Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-21
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
QUEER MILITARY INDUSTRY.
An Army omclai Tells Remarkable sto


name was on tho fated list OF conscripts
had but one alternative-the ranks or
providing q Substitute"
by the provisions Of the act Of con.
gross authorizing the draft three hum
dred dollars was the allowance for
these substitutes. but rs the war pro-
crossed and oyorybody's name was on
the provost marshars books--that Is,
every citizen who had ever voted or was
an eligible yoter-the price rose In pro-
portion TO the scarcity OF available ma
terial for substitutes till In some Of the
smaller states in Now England and In
many western neighborhoods large
sums, from one thousand two hundred
dollars 10 two thousand dollars even,
were paid by those who wcro drafted,
and the quotas OF each county and town
being duly apportioned the citizens
thereof voted county and town boun.
ties, and these sums. added 10 the state
and national bounties, made up very
respectable inducement TO young men
TO enlist.
This state Of affairs held out every
temptation TO unprinciplcd men TO en-.
list for tho sake OF the bounty Many
such enlistments were made by for.
eigners, and not q few Americans, most
Of whom with no family ties and no re-
gard for them " they had, did the same
thing. They enlisted for tho money,
pure and simple, and n little perjury
here and there was small matter to
such elastic conscicnces. The substi-
tute who was In strange part of the
country and sworn 10 the fact that he
was an alien, or at any rate had never
voted, and enlisted only for bounty,
meant to desert when he could. An
pthor olnss was composed of men re-
cruited to all up regiments already in
the field. They received similar large
bounties had no more intention of
fighting than the substitutes had, and
were In great part, especially In cities,
graduates of jails and penitentiarics-
good enough food for powder II their
teeth were strong enough 10 bite a
"hard. tack"
When these men had passed their
medical examination, signed their en-
listment papers, and duly pcrjured
themselves according 10 law they were
put in United States uniforms, furnish
ed with blanket, knapsnck, hnversack
and canteen, and sent, under guard, TO
some receiving depot, where they re-
NAMED till they were forwarded TO the
several regiments TO which they were
accredited. In these temporary depots,
especially In large cities like New
York, Philadelphia and Boston, there
was q complete poign of terror strength
and brutality were uppermpst, Half q
dozen ruffians would attack mall;sizcd
man and take his money from him, To
| complain was useless; II was impossible
10 identify the money or to iiS the Of.
Tense, in general, upon any one individ-
ual
From time to time these recruiting
depots were thinned out by sending the
men TO various camps until enough
were collected for any designated regi-
ment Troops from the east were sent
to Camp Grant and TO Camp Taylor,
four or five miles from Washington
the former being only for drafted men,
and the other for substitutes and re-
/ cruits newly enlisted.
had charge Of the latter camp dur
ing the winter Of ls64.O5, and of all tho
ungracious work ever had TO do In tho
army that was the mcancst TO start
with, had control of shifting, vary.
ing class Of humanity, as hard" lot
as ever assembled in pcnitentiary,
with none Of the restraints which arc
thrown about the latter place, with no
possibility Of maintaining more than a
semblance of discipline. had all the
responsibilities Of prison warden
. ,,,,,Lo,,. III. ,no,n. ~ cnfor,in,, ,,lodi