DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1863

Transcribe
Translate

1863-12-23

Thursday 23.  This has been a very disagreeable day, one which a person would desire to spend at home, around a warm stove or near a good fireplace, it was cold, and misty.  The news which reached us is of no great importance, some changes in the conscription act and bounty law are spoken of in congress.  It seems that all the loyal states will have to resort to drafting in order to raise their quotas of soldiers under the last call of the president.  I wish they could raise a sufficient number without drafting in order to make the rebels understand that the United States are in earnest and determined to crush this rebellion, and therefore they might as well conclude to yield and come back into the old union to live in peace and prosperity.  But we must have the soldiers either by volunteering or by draft and the sooner we get them the better for our government.  I do not approve of paying such enormous bounties to volunteers, I would rather see some provisions made to support soldiers’ families, than to pay each soldier such enormous bounties.  It drains our treasury too fast.

Saving...

Thursday 23. This has been a very disagreeable day, one which a person would desire to spend at home, around a warm stove or near a good fireplace, it was cold, and misty. The news which reached us is of no great importance, some changes in the conscription act and bounty law are spoken of in congress. It seems that all the loyal states will have to resort to drafting in order to raise their quotas of soldiers under the last call of the president. I wish they could raise a sufficient number without drafting in order to make the rebels understand that the United States are in earnest and determined to crush this rebellion, and therefore they might as well conclude to yield and come back into the old union to live in peace and prosperity. But we must have the soldiers either by volunteering or by draft and the sooner we get them the better for our government. I do not approve of paying such enormous bounties to volunteers, I would rather see some provisions made to support soldiers’ families, than to pay each soldier such enormous bounties. It drains our treasury too fast.