Year: 1863

- IL
bers, and their efficiency CORRESPOND.
ingly impaired. To reinforce these.
and bring them up again to the maxi.
mum standard of strength, is at pres
ent the most imperative demand ofthe
service. 1t is certainly much easier
to keep up the quota of the State by
raising new regiments, than by filling
the old ones, but both justice and
sound policy forbid such course. To
abandon the old regiments, which have
fought with marked distinction through
all the campaigns of the war, would be
to disregard the first principle of mill
tary success, the pride Of the soldier
in his corps. 1t would also be in dis
regard of the Importance of military
skill and discipline. New recruits put
into old organizations, under trained
and competent officers, are of much
greater value to the service than if or
ganized into new bodies, with officers
unused to war. They quickly catch
the spirit, and acquire the skill of old
soldiers. 1t is far better for the sol.
dier himself, because by contact with.
men of experience be is led to avoid
the bad habits so ruinous to the new
soldier, and to adopt those which tend
to preserve his health and life. There
is nothing from which the new regi-
ments have suffered so fatally as
causeless disregard of the rules of
health as applied to camp life.


Notwithstanding the obvious advan-
IF II
it has been found impossible to Ell up
their ranks while new ones are raising
in the State. The superior activity of
new officers on the ground working for
their commissions, with the ambition
of the soldier for the Commission
ed Offices of the company, have swept
the great body of recruits into the new
organizations, and SO it will continue
while new regiments are raising. To
get clear of this difficulty it is proposed
to organize no more new regiments af-
ter the present are completed. The
recruiting will then be confined wholly
to the regiments in the field. When
this shall have occurred / anticipate
but one remaining difficulty, and that
grows out of the vicious but well in
tended system of citizens bounties. As
soon as the draft is over no doubtthose
bounties will entirely cease. They have
been the cause of endless trouble. Be-
ing of various amounts in different To-
callties, those seeking TO enlist have
been induced TO offer themselves wher-
ever the highest bounty was offered.
The result has been a very injurious
bidding between different places, and
very much higher bounties have been
paid than reason would dictate. Ap-
peals have been constantly made TO
the cupidity instead of the patriotism
of the citizen to enlist, TO that extent
degrading the service. In consequence
some have enlisted merely to obtain


he bounties, aud have then deserted
di>gracefully. The evil has grown not
ont of the fact that bounty is offered,
but out of the want Of uniformity in
amount. When the citizens bounlies
cease l think we must have substi-
tute for them, or the enlistments will
also cease. What shall that substitute
be? !? / can think OF nothing but un.
form State bounty, ,moderatein in amount,
to be paid only TO those who enlist in
the regiments and batteries now organ.
lied and organizing, on their being
mustered into the service OF the Uni
ted States. The amount of the bounty
| think should 'be fifty dollars, and il
might be paid from the war loan, of
which there remains a balance unex-
pended of nearly 100000. Perhaps
ii would be well to give discretion to
increase that loan by two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, in case the
money should be required, which / do
not anticipate. If this plan should be
adopted, there is no reason to doubt
that the Michigan Regiments can be
kept in efficient force.


One of the principal sources of en-
couragement to enlistments, is the law
for the relief of families of the yolun-
teers, when in destitute circumstances:
In the main the law is well admins
tered and is productive of great good.
In few localities, however, there are
hard, unsympathizing Supervisors, who
exercise their discretion not only with
ont humanity, but with positive cruel
ty, if my information is correct. / do
not know as it is possible To remedy
this. A discretion must be left some
where, and any change might result in
an increase of the evil. recommend
you to consider whether an appeal
might not be allowed from the super
visor to some county officer, in such
cases with authority TO review his ac-
ton, and thus increase the probabili-
ties of justice being done.


/ Such an appeal may now be made


to the board of supervisors, but it is an


inconvenient tribunal 10 reach, consist
ing of considerable number aud as.


sembling but seldom.


The duty of the State to its soldiers


does not cease with their enlistment.
1t should follow them to the field and


the hospital, aud make It's active sym.


patty and aid manifest in all their tri


ais and sufferings. The Government


of the United States does all it can. It


furnishes abundant supplies of every


kind, and to the soldier in health, all


that is necessary. 1t furnishes good


and sufficient hospitals for the sick and
wounded, and nurses and attendants
: in number enough; but it cannot make
< sure that they will all do their duty