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- Aug 27, 2011
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- Central Massachusetts
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, in volume II of his Massachusetts in the Army and Navy during the War of 1861-65, provides a list of 627 names of men who, though not themselves subject to the draft, found and supplied qualified substitutes. The Bay State was not alone in this. The practice was authorized by the War Department in
"Circular No. 25.
War Department, Provost-Marshal General's Office,
Washington, D. C, June 26, 1864.
Persons not fit for military duty, and not liable to draft, from age or other causes, have expressed a desire to be personally represented in the Army. In addition to the contributions they have made in the way of bounties, they propose to procure at their own expense, and present for enlistment, recruits to represent them in the service. Such practical patriotism is worthy of special commendation and encouragement. Provost-Marshals, and all other officers acting under this Bureau, are ordered to furnish all the facilities in their power to enlist and muster promptly the acceptable representative recruits presented, in accordance with the design herein set forth.
The name of the person whom the recruit represents will be noted on the Enlistment and Descriptive Roll of the recruit, and will be carried forward from those papers to the other official records which form his Military history.
Suitably-prepared certificates of this personal representation in the service will be forwarded from this office, to be filled out and issued by Provost-Marshals to the persons who put in representative recruits.
James B. Fry, Provost-Marshal General."
"Circular No. 25.
War Department, Provost-Marshal General's Office,
Washington, D. C, June 26, 1864.
Persons not fit for military duty, and not liable to draft, from age or other causes, have expressed a desire to be personally represented in the Army. In addition to the contributions they have made in the way of bounties, they propose to procure at their own expense, and present for enlistment, recruits to represent them in the service. Such practical patriotism is worthy of special commendation and encouragement. Provost-Marshals, and all other officers acting under this Bureau, are ordered to furnish all the facilities in their power to enlist and muster promptly the acceptable representative recruits presented, in accordance with the design herein set forth.
The name of the person whom the recruit represents will be noted on the Enlistment and Descriptive Roll of the recruit, and will be carried forward from those papers to the other official records which form his Military history.
Suitably-prepared certificates of this personal representation in the service will be forwarded from this office, to be filled out and issued by Provost-Marshals to the persons who put in representative recruits.
James B. Fry, Provost-Marshal General."
Bringing the