Year: 1863

the authority thereof, and it is, under the
Constitution of the United States, the duty
OF the Government to suppress insurrection
and rebellion to guarantee to each State
republican form of Government, and to pre-
serve the public tranquility; and whereas, for
these high purposes, military force is indis.
pensable, to raise and support which all per.
sons ought willingly to contribute; and
whereas, no service can be more praseworthy
and honorable than that which is rendered
for the mainatnance of the Constitution and
Union, and the consequent preservation of
Government, therefore.


BE it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled. That all
abelbcdied male citizens of the United States
and persons of foreign birth who shall have
declared on oath their intention to become
citizens under and in pursuance Of the laws
thereof, between the ages Of twenty and forty.
five years. except as hereinafter excepted, are
hereby declared to constitute the national
forces, and shall be liable to perform military
duty in the service the United States when
called out by the President for that purpose


Sec 2. And be it further enacted, that the
following persons be, and they are hereby,
excepted and exempt from the provisions of
this Act, and shall not be liable to military
duty under the same, to wit: Such as are
rejected as physically or mentally unfit for
the service; also, first, the Vice President of
the United States, the Judges Of the various
Courts of the United States, the heads of
the various Executive Departments of the
I,ovornmopt- onJ of Tho &c
the several States; and, second. the only
son liable to military duty of widow
dependent upon his labor for support;
third, the only son of aged and infrm parent
or parents dependent upon bis labor for sup
port; fourth, where there are two or more
sons of aged and inirm parents subject to
the draft, the father, or if he be dead, the
mother, may elect which son shall be exempt;
fifth, the only brother of children not twelve
years old, having neither father nor mother
dependent upon his labor for support; sixth
the father of motherless children under twelve
years of age, dependent upon his labor for
support seventh, where there are a father
and sons in the same family and household
and two of them are in the military service
of the United States as non-commissoned
officers. musicians or prlvates, the residue of
such family and household not exceeding two,
shall be exempt; provided, however, that no
person who has been convicted of any felony
shall be enrolled or permitted to serve in
said forces.


Sec. 3. And be it further enacted. That
the national forces of the United States not
now in the military service, enrolled under
| tbic A.t eI,n1l bo 1iv;1oJ into
the first Of which shall comprise all persons
subject to military duty, between the ases
of twenty and thrtyfive years, and all
unmarried persons subject to do military du
ty above the age Of thrty'tive and under the
age Of forty five; the second class shall com.
prise all other persons subject to do military
duty, and they shall not, in any district, be
called into the service of the United States
until those of the first class shall have been
called


Sec 4. And be it further enacted. That
for greater convenience in enrolling, calling
out and organizing the national forces, and
for the arrest of deserter% and spies of the
enemy, the United States shall be divided
into districts, in which thsDistrict of Colum-
bia shall constitute one, each Territory Of
the United States shall constitute one or
more, as the President shall direct and each
Congressional District of the respective States,
as fixed by law of the State next preceding
the enrolment, shall constitute one; pro.
vided that in States which have not bv their
| laws been divided into two or more Congress
sional Districts, the President of the United
Ststes may divide the same into so many En-
| rollp,apt nictr iutc la 1aap, fit an1
convenient.


Sec ! O. And be it further enacted. That
the enrolment of each class shall be made
separately and shall only embrace those whose
ages shall be, on the first day of July there
after. between twenty and forty.fi years.


Sec IL. And be it further enacted. That
all persons thus enrolled shall be subject, for
two years after the first dav of July succeed
ing enrolment, to be called into military SER
vice of the United States, and to continue in
service during the present rebellion, not, how
ever exceeding three years. and when called
into service shall be placed on the same foot
ing in all respects, as volunteers for three
years, or during the war, including advance
pay and bounty as now provided by law.


Sec. 12. And be it further enacted. That
whenever it may be necessary to call out the
national forces for military service, the Presi'
dent is authorized to assign to each district
the number of men to be furnished by said
district; and thereupon the enrolling board
shall, under the direction of the President,
make draft fthe required number, and fifty
per centum in addition; shall make a COM
pete and exact list of the persous so drawn;
so that the first shall stand first, and so on;
and the persons so drawn shall be, within ten
days thereafter by written or printed notice
served personally or by having the same at
his last place of residence requiring him to
appear at designated rendezvous and report
for duty; and in assigning to the district in
each case the number of men to be furnished
therefrom, the President shall take into con-
| alteration the number of volunteers and mill,