The Civil War Draft in Palmer: Reaction in a Small Town

During the colonial era of American history, a militia system was used to supply the needed men for combat. These were citizens who were only called upon when they were needed; a standing army did not exist. The militia system was phased out for a volunteer system throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. This system, however, had its flaws as well due largely to the fact that it was difficult to secure volunteers. The Civil War was the first time that the United States ever had to use a military draft in order to keep enough soldiers in the field. Conscription, by its nature, was not a popular concept. No citizen of a democratic nation liked the idea of the government forcing him to do anything. In this case, the government was asking citizens to put their lives on the line. In some cases, conscription caused protests, riots and other types of demonstrations to take place. Although major events, such as the New York City draft riots of July 1863, are very well known, smaller forms of political protest occurred throughout the Union as well. The small town of Palmer, Massachusetts, is a prime example of the attitudes of many northerners during the initial draft. When war began in 1861, many men were willing to volunteer their services to their nation. The initial enlisting of volunteers secured 700,000 recruits; so many that secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton ordered recruiting offices closed. At this time, no one in the government could have foreseen the need for a draft two years later. By the early part of 1863, it became apparent that large numbers of men would soon be needed to replace those who were scheduled to be completing their terms of service by midyear. Men who had enlisted for two years at the start of the war were finishing their service, as well as the men who enlisted for nine months under the Militia Draft of 1862.1 Henry Wilson, Republican Senator from Massachusetts, first introduced the Enrollment Act of 1863 to Congress. The legislation stated that all men between the ages of twenty and forty-five were to be enrolled and possibly called up to join the service. There were to be exemptions made to men with special circumstances, such as those with a physical disability or those who were the sole supporters of motherless children. The true intention of the Act was to secure volunteers. The government hoped that those who were considering joining the Army would decide to do so if a draft was a possibility.2 The military did use other methods to secure volunteers. Bounties were offered to volunteers who joined the Army, giving various amounts of money depending on the local contributions to federal money. In October of 1863, the federal bounty was $300 for all three year volunteers. However, states and localities would often contribute sums of money in hopes of meeting their assigned quotas faster. The federal bounty was raised to $1000 in 1864 as the need for soldiers became even greater. During the course of the war, the government paid out approximately a half billion dollars in bounties.3 One problem presented by the bounty system was that there were people who took advantage of it. Some citizens would enlist in one district, collect the bounty, then travel to another district and attempt the same act. Those who were caught were treated as deserters and were forced into military service.4 The first draft was called in July of 1863. Although any male citizen who met the age criteria could be called into service, many of them still refused to serve under any circumstance. They looked for ways to gain exemptions, such as finding a physician who would provide documentation of an illness that would get them out of fighting. Others would run away to Canada, or even other counties if they had been drafted in their home county. Still others went as far as having all their teeth pulled. Due to loopholes in the law, those who were truly determined to find a way out of being drafted were able to do so. …

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