This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXX. THE BOUNTY JUMPERS. Fraudulent Practices of Bounty Brokers and Jumpers--Contrast between English and American Deserters--Plans to check Desertion, and bring Criminals to Justice. The great demand for recruits during the war, the large bounties offered for them, and the manifold facilities ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXX. THE BOUNTY JUMPERS. Fraudulent Practices of Bounty Brokers and Jumpers--Contrast between English and American Deserters--Plans to check Desertion, and bring Criminals to Justice. The great demand for recruits during the war, the large bounties offered for them, and the manifold facilities for fraudulent transactions, presented temptations of great power, even to reputable citizens, to evade the plain letter of the law, and traffic in substitutes, or, by bribery and deception, personally to keep out of the hands of the recruiting officer. The majority of the officers assigned to recruiting service were guilty of great dereliction of duty, inasmuch as, instead of endeavoring to check the growing evil, they rather pretended ignorance, or allowed it to pass unnoticed. On one occasion, being in the presence of the President and a member of the Cabinet, I heard the latter congratulate the President upon the success attending a certain call for troops, which he had issued, remarking: -- "Mr. Lincoln, if recruiting goes forward in this way, your new call for troops will soon be answered." The President made this reply: -- "Oh, yes; we have a pretty big army already--on paper; but what we want is, men in boots and breeches. This great array of figures, in respect to soldiers, is not going to suppress the rebellion. I want men, who can carry muskets, and eat hard-tack.' It was indeed surprising to observe the apparent sincerity of persons, who, in various ways, were guilty of unlawful and dishonorable acts, finding a sufficient apology in the necessities or peculiarities of the case; while others, and not a few, went into the remunerative dishonesty with the simple purpose, in common with the professional gambler, to make money out of...
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