HISTORY
OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 7
VOLUNTEERING, DRAFTING,
RECRUITING, ETC.,
LATE IN 1864 AND EARLY IN 1865
In September, 1864, about ten men were sent into the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment. These were raised under the call of July 18, 1864, for 500,000 men for one, two and three years. The enlistment of men was very slow. The county’s strength had been fully tested during the early years of the war, and the people remaining were willing to let the law take its course, trusting that the draft would strike others than their loved ones. In October, 1864, quite a heavy draft occurred throughout the county, the exact number being unknown, but probably over 100. After the draft those drafted were given an opportunity of redeeming themselves by volunteering, which many no doubt did. The quota was thus nearly or quite filled. Under the last call of the war for volunteers (December 19, 1864, for 300,000 men for three years) but little effort was made to raise men until it was seen that the Rebellion was tottering on the bloody brink of the "last ditch." Then there was quite a rush, especially by the stay-at-homes, to get into the army in order to share in the honor and glory. About thirty men in January and February, 1865, entered the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Regiment, about twenty entered the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment, and over 100 men drafted, volunteers or substitutes, entered the Fifty-third Regiment from October, 1864, to March, 1865. The men under the call of December 19, 1864, were not raised without a third draft for the county in March, 1865, but by the 14th of April, 1865, when all efforts to raise volunteers in the State were abandoned, the county had a surplus over all former calls of sixty-one men. The result in the county under the calls of February, March and July, 1864, and the responses to the draft of October, 1864, prior to January 1, 1865, is shown by the following table:
Townships A B C C E F G H I J K Orangeville 15 6 18 39 28 5 6 39 12 27 0 Orleans 34 14 33 81 86 30 0 116 0 116 35 Northwest 11 4 14 29 17 2 11 30 12 18 1 French Lick 19 7 23 49 33 15 1 49 2 47 0 Jackson 16 6 171 39 26 2 11 39 18 21 0 Greenfield 24 10 27 61 41 2 19 62 23 39 1 Paoli 53 21 49 123 146 33 0 179 0 179 56 Stampers Creek 15 6 14 35 22 5 8 35 13 22 0 Southeast 30 12 32 74 61 19 0 80 0 80 6 Northeast 19 8 23 50 35 5 11 51 16 35 1 Totals 236 94 250 580 495 118 67 680 96 584 100
[Column Headings:
A - Quota under call of Feb 1, 1864
B - Quota under call of Mar 14, 1864
C - Quota under call of Jul 18, 1964
D & E - Credits by voluntary enlistments
D - New Recruits
E - Verterans
F - Credits by draft
G - Total Credits by enlistments and draft
H - One Year
I - Two Years
J - Three Years
K - Surplus ]The enlistments from December 19, 1864, to January 1, 1865, under the call of the former date have been counted in this table. The number is not known, but was not probably as many as the surplus above shown of 100 men. The county managed in some way at each call for men to fill her quota. If it could not be done by volunteering, it was done by hiring white or colored substitutes, or tbrough the draft. From January 1, 1865, to April 14, 1865, at which last date efforts to raise troops in the State were abandoned, the following table shows the result:
Townships A B C C E F G H I J K L Orangeville 74 10 0 10 9 0 1 10 9 1 0 0 Orleans 162 0 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 Northwest 39 4 0 4 4 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 French Lick 112 8 0 8 0 0 8 8 8 0 0 0 Jackson 58 12 0 12 0 0 12 12 12 0 0 0 Greenfield 112 19 0 19 8 0 11 19 19 0 0 0 Paoli 253 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 36 Stampers Creek 68 12 0 12 11 0 1 12 12 0 1 0 Southeast 145 2 0 2 5 0 0 5 5 0 0 3 Northeast 91 12 0 12 0 0 12 12 12 0 0 0 Totals 1114 79 57 79 37 1 45 83 81 1 1 61
[Column Headings:
A - Second Enrollment
B - Quote under call of Dec 19, 1864
C - Surplus - Dec 19, 1864
D - Total of quotas and deficiencies
E & F - Credits by voluntary enlistments
E - New Recruits
F - Veterans
G - Credits by draft
H - Total Credits by enlistments and draft
I - One year
J - Two years
K - Three years
L - Surplus ]