https://fssp.artinterp2.org/files/original/e2b3f0f5ab4e22d50c3e231dfa812d96.pdf 0349305c1fd484dc4d9b85657dc7d06b https://fssp.artinterp2.org/files/original/edce9493773f7fda203ca63796781d4f.pdf 74a2f75f220988910a57d665e4febede Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Commander of the First Division of the Twenty-Fifth Army Corps to the Headquarters of the Colored Bureau of the War Department Headq. 1st Division 25th Army Corps, In the Field. Chapin’s Farm. Va, March. 12. 1865. Colonel C. W. Foster A.A.G. Colored Bureau—War Dept Washington D.C. Sir, I would respectfully ask instructions under the following circumstances:— Thirteen colored men are forwarded through the Provost M. Dept from Maryland to the 23rd U.S.C.T., now under my command. They are styled "Drafted men — Deserters." With each man comes a Charge of Desertion, on a printed form; with a Specification in this, that he was duly drafted in the 5th District, duly notified, failed to report, was arrested, examined by Board of Enrollment, found fit for duty, and held to service. They are all signed by John C. Holland, Captain & Provost Marshal, 5th District Maryland. A Muster and Descriptive Roll of the whole party comes, crediting them variously to every District except the 5th, viz:— to the 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 6tth 7th; and closing with this certificate:— "I certify, on honor, that this Muster and Descriptive Roll is correct, and that it exhibits the true statement of this Detachment of men released from confinement at this Post, and assigned to the 23rd U.S.C.T. per instructions from A.G.O. War Dept dated Feb’y 4th 1865 Station: Fort McHenry Md Wm J. Denslow Major. 91st N.Y. Vols Date: February—1865, (signed) Cmdg Post. There appears no evidence that the men were ever sent to any Draft Rendezvous, nor to any other military post, except to be confined at Fort McHenry. Consequently they cannot have been subjected to the examination prescribed in Circular No. 67. War Dept A.G.O. Aug. 26th 1864, providing the best medical talent for the purpose. Feeling suspicious of their physical soundness, I convened a Board of 3 full Surgeons (one being at present Surgeon in Chief of my Division) to examine them. They reject 6 out of the 13,* as follows:— James Crampton by reason of Scrofula. Robert Fountaine “ “ “ chronic rheumatism and debility. Eugene Boyd “ “ “ Hernia—old injuries—and gunshot wound in the head. Aaron Grey “ “ “ chronic rheumatism & oedema of lame legs. John Fletcher “ “ “ chronic rheumatism & general debility. John Cleary “ “ “ chronic bronchitis & general debility. Under precisely the same circumstances, and at the same time, 4 men are sent to the 9th U.S.C.T., also in my command. The Chief Surgeon of that Brigade examined them, and rejects 3 out of the 4, as follows:— Nace Butler because he has been kicked by a horse previous to his enlistment, produceing an internal injury, and affecting both his liver and left lung—has shortness of breath—has impaired vision. Jim Barnes “ he is of scropulous diathesis, has tenderness over the whole region of the liver, incapacitating him from wearing a belt—has chronic nephritis. Jim Jefferson “ he has atrophy of his testicles produced by metastasis of mumps—has severe cicatrix on each arm from a burn, interfering with the free use of his arms—has his left ankle joint partially stiffened by contraction of muscles. Now I would respectfully ask, can I be allowed to reject these men and send them home, forwarding copies of reports of my Medical Board, as prescribed in Par. III. of Circular No. 67.? Or must I consider them as accepted, send them to their regiments for one week, and then have them regularly discharged, as prescribed in Par. IV. Circular No. 74. A.G.O. 1864.? For the present I am retaining the men at my Headquarters. Secondly—These men are called Deserters. But no evidence is offered, directly to the point. No witnesses are named at the foot of the Charges & Specifications. Nothing but the simple Charge (which is the very thing to be proved) and Provost M. Holland’s certificate that the facts stated in the Specification are true extracts from his records. The Muster & Descriptive Roll shows nothing but presumptive evidence. It only professes to forward them, AS deserters. The whole comes back upon the fidelity of the Provost Marshal records. And what is there to prove the records? That we will illustrate presently. But, — and this is the most significant feature in the matter, — in each case a reward of $30.00 has been paid for his apprehension, and it is entered against each man on the Descriptive Roll. On account of the utter lack of testimony to set before the Court, I have sent all those accepted by the Surgeons, to duty with their regiments without trial; and under Army Reg. 159.-160. I have given directions that the reward of $30.00 be NOT set against their pay until further orders. I would respectfully ask that this be confirmed— that, in such cases, the men be not subjected to this stoppage. It may be safely presumed that the poor slaves of Maryland, knowing nothing of the forms of law, and very little of their own rights, have been, and are still, the victims of great frauds, and of much illegal compulsion. And it would be hard and unfair to add this fine to the bulk of their grievances. One of the above cases deserves particular mention, as presenting a curious complication. Alexander Devries was drafted May 25th 1864, and exempted June 2nd 1864, by reason of Hernia. A certificate of exemption was given him, on a printed form (32) signed by John C. Holland Provost Marsh. & Presid. of Board of Enrollment. P.W. Witwright - Member of Board of Enrollment. R.E. Dorsey Surgeon of Board of Enrollment. all in proper order. Yet he is sent to us like the rest, charged with desertion: specification in this, that he was drafted (on same draft), failed to report !!!, was arrested, examined by the Board of Enrollment, found fit for duty, and held to service. The two documents comprising this flat contradiction both came to us with the man, and were both signed by John C. Holland Capt. & Provost Marshal. My Medical Board examined Devries,— found that he was cured of his hernia, if he ever had it,— pronounced him fit for duty,— and I have sent him to his regiment. Now,— leaving out of view the medical discrepancies in this case, and the unpleasant inquiries to which they might lead,— it is difficult to conceive how they could have had the brass to charge him with desertion, and to pay somebody $30.00 for his apprehension, and then credit it against his pay. One so clear case of negligence or of fraud, throws a discredit upon all the rest, and goes to confirm the many stories that reach us of the various abuses perpetrated upon the negros, under military forms; amounting very often to impressment. It induces the belief that this whole scheme is a skilful way of getting $30.00 a head for negros. It is my firm belief that every one of these men were virtually impressed, or rather kidnapped. So they declare, themselves. P.S. — 5 more cases have just arrived with similar papers. Very Respectfully Your Obedient Servant Edwd A. Wild Brig. Gen. Commdg Brig. Gen. Edwd A. Wild to Colonel C. W. Foster, 12 Mar. 1865, Letters, Orders, & Reports Received by the 1st-3d Divisions, ser. 533, 25th Army Corps, RG 393 Pt. 2 No. 9 [C-4514]. Colonel Foster referred the matter to General E.O.C. Ord for review through an endorsement on March 22, 1865. “Pending an investigation,” Foster wrote, “the men will be sent to the regiments to which they have been assigned.” Circular No. 67 required “a careful examination of every recruit, substitute, &c., received at the general rendezvous established for the reception of recruits.” Accordingly, it directed “that the Surgeon-General place at each of the general rendezvous referred to as many officers of the Medical Corps as may be necessary to make the requisite examinations.” (Circular No. 67, War Dept., Adjutant-General’s Office, 26 Aug. 1864, in Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, ser. 3, vol. 4, p. 641.) According to Part IV of Circular No. 74, “[d]rafted men and substitutes will not be discharged for disability existing before entering into service (except on the examination provided for in Circular 67 of 1864, from the Adjutant-General’s Office) until they have been with the regiment to which assigned one week.” (Circular No. 74, War Dept., Adjutant-General’s Office, 14 Sept. 1864, in Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, ser. 3, vol. 4, p. 641.) Sections 159 and 160 of The Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861 dealt with desertion. Section 159 stipulated that “[n]o deserter shall be restored to duty without trial, except by authority competent to order the trial,” while 160 required that “[r]ewards and expenses paid for apprehending a deserter will be set against his pay, when adjudged by a court-martial, or when he is restored to duty without trial on such condition.” (The Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861 [Washington, D.C., 1863], pp. 29-30.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource General Edward A. Wild reports on an apparent scheme to defraud Black recruits of a portion of their pay by listing them as deserters Description An account of the resource General Edwd. A. Wild to Col. C.W. Foster (A.A.G.), In the Field, Chapin's Farm, VA identifying an evident scheme to defraud Black recuits of a portion of their pay by declaring them deserters despite having failed to notify them of their recruitment or afford them proper medical examination. Concludes "these men were virtually impressed, or rather kidnapped. So they declare, themselves." Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 3/12/1865 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Maryland