DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1864

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1864-02-25

Thursday 25  The people of the north are again considerably excited about the impending draft, in accordance with the president’s recent proclamation five hundred thousand men must be raised by the 1st of March otherwise there will be a draft by the 10 of the month.  The people of Iowa and other Western states are trying to raise their quotas by offering volunteers an additional bounty and they think that by this means the draft can be avoided by these states.  The soldiers are very anxious to have the draft come off, they say it would do them good to see some of their copperhead and blowing friends in the ranks with their knapsacks and equipment an marching with them through the Confederacy.  But if the quota can be raised without a draft I am in favor of having it done, but I am also opposed to this system of giving enormous bounties to volunteers by the general and local governments, since they will finally be raised again by taxation and the soldier will have to pay part of it back to the government, why not excuse soldiers from taxation during the war?  Why not support their families at home?  Or why not pay the soldier better wages?  Would it not be a better, wiser policy than paying the present enormous bounties?  A great many men will enlist now simply for the money, and while soldiers make very poor ones, and strive continually to secure their discharge, this only become a burden instead of a help to our country.

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Thursday 25 The people of the north are again considerably excited about the impending draft, in accordance with the president’s recent proclamation five hundred thousand men must be raised by the 1st of March otherwise there will be a draft by the 10 of the month. The people of Iowa and other Western states are trying to raise their quotas by offering volunteers an additional bounty and they think that by this means the draft can be avoided by these states. The soldiers are very anxious to have the draft come off, they say it would do them good to see some of their copperhead and blowing friends in the ranks with their knapsacks and equipment an marching with them through the Confederacy. But if the quota can be raised without a draft I am in favor of having it done, but I am also opposed to this system of giving enormous bounties to volunteers by the general and local governments, since they will finally be raised again by taxation and the soldier will have to pay part of it back to the government, why not excuse soldiers from taxation during the war? Why not support their families at home? Or why not pay the soldier better wages? Would it not be a better, wiser policy than paying the present enormous bounties? A great many men will enlist now simply for the money, and while soldiers make very poor ones, and strive continually to secure their discharge, this only become a burden instead of a help to our country.