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

copScrlptlon whose Symmetrical proper
| tioEs aud efficiency could not fail to secure
the admiration of ALL
believe the principle on which the
| quotas were arrived at under the cali of
Dec. l9, 1864, to be the right one, ana
| that which should have been adopted as
early as practicable after it became neces-
sary to resort to enforced military service.
There is no other, through the operations
OF which exact justice can be meted out
to all parts of the country and when any
measure or policy of Government, even
i'll Its EXTREMIST exigencies, savors of
oppression o. burden to the great masses
of the people, to be enduring it must have
| in its foundation and execution not only
the semblance, bnta the cIearest evidences
of taultless equity and good intention.
DRAFTING.
After the establishment and publica-
ton of the sub district quotas, and during
! the intervening time between this date
and the one fixed upon for the draft to
! begin, nearly all the clerks were usually
employed in transcribing from the rolls to
blank draft cards or tickets, the names of
the persons to be placed in the wheel
under the existing call. At this time
there was generally great activity in vol
unteeriDg, the recruits coming in from
every portion of the district, Influenced
in part by spirit of patriotism, but in
much greater degree by that other potent
and impelling force-the fear Cf conscrip-
ton. The difference in the spirit aud
energy Of volunteering was easily percep-
! hble, too, when the men were permitted
to cater new organizations ard when
they were forwarded at once to some vet
eran company and regiment in tne field.
y day or two prior TO the commence
ment Of the draft, few prominent men
of different political faith from the county
TO be drawn were invited to be present as
a committee of ObserUatiOn, in order that
every portion of the district might be
satisfied as to the complete fairness and
justice of results.
When the day and hour appointed FOR
the drawing to begin had arrived, the
Board Of Enrolment, committee of OBJ
servaton, and clerks took their respective
positions, in such manner as TO allow all
promiscuous spectators present to be graf
fec with view of the uoheet Of fortune
Two persons were then selected, one to
turn the wheel, and the other, biindfolded,
to take from il the tickets bearing the
names of those who became thereafter
soldiers of the United States.
These preliminary arrangements having
been completed. the Commissioner of the
Board, arising from his seat, announced to
all present that "the draft will now com
mence for the Seventeenth Congressional
District. sub-district No. l."
-
from Lit Col. j V Bomford, late A. y
Provost Marshal General of the State,
the tickets were taken out of the sealed
envelope in which they had been placed
as soon as written, each sub district By
itself, counted by the Board of Enroll
ment and committee Of observation in
conjunction and the names of any who
had been exempted since the tickets were
written, taken out. Those that remained
were then placed in the wheel, and il
began its significant revolutions and coun-
ter-rev olutions, upon the result OF which
hung so many hopes and fears. After the
cards had been sufficiently intermingled
in this way, small door in the side oi
the wheel was thrown open, and the person
selected being properly bhndfolded, took
from it one of the tick cts, which he hand
ed to the Comm issioner of the Board, who
read aloud the name and number thereon
and in turn passed it usually to the com
mittee of observation, that they might
detect any error which could possibly
have been made in pronouncipg the name
or number.
The name on the ticket was then tran
scribed by the proper clerk into blank
book which had been procured tor this
purpose. and thus the work progressed
taking each sub district in the order In
which it was numbered, until the drawing
for the district had been completed.
After drafting the required number
from any enrolment district, the tickets
bearing the names of those drawn were
carefully sealed up in small envelope
and placed in this condition in larger
envelope, which contained the tickets OF
said district that had not been drawn
This large envelope was then sealed, hav-
ing endorsed on II the name and number
of the sub-district to which the tickets
belonged, and carefully preserved.
immediately after the draft was conclu
ded, the Board Of Enrolment fixed the
dates for the reporting and examining Of
the conscripts from the respective coun-
ties comprising the Congressional District
!, All of the available clerks In the office
were then employed in filling up and pre-
pairing draft notices, printed forms o.
, which We're forwarded from the Provost
Marshal Generals Bureau, to be served
, on all persons who had oeen drawn
, | Tbase notices ware distrihuted bv mail +,