Tag Archives: recruitment

poor conscription

Posted on February 27, 2015 by SUMPTER

After four years of war it was hard to scrounge up enough new recruits to satisfy the Union government’s draft quotas. The Seneca Falls supervisor was recruiting in New York City. Men were available, but there wasn’t enough money to … Continue reading →

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draft dilemmas

Posted on February 26, 2015 by SUMPTER

150 years ago this month another Union draft was rapidly approaching, but a local town still didn’t know what its quota would be. The town supervisor was down in New York City headhunting for recruits to fill his town’s requirements. … Continue reading →

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from the quagmire

Posted on February 24, 2015 by SUMPTER

The Civil War has changed America in some ways over the last four years, but Yankees are still firing off cannon to honor Washington’s birthday. And rain makes Virginia “one vast quagmire” – the Dispatch doesn’t anticipate General Grant trying … Continue reading →

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sourcing recruits

Posted on January 27, 2015 by SUMPTER

Conscription in early 1865 was kind of a fluid thing. Here are three short pieces from the Seneca Falls, NY library big notebook of Civil War clippings that show 1) the quota for the 24th New york Congressional District didn’t … Continue reading →

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“service years” quota

Posted on January 26, 2015 by SUMPTER

150 years ago this month a newspaper up in Wayne County, New York complained about how it understood the federal government was implementing President Lincoln’s December 1864 call for 300,000 more soldiers. The new quotas would be based on the … Continue reading →

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ways out

Posted on January 5, 2015 by SUMPTER

01/06/2015: I made a big mistake. The articles from the Dispatch I reprinted below were actually from the January 5, 1864 issue. I’m a year late with this news. I’m sorry. “It will be difficult to get the world to … Continue reading →

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shaming the abolitionists?

Posted on December 23, 2014 by SUMPTER

A Democrat publication wondered why, if over two million adult men voted for President Lincoln’s re-election, the President had to threaten a draft to come up with 300,000 more soldiers. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1864 or … Continue reading →

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2 + 2

Posted on December 19, 2014 by SUMPTER

As Democrat paper in the Finger Lakes region of New York State absorbed a couple of the significant events that occurred 150 years this week – the Union victory at Nashville and President Lincoln’s call for 300,000 more volunteers – … Continue reading →

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grand idea

Posted on December 11, 2014 by SUMPTER

Actually, over two grand From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in December 1864: Arrested for Forgery. Lieut. H.C. Furniss, of Waterloo, is now under arrest at Elmira, charged with forging the name of Provost Marshal Knapp, of this district, … Continue reading →

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men versus munitions model?

Posted on October 21, 2014 by SUMPTER

I’ve heard about the Guns versus butter economic model. As the number of men in Confederate armies diminished, it appears that the government tried to get more soldiers in the field while still producing enough ordnance to keep shooting at … Continue reading →

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