we'll
as the deficiencies In number, are TO be estimated
and the quotas varied accordingly.
As before stated, the object OF the present call
1s to raise 3OUGO men, and they i'll be req uirsd
from the different localities In proportion to
the number enrolled. and the Number which
such localities were deficient or in excess,
under the call for 500G0.
This principle was announced from the Pro-
vost Marshal Generals Bureau when the
quotas under the call for 5G0e0O were an
pounced, or about that time (see opinion OF So
licitor Of War Department, herawith,) and the
benefits that would result from three years.
enlistmSbts, and the law governing the subject
explained. To secure three years. men ths
Government offered three hundred dollars
bounty, and paid bnt one undred 10 one years
men; municipal authorities generally contrib.
uted local bounties in similar proportion.
The Law having provided that the periods
OF service heretofore furnished should be CON-
sidered In assigning quotas, the question then
10 be determined Is, At what time shall tho
credit be applied
AS it is impossible to follow the fortune OF
or his actual service, it follows that either sha
credit for the period for which they enlist
should be given DheB the en enter the seruics, or
withheld until the expiration OF the three
years term.
The rule has always been under all calls,
that when soldier is accepted into the ser
vice he Is received and credited for the term OF
his enlistment or draft, the Governmen. Ia
king the responsibility that he will serve for
the full period Of his enlistment, and in NO
case has any locality been called upon to re-
place men lost TO tie service by death, dlsabil-
ity or sesertion.
Epiistments for six months, nine mon chs, one
and two years, under former calls, were
counted as Of that term on entering the SER
vice, and as such reduced to the three years
basis
The period OF service Is reckoned as q unit
having no fractional parts, so tar as credit lis
concerned: soldier who enllsts Tor three
years, and dies or is discharged At the end OF
twelve months is credited 70 his sub-dtsuicg
as a three years man; and the man who en-
lists for one year, and is discharged in q week
after enlistment, is CREDITED as one years
man. To await the expiration Of three years,
that is nntil the service had been rendered,
would defeat the object of the law, and would
probably delay the draft uatl after the close
Of the war. II must follow, then, that the
amount OF credit TO be given is, and alwayshas
been, dependent upon the periot fer which the
soldier enters the service. When district
presents an acceptable recruit for three years,
and he is received as such by the Government,
that district has done all il can do In the prem
ises, and the Government takes the responst-
biiity that the soldier VIII serve MS term OF
This being admitted the time to apply the
credit, or to take into account the amount OF
credits to which the district is entitled, Is when
q settlement is made with all the districts, with
view TO assigning quotas under the new call.
This follows, net merely as matter OF con-
necessity in order To do exact justice 10 all the
different Staes and districts, and moreover, IL
in exact accordance with the terms of the statute
which provides that
men to be furnished therefroH, the President
shall take into consideration the number OF vol
unteers and militia furnished by and from the
several States il which said districts situ-
ated, ana the period Of their serpice since the COM
mencemeRt OF the present rebellion and shall
so make said assignment as to equalize the
numbers among The districts of The several
States, considering and allo wing for the num-
bers already furnished as aforesaid. and the time
of their serrice.
Aud again, section =. Act OF February o.,
1864, THAT the quota OF each ward of city,
town. township. precinct or election district,
or Of a county where the county is not divided
into wards, towns, townships, precincts, or
election districts, shall be, as nearly as possi-
BILE, in proportion to the number OF men resi-
dent therein liable to military ervice, tdking
into account, as far as practicable. the number
uhich has been previously furnished heref,om."
/ have the honor to enclose copy OF Circu-
lar No. l, OF 1865, which provides that the
quotas assigned under the call OF December 10,
1884, for 3UO,OGO men. are not to be reduced ex-
ceot by actual enlistments since the 19th OF De-
cember, 1864. r.
The rule in applying credits is, that they
should be deducted from the quota Of the cali