The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-27
war DEPARTMENT, }
PROvOsr MARSHAL GENERALS OFFICE,
WAcuyvr,~o~, N Ton 1ocE

enilstments made IN the navy, from the CON-
mencement of the rebellion until the oath of
FEBRUARY, 1864, should be credited upon the
quota, and these, with other equitable claims
OF enlistments not previously credited, reduced
that call and rendered necessary the one of
December 10, 1864, for 800, 900.
The object, therefore, of the the last call is
to put three hundred thousand men in the ser.
vice. Whether they are enlisted for one, two
or three years they will be counted as units In
filling the quota, and the excess or credit which
any locality may be entitled to, on account of
filling its quota with three years men. viii be
estimated in the assignment of future Quotas.
should there be another call, upon the same
principle that has varied the quotas under the
present call, because some localities have filed
their quotas under the call of July 10, 1854.
WIN three years men. and Others with one
It will be observed that the numbers of men
to be furnished under the present call are not
in proportion to the population of States or
districts, nor to the number enrolled. Had all
localities filled the call for 500, 600 men with
three years men, or all in the same proportion
OF ooth, the number of men to be furnished
under the present call would be in proportion
to the number enrolled, and approximate
three. nfths OF the quota under the call for
oOO,O ZOO, varied only to correspond with the
rected.
But as ii would be unjust and illsgnf to re.
qulre district which had filed its quota un-
oeL tne Inst eau with three years men, to fur
nlsh as many men under the present call as an
equal district which had filed its quota under
the last call with one year men. the former
having furnished three times the number of
years service which the latter had furnished. It
became necessary to estimate the number Of
years OF service which each State, district and
s 9: had furnished respectively, 20 that
QQnQpfQninrY fhn
district IN order to obtin three husdrsd tsow,end
men, each locality would receive full credit for
the number of years of service furnished under
the last call, or excess carried forward and
credited upon that call, previous calls being
nlled with three years men, or enlistments re-
duced to the three years basis.
The call OF December 10, 1864, having been
made to make up Deficiencies under the call of
July IL, 1854, it is not to be expected that the
number of men required from localities will
correspond with the number enrolled. or their
quotas under the call for five hundred thou
sand. In order, therefore, to ascertain what
number of men is due from given district we
must look to what it actually furnished under
the cau OF July IL, instead of what it was re-
q'nred to furnish. Thus where two districts,
having the same enrolment were required,
under the call of July 18, 1854, to furnish two
thousand men each, and one actually furnished
but one thousand men, while the other filed
its quota, 1t would not be lawful for the latter
district, which bad put two thousand men in
service, to be required now to furnish the same
number as the former, which had furnished
only one thousand.
But suppose that both of the above districts
had filled their quotas, tho former with one
year men, and the latter with three years men.
the one furnishing two thousand and the other
ak thousand years Of service; now. as
the law provides that quotas shall be assigned
among the districts Of the several States,
ready furnished as Aforesaid, and the time Of
their service, in assigning quota under call
to make up deficiencies, the deficiency Of years
servi0e, as well as the deficiencies In number.
are to be estimated and the quotas varied &C.
eordingly.
As before stated, the object of the present
call is to raise 900, 600 men, and they win be
required from the different localities In proper
which such localities were deficient. or In ex.
cess, under the call for 500, 900.
This principle was announced from the Pro.
vost Marshal Generals Bureau when the quo.
tas under the call for 500, 900 were announced,
or about that time, Gee opinion Of Solicitor Of
War Department, and the benefits that would
result from three years enlistments and the
cure three years. men the government offered
men; municipal authorities generally contrib
uted local bounties in similar proportion.
The law having provided that the periods of
service heretofore furnished ishould be consid.
cred In assigning quotas, the question then to
be determined Is, at what time shall the credit
be applied2
As it Is impossible to follow the fortune of
each individual soldier, and reckon the period
of his actual service, it follows that either the
credit for the period for which they enlist
should be given when the men enter the ser
vice, 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 Government taking
the responsibility that he will serve for the full
period of his enlistment, and in no case has
any locality been called upon TO replace men
lost to the service by death, disability, or de-
sertion.
Enlistments for six months, nine month";
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 unit
having no fractional parts, so far as credit h
concerned. A soldier who enlists for three
years and dies or is discharged at the end of
twelve months, Is credited to his sub-district A
q three years man; and the man who enIists
for one year, and Is discharged in q week After
enlistment, Is credited asa one years man. To
await the expiration of three years, thst n nm.
I'll the service had been rendered, would defeat
the object Of the law and would probably de-
lay the draft until after the close of the war.
1t must follow, then, that the amount of credit
70 De gwen Is, and always has been, dependent
upon the period for which the soIdier enter
the service. When q district presents an sc-
ceptable resruit for three years. and he is re-
ceived as such by the Government, that district
has done all It can do in the premises, and the
government takes The responsibility that the
soldier win serve his term of enlist ment.
This being admitted, the time to apply the
credit, or to take into account the amount of
credits to which the district IL entitled, is
when settlement Is made with all the dis
ticts. with view to assigning quotas under .
new call This follows, not merely Is . mat
Ter OF convenience IN computation, but -