Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-20
STAR, FRIDAY, JULY co. 1se4-TwELvE PAGES

| HoWcVcIs OOeS name the regiments as 1Ol-
| lows: Enlisted in the twenty-third and
| sixty-hfth Illinois regiments. 20" These
| confederate recruits were Immediately sent
to the front
Entire Companies Formed.
Several regiments were also enlisted from
| among the confederate prisoners at San
dusky, Columbus. Camp Chase, Johnson's
| Island, Fort Delaware and other military
prisons. As early as 1888 the confederate
prisoners at Fort Delaware began taking
the oath Of allegiance to the United States
and in the summer of that year. after the
| surrender Of Vicksburg and the destruction
| Of the Meirinlac and siege Of Richmond
| when affairs In the confederacy looked blue,
| over 200 Of these men were doing garrison
| duty at the fort. Five hundred more after
ward took the oath of allegiance and were
uniformed and held In readiness for any
| service the government might call upon
| them to perform. Some entered the ranks
| Of the fourth regiment OF Delaware in
| fantry, while others became members Of
Capt. Ahls battery Of heavy artillery. That
company was composed exclusively of con-
| federste prisoners who had taken the oath
| Of allegiance to the United States. 1t was
mustered out of service on July %. 1861,
when the men were paid of and returned to
their homes. Company G of the fourth
Delaware infantry was made up almost en-
tirely of ex-coHfcderate prisoners from Fort
Delaware. Companies D. E, and G Of the
| third regiment of Maryland cavalry, COM
n.cnded by Col. c. Carroll Tevis, was COM
posed of men enrolled at Fort Delaware
from among confederate prisoners Of war
who had taken the oath of allegiance 1t
was in service in louisiana, Alabama, Flori-
| da and Mississippi in 1SG4-5, and was mus
| tered out at VfCkSburg, Miss, September Z,
| 1865. At Point Lookout Nd, over GO con-
| federate prisoners took the oath of allegi-
arce and enlisted in the army. 1t was
stated in February, 1865. that out Of de-
| tachment of 800 confederate prisoners at
Camp Chase, ordered to be placed upon the
| exchange list go voted to remain in prison.
A large number of confederate prisoners
| were discharged from prison upon taking
| the oath of allegiance. and entered into
other employment. A great many entered
| the Union army as substitutes for the big
bounties which were then offered, and their
Identity will never be known. Considerable
comment was created a short time since
| from the fact that one of these. who had
been an ex-confederate soldier and now liv
ing in Georgia, was receiving a federal
pension.
After the disastrous battle of Gettysburg
there was everywhere In the south undeni-
able evidence of the collapsing of the con-
| federacy. 1t took organized shape in the
frequent descrlions from the confederate
army. In those portions of the south which
| were occupied by Union troops. large num-
| bers of people returned to their loyalty and
swors allegiance to the old flag. In June,
1853, the Richmond Dispatch bitterly COM
planned of the extent of confederate army
assertions, and great fears were entertained
that the practice would spread. For this
reason II recommended the punishment OF
death as the only means of illuminating
the army. In the emergency Governor
Letcher of Virginia resorted to the alterna-
tive OF Issuing general order Offering SO
for the arrest of every absconding soldier.
Result of Desertions.
The deserters from the confederate armies
became so numerous that Gen. Grant IN
December. 1863, 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. Further to
deplete the armies of the confederacy 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 voluntary enlistment OF any persons,
residents Of certain states. into the regi-
ments Of other states" or in plain terms
to pass bill authorizing recruiting in the
seeded states. 1t was claimed that the
passage of this bill would add At least lOo-
900 soldiers to the Union army, and 1t would
enable many Of the northern states to fill
their quotas and thus avoid draft. 1t was
proposed to offer every inducement for men
in the southern states to enlist In the Union
army.
The bill passed the House of Representa-
tves in February. 1854, but 1t was delayed
In the Senate. In April committees FROM
the Union leagues of New York, Phila-
ton and urged the passage of the bill The
subject was debated until July 4, 1864 when
Congress passed the act authorizing the en-
listment of men In the confederate states as
they might elect. This law was published
July q, 1864, and on the 9th regulations to
carry ii into effect were issued. Every fa-
cility which the War Department could con-
troll was afforded TO make the law effective
for raising troops. The governors of the
loyal states sent 1,oIs recruiting agents to
recruit the seeded states. but they only en-
listed 5,052 recruits. who were credited 20
the states by whose agents they were OBJ
tained. No material advantage to the ser
vice resulted from this undertaking. All or
nearly ALL of the recruits 10 be had IN the
southern states were being obtained through
the proper military officers and agents of
the War Department. Without increasing
the number of men enlisted the law en-
abled states in the north to lay claim for
credits for the men enlisted in the south
and thus reduce their quota for draft To
obtain these credits local bounties were
lavishly provided. They were unnecessary
and did not have the effect of increa sing the
number of recruits obtained. but In many
instances enriched bounty brokers and cor
rupted military officers.
Dclawnre's Large Quota.
The whole number of men furnished to
the Union army. according to the adjutant
generals report Of November 0. 1880. from
the firing on Fort Sumter to the close of
thS Wal was -,SS,N-S, OI WHICH the nOrtn-
ern states furnished 2,432 SO1 men, The
census of 1SGO showed that the number of
white males of the military age (between
eighteen and forty-fivel i'm the northern
states was 4,32 1000, 50 that the troops fur
nished by them to the Union army were 90
per cent Of their available men. Turning
to the slave states. the first discovery is
the amazing one that Delaware furnished a
larger number of troops to the Union army
in proportion to her available military popu-
lation than any other state in any part of
the country. This Is so contrary to accept
ed ideas that the average northern repub-
lioan would pronounce the statement alb
surd on its fsce. But the figures leave no
room for doubt. Delaware had in 1860 only
1S.213 white males between The ages CT
eighteen and forty-fve. She sent 1860 men
into the Union army, which equaled T4.S
per cent. New Hampshire contributed only
about 81 per cent Vermont and Massachu-
sets %, Maine -, Rhode Island GG, Illinois
and Ohio CD, Kansas a., and Indiana "A.
The other border states did nearly as
well. Maryland had lU2. ia white males Of
army age, and 50,316 of them did service
for the Union, being almost exactly 10 per
cent. Kentucky had 1S0.5S9 men to call
upon, and 1923, or nearly ~ per cent, re-
sponded. Missouri had 232. ISL white males
and 1G9,111 of them went into the Union