Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-08-01

oNNuPicu Wy Oniou tioopbi ldTRe NUM-
bers of people returned to their loyalty
and swore allegiance to the old flag.
In June, 1868, the Richmond Dispatch
bitterly complained of the extent of
Confederate army desertions, and great
fears were entertained that the prac-
tice would spread. For this reason it
recommended the punishment of death
as the only means of intimidating the
army. In the emergency General
Letcher. of Virginia, resorted to the
alternative of issuing general order
offering $50 for the arrest of every alb
sconding soldier.
The deserters from the Confederate
armies became so numerous that Gen.
Grant, in December, 1868, issued an
order providing for their disposition.
The detection in the Confederate army
continued to increase, and deserters
poured into the Union lines and
swelled the ranks of its armies. Fur
ther to deplete the armies of the Con-
federacy and to increase the number
Of the Union forces great efforts were
made in the spring of 1864 to induce
Congress to pass an act 'for the volun-
tary enlistment of any person, resi-
dents of certain States, into the regi-
ments of other States" or, in plain
terms,to pass bill authorizing recruit
ing in the seeded States. 1t was
claimed that the passage of this bill
would add at least 100000 soldiers to
the Union army, and it would enable
many of the Northern States to fill
their quotas and thus avoid draft. 1t
was proposed to offer every induce
ment for men in the Southern States
to enlist in the Union army.
The bill passed the House of Repre-.
sentatives in February, 1864, but it was
delayed in the Senate. In April COM
mittees from the Union league of New
York, Philadelphia and Boston hasten
ed to Washington and urged the pas
sage of the bill. The subject was de-
bated until July A, 1864, when Congress
passed the act authorizing the enlist.
ment of men in the Confederate States
as they might elect. This law was
published July @, 1864, and the 9th
regulations to carry it into effect were
issued. Every facility which the War
Department could control was afforded
to make the law effective for raising
troops. The Governors of the loyal
States sent ,045 recruiting agents to re-
cruit the seeded States by whose agents
they were obtained. No material
advantage to the service resulted from
this undertaking. All, or nearly all,
of the recruits to be had in the South
ern States were being obtain ed through
the proper military officers and
agents of the War Department. With
out increasing the number of men en-
listed, the law enabled States in the
North to lay claim for credits for the
men enlisted in the South, and thus re-
duce their quota for draft. To obtain
these credits local bounties were Law
ishly provided. They were unneces-
sary and did not have the effect of in
creasng the number OF recruits OBJ
tanned, but in many instances enriched
bounty brokers and corrupted military
officers.
The whole number of men furnished
to the Union army, according the to
Adjutant General s report of November
8, 1880, from the firing on Fort Sumter
to the close of the war was 1856 ,028, of
which the Northern States furnished
2,432,S01 men. The census of 1860
showed that the number of white males
of the military age between eighteen
and forty five) in the Northen States
was 4,927 900, so that the troops fur
nished by them to the Union army
were sixty per cent of the available
men. Turning to the slave States, the
first discovery is the amazing one that
Delaware furnished larger number of
troops to Union army in proportion to
her available military population than
any other State in any part of the
country. This is so contrary to accepted
ideas that the average Northen Repub-
lican would pronounce the statement
absurd on its face. But the figures
leave no room for doubt. Delaware
had in 1860 only 1928 white males be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty
five. She sent 1880 men into the
Union army, which equaled IA s per
cent. New Hampshire contributed only
about fifty four per cent, Vermont
and Massachusetts, fifty eight per cent,
Maine fifty nine per cent. Rhode Island
sixty six per cent, Illinois and Ohio
sixty nine per cent, Kansas seventy
two per cent. and Indiana seventy four
per cent.
The other border States did nearly
as well. Maryland had 1O2,7l5 white
males of army age, and 50,316 of them
did service for the Union, being almost
exactly forty nine per cent. Kentucky
had 1870, $50 men to call upon, and TO-
O25, or nearly forty four per cent re-
sponded. Missouri had 2,7S1 white
males. and 109,1l1 of them went into
the Union army, being almost forty
seven per cent. West Virginia did not