Today in History:

801 Series III Volume V- Serial 126 - Union Letters, Orders, Reports

Page 801 UNION AUTHORITIES.

Total number of monthly and quarterly accounts examined

to May 1, 1863 149

Total number of monthly and quarterly accounts examined

from May 1, 1863, to January 1, 1866 3,751

3,900

Total number of claims of recruiting officers and others

connected with the recruiting service examined to May 1,

1863 651

Total number of claims of recruiting officers,&c.,

examined from May 1, 1863, to January 1, 1866 8,354

9,005

Total number of Second Auditor's and Paymaster-General's

cases 6,268

Total number of contracts approved prior to May 1, 1863 43

Total number of contracts approved from May 1, 1863,

to January 1, 1866 1,198

1,241

Total number of letters sent prior to May 1, 1863 3,213

Total number of letters sent from May 1, 1863, to

January 1, 1866 7,025

10,238

Total number of letters received prior to May 1, 1863 4,416

Total number of letters received from May 1, 1863, to

January 1, 1866 18,553

22,969

Total number of indorsements prior to May 1, 1863 1,932

Total number of indorsements from May 1, 1863, to January

1, 1866 18,749

20,681

Total number of telegrams received to May 1, 1863 111

Total number of telegrams received from May 1, 1863, to

January 1, 1866 354

465

Total number of telegrams sent to May 1, 1863, to January

1, 1866 470

610

GENERAL REMARKS.

In the early part of the war the recruitment of volunteers was almost entirely under the control of the Governors of States, and so continued until this branch of the service was placed under your control, when superintendents of volunteer recruiting service were appointed for each State. The great disadvantage to the Government, and the unnecessary expenses incurred in the recruitment of volunteers, under the system then in force, became every day more and more obvious, and steps were at once taken to correct this evil and place the whole matter under the exclusive control of the officers of the General Government.

With this view the recruitment of volunteers for old organizations was first placed under the control of the superintendents of volunteer recruiting service in each State, and in the latter part of March, 1864, the recruitment of all volunteers, both for new and old organizations, was placed under their charge. The advantages arising from this change can be seen upon an examination of the records of this office.

Under the new system all recruiting officers were required to report to the superintendent of volunteers recruiting service, to be by him

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*51 R R-SERIES III, VOL V

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Page 801 UNION AUTHORITIES.