The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-08
THE FEDERAL ARMY.

The report just made by the Provost MARSHAL
General of the United States of the details and
operations of the Federal conscript laws during
the late civil war, is an exceedingly interesting
paper. During the first eighteen months OF the
war the Federal Government relied for recruits
upon the enthusiasm which sent SO many thou
sands to the field as soon as Fort Sumter fell,
ard the Conscript Bureau was not established En-
til the early part of 500. At that time the mil
itary ardor of the North was no longer at fever.
heat, and four hundred thousand additional
troops were required for offensive military opera
tons. Few, if any volunteered, and thousands
deserving the service the terrible disasters
of 1868 were followed by long period Of mac
tvity upon the part of the Federal armies.
The insuficency of the system of recruitment
previously pursued had been demonstrated, and
the army was diminished by the ordinary casual
ties of war, but more rapidly by the expiration OF
the terms for which the troops were engaged to
serve. The General Government, through this
Bureau, assumed direct control of the business
which had heretofore been transacted mainly by
the State Governments. The Provost Marshas
of the several Congressional Districts, aided by
Commissioner and Surgeon in each, were recruit
ing officers. Springing directly from the people,
and at the same time exercising the authority
and representing the necessities and wishes of the
Government, they reached the masses and were
able, without abating the requirements of the
CONSUMPTION, to promote volunteering, and to ex-
anime, enlist, muster clothc and forward recruits
fast as they could be obtained. The quotas of
districts and sub-dstrcts were made known.-
Each locality was advised of the number it was
required to furnish, and in the event Of failure
then the draft would follow.
The report of the Provost Marshal General,
which has just been sent into the Senate and or
lar l,o taH hat no n
number of men capable of performing military
service in the Fedora! armies during the late war
was 1884 $40, and of this number l,OOO,6l6
were in service and fit for duty when the war
ended The Confederate force in the field at
that time could not have exceeded one hundred
and thirty thousand men of all arms. The sta
tis,ics of this report exceedingly interesting
and we present the following condensed summary
of the most important of these statistics
"One million one hundred and twenty thou
sand six hundred and twenty one men were rails
ed, at an average cost ION account of recruit
ment, exclusive of bounties) of 50 "a per man.
while the cost of recruiting of ,35G,693 raised
prior TO the organization of the Bureau was
1874 OIL per man.
,"Setenty-sx thousand FIVE hundred and twen-
ty-six Geserters were arrested and returned TO the
army.
"The quotas Of men furnished by the various
parts of the country were equaized and pro-
portionate share of military service secured from
each, thus removing the very serious inequality
of recruitment which had arisen during the first
two years of the war, aud which, when the Bu-
reau organized, had become almost in
superable obstacle to the further progress of
raising troops.
Records were completed showing infinitely
the physical condition of l,O14,776 of the men
examined and tables of great scientific and pro-
fessional value have been compiled from this
data.
The casualties in the entire military force of
the nation during the war, as shown by the Off
cial muster-rolls and monthly returns, have been
compiled with, in part, this result:
Killed in Action or died Of Wounds in Service.
Commissioned Officers 1921
Enlisted men 9O,s6S
Died from Disease accident,
Commissioned Officers 1921
Enlisted men lS2,329