Year: 1865

Is Recruiting Successful I'm Now Yorkl-A


Draft Threatened.


The communication published yesterday Of
Assistant Adjutant General II. +. Bronson,
who is assistant to the acting assistant provost
marshal general, to the Chairman Of the County
Volunteering Committee, complaining that the
city was not volunteering men fast enough. and
stating that "unless recruiting increases. and
men are put into the service more rapidly, the
draft will be commenced" creates some sur
prise among those who have watched the action
Of the Supervisory committee ever since the
legalization by the Legislature of the county
loan, and thus placing funds in the hands of
the Supervisors to pay the new rates Of State
bounty. The impression was universal that the
committee had never since its organization re-
oeived and paid bounty to volunteers SO, rap
idly as since the date referred to-the 18th. Of
February-and that Its success was certain. to
insure us against all possibility of q draft.


Mr.. Blunt, in his reply, fully confirms the
prevalent opinion, and shows by the records
ruary, one thousand four hundred and fifty
nine men were recruited-mostly three years
mcn-equal to three thousand six hundred
and f0rty-seven one year men. This is an
average of one hundred and four per day, with
ont counting substitutes taken at other Offices
The highest average Mr.. Blunt shows the COM
mittee to have made in it's previous success
full operations in filing our various quotas was
eighty-five per diem. The next successful. effort
the average was fifty per day.


We, therefore, can see no good reason for
complaining of the action of the committee,
for it exceeds all its former efforts, under the
disadvantage, too, Of going over grounds
that have been thoroughly CLEANED no
less than four several times; and we
mnst suppose that Assistant Adjutant General
Brownson would not hare thrown out this doubt
about the action of the committee had he pos
sessed at the time Of writing his note all the
facts of the case, instead Of the results Of eight
days operations to which he refers


We doubt very much whether a. draft would
furnish men for the army from this city more
rapidly than they have been supplied by re-
cruiting since the 18th Of February. We leave
out Of the question altogether tbs excitement q
draft would be likely to create IN this city, and
refer simply to It's probable success SO far as
| furnishing men. In the draft commencing in
July, 1868, there were examined and held two
thousand men in ninety days which Is an
average Of little over twenty-five per day.


Had there been in this case no action Of the
Volunteer Relief and Exemption Committee, II
is doubtful If one-fourth Of these would ever
have reached the front. This shows how slow.
ly the ranks of our armies are filed by draft
ing Turning the wheel or drawing the names
is very simple as well rs rapid process But
here the real trouble and delay commence. Fol
every two thousand thus drawn, not more, prob.
ably, than two hundred to three hundred will be
found to have passed the test of the surgeons
examination. Of these large percentage will
contrivc to get of, for unwilling soldiers are
not the most loyal Hence this process mus
be repeated and re-repeated time and again be
fore the number requisite can be obtained
Delays arc thus inevitable, and the result o.
the process must be to supply men mucf
slower than by recruiting, especially when re
cruiting is so successfully carried on rs by oul
Supervisory committee.


There is one thing very certain-if con
scription Is really to be enforced, II stand
every one in hand, liable to be drafted, to sup
ply himself forthwith with a substitute by dc
posting the necessary amount with Supervisor
Blunt, who will fill all orders Of this descrip
ton without delay. For every one thousan'
dollars deposited for substitute the Stat
returns to the depositor six hundred dollars
the substitute costing in fact but four hundre'