The following is a portion of the Wisconsin Adjutant General Report that appeared in the February 4, 1865, issue of The Prescott Journal. Part I, Part II, Part III.
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S REPORT
What Wisconsin has Done for the War.
How Many Troops She has Sent.
How Many are Sill in the Field.
VOLUNTEERING AND DRAFTING.
Relief for the Sick and Wounded.
THE STATE MILITIA.
Very Interesting Document.
.
RESULTS OF DRAFT OF 1863.
The draft of 1863, made under orders from the War Department pursuant to an act of Congress of that year, was in progress and completed early in the present year.
Lieut. Col. Chas. S. Lovell, 16th Infantry U. S. A., was assigned to duty as Assistant Provost Marshal General of this State, and has—with the exception of a short absence, during which Col. J. D. Greene, U. S. A., was assigned to the position—performed the duties of that office to the present time. The officers constituting the boards of enrollment in each of the six Congressional Districts of the State, were appointed by the War Department from residents in this State.
In the varied duties of my office I have been brought much in contact, personally and by correspondence, with all the above named officers. Their labors have been of the most delicate and at the same time perplexing and arduous character, and I take pleasure in bearing witness to the very patient and efficient performance of those duties ; and also in publicly acknowledging the many acts of courtesy characterizing their intercourse with this office. The following named gentlemen constitute the several boards of enrollment in this State :
First District—Capt. J. M. Bean, Provost Marshal ; C. M. Baker, Commissioner ; J. B. Dousman, Surgeon.
Second District—Capt. S. J. M. Putnam, Provost Marshal ; L. B. Caswell, Commissioner ; C. R. Head, Surgeon.
Third District—Capt. John G. Clark, Provost Marshal ; E. E. Bryant, Commissioner ; John H. Vivian, Surgeon.
Fourth District—Capt. E. L. Phillips, Provost Marshal ; Charles Burchard, Commissioner ; L. H. Cary, Surgeon.
Fifth District—Capt. C. R. Merrill, Provost Marshal ; Wm. A. Buge, Commissioner ; H. O. Crane, Surgeon.
Sixth District—Capt. B. F. Cooper, Provost Marshal ; L. B. Fisher, Commissioner ; D. D. Cameron, Surgeon.
The enrollment of 1863 included all male residents in the State between the ages of twenty and forty-five years, divided into two classes, from the first of which, to wit : “All persons subject to do military duty between the ages of twenty and thirty-five years, and all unmarried persons subject to do military duty above the age of thirty-five and under the age of forty-five,” a draft of one-fifth of the number enrolled, with fifty per cent addition, was to be made.
The total enrollment of this State was one hundred and twenty-one thousand two hundred and two (121,202). From the annexed table prepared by the District Provost Marshals at my request, it appears that the total number drafted in the State was fourteen thousand nine hundred and thirty five (14,935), of whom eight hundred and eighty (880) were held to service, in person or by substitutes ; two thousand six hundred and eighty-nine (2,689) failed to report, six thousand two hundred and eighty-five (6,285) were exempts, and five thousand and eighty-one (5,081) paid communtation amounting to $1,524,300.
Under the modification of the Draft Act, by Congress, then in session, the number required under the draft of 1863, was merged into the new call by the President of February 1, 1864, for 500,000, and it was ordered that a new assignment of quotas be made, and that each sub-district be credited upon the new call with the number of men obtained by the foregoing draft. By this coarse, the State received credit for 5,807, upon the calls of February 1st and March 14th, and, with the veteran re-enlistments before mentioned, the new organizations completed, and the recruits for old regiments, the quota of the State was filled, as announced by the Secretary of War on the 5th of June.
DRAFT OF 1864.
Under the act of Congress, approved July 4th, 1864, President Lincoln issued the call of July 18th, for 500,000 volunteers, for one, two or three years service, with order that after fifty days from the date of said call, a draft of troops for one years service should be made to fill the quota of any sub-district then deficient in volunteers. The quota assigned to Wisconsin under this call was 19,032. The fact that we had but just filled our quotas under the former calls of 700,000 in a corresponding ratio was deemed presumptive evidence, that in the absence from the State of any considerable number of the former quota, the last quota was excessive.
No satisfactory explanation could be obtained from the War Department. The general accounts between the State and the General Government were compared and found to agree. Attention was then given to the accounts of the Provost Marshal General’s office where by comparison with the general account of the Department, the following facts were found to exist. The fact will be remembered by the frequency of its appearance—that subsequent to the call of July 1863, and pending the draft of that year, a settlement was obtained with the War Department on the 12th of October of that year, and an order issued by the Provost Marshal General crediting the State with a net excess of four thousand three hundred and fifty-two over all calls prior, and to apply on the then pending draft. This credit was apportioned to the several Congressional districts, according to the excess raised and due to each. But under the modification of the law by act of Congress of 1864, the draft of 1863, so far as quota was concerned—and the call for volunteers of October 17th, 1863, were so to speak ignored, and merged into the call of February 1st, for 500,000.
Order was made by the War Department that all credits due prior to, or the result of the draft just made, should be brought forward and credited to the sub-districts under this call.
Upon examination of the table of credits prepared by the War Department and forwarded to Col. Lovell, A. A. P. M. G., for distribution under the call of February, it was found that the excess of credit, due Oct 12th, 1863, to Congressional districts, had been omitted.
To correct this, it was necessary only to show the War Department the discrepancy of accounts between its own bureaus.
Meanwhile the many serious complaints of excessive and erroneous enrollment received from persons whose source of information entitled them to confidence, led to a correspondence with the District Provost Marshals as to the manner and results of the corrections ordered by the Provost Marshal General in June last.
Through this correction the quota of the State was reduced 3,691, or from 19,082 to 15,341.
Mention has already been made of the results of volunteering under this call. Draft was originally ordered to complete this quota. A supplementary draft is now in progress in some of the districts.—I cannot therefore give the total results. Through the courtesy of the District Provost Marshals I am enabled to present the following table complete to November 1st :
From the foregoing table it will appear that under the corrected enrollment up to November 1, 1864, the total number subject to draft in this State was ninety-four thousand and sixty-eight, (94,068). Of these there were drafted under the last call, seventeen thousand, five hundred and thirty four (17,534) ; held to service in person or by substitute, three thousand, four hundred and thirty-nine, (3,439) ; discharged after draft, six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four, (6,724) ; failed to report, seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven, (7,367).³
THE CALL OF DECEMBER 19, 1864
having but just been received, no results have yet been obtained by recruiting or otherwise.
TOTAL OF TROOPS FURNISHED.
My last annual report gave the entire number of troops from this State int he service of the General Government, on the 1st of November, 1863, as forty-one thousand and fifty-four (41,054)
From the returns made to this office by the several U. S. mustering officers of the State, it appears that there have been mustered into the United States service as volunteers from the 1st of November, 1863, to the present date 25,413. These include all volunteers for one, two or three years’ service, and re-enlisted veterans, all for three years.
Of principals and substitutes held to service (three years)under the draft of 1863, there are 5,961. Held to service (one year) under the draft of 1864, 2859. These several recruits added to the number in service Nov. 1st, 1863, give a total of 75,287, exclusive of 2,134 one hundred day men, for which the State receives no credit, numerically, and which added constitutes a grand total of 77,421 furnished the General Government by this State under all calls to the 19th of the present month.
The following table gives in better form a recapitulation of the total number and term of service, viz :
|
Credit at date of last report, (2 years) . . . . . . . |
41,054 |
|
Enlistments present year to date, (3 years) . . |
13,347 |
|
Re-enlisted veterans, (3 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5,782 |
|
Draft of 1863, (3 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5,961 |
|
Total 3 years service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
66,144 |
|
Enlistments present years, (2 years) . . . . . . . . |
41 |
|
Total in two years service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
41 |
|
Enlistments present year, (1 year) . . . . . . . . . . |
6,243 |
|
Draft of 1864, (1 year) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,859 |
|
Total one years service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
9,102 |
|
Total 1, 2 and 3 years service . . . . . . . . . . |
75,287 |
|
Add three regiments 100 day service . . . . . . . |
2,136 |
|
Grand total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
77,423 |
|
|
|
Reference is respectfully made to paper “D” in appendix of this report giving detailed information of these troops to-wit : The regimental organization and original strength, the number of recruits since assigned of one, two or three years volunteers, or drafted men, and the present strength.
Of the 77,421 originally in the United States service, the State is now represented by 42,163, the loss by death, discharge and desertion, together with those reported missing in action, being 35,258. The remark of last year in reference to this class is also now applicable, namely, that by far the larger number are of those discharged the service for various reasons, or mustered out upon expiration of term of service, while of those missing in action (not killed) the most eventually rejoin their regiments.
QUOTAS AND CREDITS.
It is impossible to give the exact statement of account at the present date, between the War Department and the State for troops furnished, owing to the following reasons :—A supplementary draft is yet incomplete in some districts, and of those where it is now complete, the muster-in rolls have not yet reached this office. From the returns which have reached me up to this date, the following table is prepared, giving the quotas under all calls of the General Government prior to December 19, 1864, with the credits due the State, and showing a deficiency December 31, 1864, of four thousand four hundred and eighty (4,480).
It is believed, however, that the returns, not yet received at this office, will reduce this number nearly if not quite one thousand.
State of Wisconsin for troops furnished under the different calls,
| . |
|
DR NUMBER |
|
DUE. |
|
Quota under call of 1861 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
21,753 |
|
” ” ” July, 1862, 300,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
11,808 |
|
” ” ” for 300,000 9 months |
|
|
men reduced to three years basis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,975 |
|
Quota under call of Feb. 1, 1864, 500,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
19,852 |
|
” ” ” March 14, 1864, 200,000 . . . . . . . . . . . |
7,911 |
|
” ” ” July 18, 1864, 500,000 |
|
|
reduced by order of the War Dept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
15,341 |
|
|
79,767 |
|
|
˭˭˭˭˭˭˭ |
|
Deficiency (balance) brought down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
4,480 |
|
|
|
|
|
CR. NUMBER |
|
FURNISHED. |
|
Volunteers up to Oct. 12th, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
40,985 |
|
Draft of Nov., 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5,961 |
|
Volunteers up to Dec. 31st, 1863 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,272 |
|
” ” Jan. 31st, 1864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,865 |
|
” ” Feb. 29th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,713 |
|
” ” Mch. 31st, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,792 |
|
” ” April 30th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,356 |
|
” ” May 31st, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
220 |
|
” ” June 30th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
169 |
|
” ” July 31st, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
161 |
|
” ” Aug. 30th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
539 |
|
” ” Sept. 30th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,827 |
|
” ” Oct. 31st, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,501 |
|
” ” Nov. 30th, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,376 |
|
” ” Dec. 31st, ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
842 |
|
Veterans re-enlisted up to July 18, 1864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5,765 |
|
” ” ” Dec. 31, 1864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
17 |
|
Volunteers reported by regiments not ret’d |
|
|
to War Dept., and officers promoted from |
|
|
old organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
167 |
|
Draft of 1864 reported up to Dec. 31, 1864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,869 |
|
Balance (deficiency Dec. 31, 1864,) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
4,480 |
|
|
79,877 |
|
|
|
1. This column actually adds up to 628.
2. This column actually adds up to $2,024,300.
3. This column actually adds up to 5,367.
Volunteering is quite brisk in this county. Most of the towns will probably fill their quotas. The quotas of the towns will be published as soon as received at this office.
The Civil War and Northwest Wisconsin 