The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-05
Interesting Report.

The report just made by the Pro-
vost 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 re-
cruits upon the enthusiasm which
sent so many thousands to the field
as soon us Fort Sumter fell, and the
Conscript Bureau was not establish
ed until the early part of 1868. At
that time the military ardor of the
North was no longer at fever heat.
and 100000 additional troops were
required for offensive military opera
tions. Few, if any, volunteered, and
thousands were deserting the service
ms the terrible disasters Of 1863 we're
followed by a long period of inac-
tivity upon the part of the Federal
armies.
The insufficiency of the system of
recruitment previously pursued had
been demonstrated, and the army was
diminished by the ordinary casualties
of war, but more rapidly by the expi-
ration 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 Go
vernments. The Provost Marshals
of the several Congressional Districts,
aided by a Commissioner and Sur
geon each, were recruiting officers
Springing directly from the people,
and at the same time exercising the
authority and representing the ne
cessities and wishes Of the Govern
ment, they reached the masses and
were able, without abating the re-
quirements of the conscription. to
promote volunteering, and to ex-
anime, enlist, muster, clothe and for
ward recruits as fast as they could be
obtained. The quotas of districts
aid sub-dlstricts were made known.
Each locality was advised Of the num-
Der 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 ordered to be
printed. shows that the aggregate
number of men capable of perform
ing military service i'll the Federal
armies during the late war was 3, 254,
$40. and of this number 1000, GIG
were in service and fit for duty when
the war ended The Confederate
force IN the field at that time could
not have exceeded 13O, 600 men Of all
arms. The statistics of this report
are exceedingly interesting, and we
present the following condensed sum
mary OF the most important OF these
statistics:
81, ,120,6 ,62l men We're raised, ut M
average cost ION account of recruit
ment, exclusive Of bounties) of 50. 81
per man, while the cost of recruiting
of 1916, 693 raised prior to the or
ganlZatlon of the Bureau was S34. .OI
per man.
''76, 526 deserters were arrested and
returned to the army.
"The quotas of men furnished by
the various parts of the country We're
equaliZed, and proportionate share
OF military service secured from each,
thus removing the very serious in
equality of recruitment which had
arisen during the first two years of
the war, and which, when the Bureau
was organized, had become an almost
lnsuperable obstacle to the further
progress of raising troops.
''Recorls were completed showing
minutely the physical condition of
i,1i4,??S Of the men examined, and
tables Of great scientific and profes-
sional value have been compiled from
this data.
The casualties in the entire mill
tary force of the. nation during the
war, as shown by the official muster
rolls and monthly returns, have been
compiled with, in part, this result:
KILLED IN ACTION OR DIED of%zwoUSDs
IN SERVICE
Commissioned officers 1921
Enlisted men. 30, 1868
DIED FROM DISEASE OR ACCIDENT.
Commissioned officers. 1921
Enlisted men. 800
Total loss in service. $50, 739
"These figures have been carefully
complied from the cOmDleta official