The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-08-08
l9o5s
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Number held to personal service 19,05s
Number furnished substitutes l3,343
These facts, adds the Ledger, clearly
show that, as a means of recruiting the
army, the draft was entirely inadequate,
Those who were exempted, those who ran
away from the draft, and those who paid
conmutation, swallowed up nearly the
entire number drafted. The number
held to personal service was but small
portion of the whole amount. This
proves that volunteering, however ex-
pensive it may be, is the mos: popular,
surest, and speediest means of raising an
army, and Of making satisfnd and willing
soldiers. The average measurement of
the chest, at inspection of the recruits
was, So Is inches The average height
was feet g. "A inches. Vermont troops
showed the greatest number Of inches
around the chest and the greatest height
bat Pennsylvania troops were close upon
Vermout.-for her men measured an av-
erage of feet 7.0S inches, against Yer
mout's 5 feet T. 62. In the measurement
around the chest the men of Pennsylva-
MIA were SO inches less than Vermont.
The Veteran Reserve Corps shows that
nearly every fourth man has been trans.
ferred to it on account of disability from
honorable wounds. The horses and
mules in the army amounted to 100000
During the first eight months of the year
1861, tha cavalry of the Army Of the
Potomac was supplied with two remounts
nearly 10000 horses
The expenditures for the Ordnance
Department during the year were $48,-
SOP, ,825, and there remained in the
arsenal8 on the 30th of June last 2,037
field cannon and siege guns, 1904, ,947
small arms, and 1878 pounds of
artillery ammunition. There were in
operation during the year $500 miles of
military telegraph, of which 76 miles are
submarine. One million eight hundred
thousand telegraph messages were trans
mitted during the year, at an average
cost, charging the whole yearly expense
of construction, maintenance, and opera
ton to them, of only thirty cents. There
were purchased during the year about
$500 army wagons, l,100 ambulances,
and harness for 175,000 animals. The
special report of animals and means of
transportation with the several armies
during :he year are imperfect, but it is
estimated that there were about 10000
horses and mules in the service of the
army, of which the horses were about
100000, and the mules about 10000.
The number Of men who have died in
hospitals, in the vicinity Of Washington,
from August 1st, 1861, to August 1st
1864, is stated at 12,708, of whom 1910
were natives of the United States.
Over two hundred flags, captured from
rebels in various battles, received during
the year, are deposited for safe keeping
Many others are supposed to have been
disposed of by persons who captured or
had them in possession, in ignorance of
their being public property. One hun
dred and sixty men were presented with
medals of honor for capturing rebel flags
and other acts of bravery.
The statistics Of the Surgeon Generals
Department show that there were in ope.
ration on the 30th of June, 1864, l90i
hospitals, with capacity of 1905 beds.
During the year the health of the entire
army was better than is usual with troops
engaged so constantly on active duty and
in arduous campaigns. No destructive
epidemics prevailed in any section, and
the number of sick and wounded, altho'
large, was paratively small in the pro-
portion it bore to the whole army. AT
the close of the year the number of the
sick and wounded, both with their com
mands and in the general hospitals, was
less than sixteen (l6) per cent. of the
strength of the army. Of this number
93 per cent. were wounded. The deaths
from disease during June, 1864, were
.298 per thousand of mean strength ;;
from wounds, 80 per thousand; total
deaths, sos per thousand, or six-tenths
of one per cent. for the month. During
the same month of the previous year the
total was 7.3 per thousand of mean
strength, or over seven.tenths of one per
cent. There were furnished during the
year to disabled soldiers 669 legs and
339 arms.