Men in Seneca Falls, New York might have been voting mostly Democratic in the early 1860’s, but citizens apparently didn’t mind issuing bonds to help pay bounties to encourage recruits for the military. People still wanted to save the Union if they did not necessarily want to free slaves. Here’s some information about a town meeting 150 years ago today.
From the Seneca County Courier on December 17, 1863:
TOWN BOUNTY OF $800 – The call of the Town Board of Seneca Falls for a meeting on Saturday last, to vote on the question of paying a bounty of $800 to Volunteers, was responded to by some three or four hundred of our citizens, and a resolution authorizing the Board to issue Town Bonds, to the amount of $12,000 for that purpose, was adopted without a dissenting voice. Lieut. Col. MURRAY being present was called on for a speech, after the vote was taken, and he responded in some well-timed and stirring remarks, and at the close two good men came forward and swore in as Volunteers. Since then twenty-one more have enlisted, and the prospect is that within a few days a sufficient number will enlist to fill the quota of this town at least.
It looks like Lieutenant Colonel Murray got right to work during his recruiting furlough. Also from December 17, 1863:
Col. G.M. GUION and Lieut. Col. JOHN B. MURRAY, of the 148th, arrived home on Saturday last. Col. GUION has a furlough for twenty days, and the Lieut.- Col. has been granted one for forty-five days, to enable him to discharge the duties of Recruiting Agent, an office to which he was appointed a few weeks since by the Recruiting Commissioners. The 148th is still at Yorktown, except Co. A, which remains at Fort Norfolk.
The 148th had been doing garrison work in the Norfolk – Yorktown area for over a year. That would change in 1864.
Fort Norfolk changed hands during the war but was spared much damage. It was probably serving mostly as a hospital and prison when Co. A was stationed there. Below is a map from March 1861.
Fort Norfolk to the east
The Library of Congress has some information about the Seneca County Courier, including an example of the notice of the first Women’s Rights Convention published in the July 14, 1848 issue.
