Catoctin clarion., 1918-08-29
Civil War Volunteering.
It Was Far Ahead of Results
So Far of Drafting.

So Far OF Drafting.
The following letter was contributed
by Gil. r. Stormont. Past Department
Commander, G. A. R., to the National
Tribune, and will likely be of interest to
our readers at this time:
"An article recently published publish
ed in the Scientific American calls at
tention to the fact that Notwithstanding
the wonderful increase in our Army dur
ing the past year, we have put less than
2 per cent of FOUR present population in
uniform, and are far short of the record
made in the civil war. Quoting from
that article:
"'Yet we talk of supreme efforts in
terms of gigantic army of 5,OOO,oO
men. May we not well pause to realize
that before we shall equal the perform
ance of the l3 original colonies we shall
have increased this figure by one-halt;
that before we shall put ourselves on
par with the beaten Confederacy we shall
have doubled it? May we not give thot'
to the fact that in, order to put forth an
effort duplicating that of the North in
the civil war we must raise an army OF
about ten million men? There are plenty
of people now living who fought in the
civil war; plenty more who lived through
it. If we would but remind ourselves
that before we shall equal the achieve
ments of their generation we must put
about II, $50, 900 more troops in the field,
perhaps we should look with less COM
placence upon what we have done, and
with less misgiying upon the raising of
the next million, and the millions after
that
at is officially reported that we now
have 100000 men in France, and we
are rather disposed to plume ourselves
on the great achievements in raising and
equipping such large army in so short
a time Many people are inclined to the
opinion that this army, and the many
thousands now in training in this coun-
try, is really "gigantic" army, such as
was never before produced in any of the
of the wars in our country's history.
There is on the part of some disposition
to regard the achievement in raising and
equipping the army in the civil war, and
the magnitude of that army, as an effort
not to be compared with what has been
done in the present war. For such as
are impressed with this idea, there is
food for thought in the facts stated in
the article quoted. A further study of
of facts CLEANED from history and official
statistics will be interesting and instruc-
tive.
At the time of the civil war there were
"a states in the Union and II of these
States had organized Confederacy and
were in rebellion. The total population
of the 81 States at that time was about
81 200, 600, in round numbers, and the
population of the States that remained
loyal to the Union was about $4,000, 900.
The civil war and the present war both
began in April; President Lincoln's first
call for volunteers was made on the 18th
of that month, in 1861. Several addi-
tional calls were made during the first
year of the war, making an aggregate of
1887, 748 up to August, 1862. In response
to these several calls there had been en-
listed at that date the total number of
1,341, ,2l0 volunteers; there was no con-
scription or draft prior to that time.
This army of soldiers was nearly per
cent of the population of the loyal States.
With the present united country of 48
loyal States with population of 100, ,0OO,-
600 the same ratio of enlistment would
make an army of about 5000, 100 which
is more than three times greater than
the army this entire country has raised,
mostly by conscription, within the same
period of time.
While our present army does not COM
pare in numbers with the army that
fought to successful conclusion the
battles of the civil war, yet those of our
troops who have had opportunity to en-
gage in active service have fully main
tained the high standard for bravery that
has been so signally manifested by the
American soldier called to the defense
and honor of our Flag in every war in
which our country has been engaged.
1t is subject of profound congratulation
that in every engagement with the Huns
in France our troops have behaved with
uniform and distinguished gallantry. In
every action they have been among the
foremost and most fearless in deeds of
daring. Wherever they have been en-
gagged in battle they have been eager to
advance, invincible in conflict and our
glorious Flag has never known retreat.