The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-05-31

In some of the disloyal portions of the |
district, 1t became matter of necessity
TO employ members of the Yeterap Re.
serve Corps and other soldiers to serve
the notices of draft, as the spirit of re-
sistance to law had more than once mani
tested itself In open, overt acts. Not un-
frequently when notices were given to
those for whom they were intended, they
were torn In pieces aud scattered to the
winds, with expressions of utter contempt
for the law and its officers Posters were
put up in conspicuous places, directed to
persons In the employ of the Governments
warning them that if they dared visit
certain localities, they did it at the jeop-
ardy of their lives stigmatizing them as
hretings, and declaring it 10 be the inten-
tlon of many citizens to rid the country of
all such pests
On one or two occasions, they even car
ried out their threats so far as to fire upon
and wound the officers, from their con-
ceaimeut, but always In such IA manner as
to induce the belief that while they thus
we're guilty of an infraction of the law,
they feared the consequences of detection
W hIle attrlbutiBg it In part to the de-
gree OF foreign elemeDtin the population
of our mining localities, this spirit of
hostility and opposition to the enforce
ment of the provisions of the Enrolment
Act, cannot be regarded as the result of
this cause alone. 1t is to be deplored that
some of tie leading men in cer,ain por-
tions of the district, by means of counsel
given IN public and i'll private, exerted
very baleful influence Oh their fellow citi-
zens. Very frequently, I think, this ad-
vice was distributed without a second
| sober thought as to its legitimate tenden-
| cies, and then In other cases it was dis
! seminated with the deliberate design of
fomenting and poisoning the public mind.
| A cha6ng, restless, portuThed spirit in the
people was the natural offspring of such
teachings. They imagined themselves
| oppressed, not because they felt the mail
/ ed hand of the law, but for the reason
that their more intelligent fellow citizens
were constantly decrying the tyranny and
military despoiis,n under which they lived.
1t was hence the influence of this mis-
| taken sentiment on the people more than
! anything else, which appeared as a diff
/ Guilty to be contended against and over
come in the faithful execution of all pro
visions in the Enrolment Act. There
was nothing in the statute itself which
seemed to the public so odious; it was
only when they listened to parlizan in
terpretat;on of it that its provisions ap-
peared to justify aud legalize the most
oppressive exactiOns and this, | appre
bend, is the real ii not the only source
whence flowed all the dissatisfaction and
imaginary injustice which have been SO
uniformly referred to and charged upon
the conscription law.
DRAFTED MEN.
In receiving the drafted men when they
reported for examination in obedience to
notification, the Board of Enrolment en-
deavored as nearly as possible to have only
such number report on each Gay as could
be attended to and disposed of, in connec-
tion with the other necessary business Of
the Office. At an early hour in the day,
the Board commenced its sessions for the
examination of tEose only whose notice
required them to report on that date. The
drafted men reporting were admitted into
the examining room in small numbers, in
the order Of sub districts, and those whose
claims tor exemption were founded on
physical disability from any cause what
decision while those whose claims were
of such nature as not to require an ex-
animation Of their person, were attended
to by the Commissioner and myself
| When a man had been rejected by the
Board as rot liable, from any cause, 20
perform military service, he was given a
discharge or certificate of exemption ac-
cording to the prescribed form, and dis
missed without further ceremony IF,
however, after careful examination, it was
decided to hold him to service, he was
taken in charge by guard, who conGuc-
ted him to the Quarter master store-roOms,
whence, after signing the clothing rolls
aud receiving the requisite amount Of
clothing, he was taken to the barracks at
these headquarters, prepared for the ac-
commodation of guards, drafted men, vol
| unteers, and deserters. Here the recruits
of every nature were quartered, under the
control of a detachment OF the Veteran
Reserve Corps which was on duty in this
district.
As soon as men, either by draft or as
volunteers, had been accepted into the
service, they were subsisted and lodged in
the same manner and under the same
contract as those soldiers who were on
duty here.
These contracts or agreements are such
as are provided for in paragraphs $50 and
156 OF Revised Regulations for the Pro,
vost Marshal Generals Bureau, and exc
cuted and approved in strict conformity
to the provisions of other paragraphs
; contained therein. At the close of almost