Hiring a substitute.

[Old Cremona]

Are there any online records of men who hired substitutes during the war? It appears that there are records of this in the National Archives but I can't find any online sources.

Thanks,

[crabby]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I just came across this today. From Centennial History of Coshocton County, Ohio, Volume 1 By William J. Bahmer

JAMES DAVIS.
His Autobiography.
I was born in Wales, October 31, 1827, and emigrated to the United States in 1841. Left home about last of July of that year. Left Swansea, Wales, on steamboat for Liverpool, England, on the 5th day of August. I left Liverpool on a sailing boat for New York and arrived at New York on the 22d of September, 1841, being on the sea about seven weeks. I journeyed from New York to Albany by steamboat, then to Buffalo by canal, from Buffalo to Cleveland and thence by canal boat to Roscoe, arriving there on Sunday. Then we walked out to the Coalport coal bank and afterward my brother Benjamin and myself went up to Holmes county to dig coal. As the sale of coal was poor, Brother Ben came down to Coalport and I went to school in December, 1841, and during January and February. 1842, in Holmes county. I came down to Coshocton county and worked with my brother Ben in a coal mine in the summer and went to school in the winter. Ben and I worked in partnership in coal mining and boated coal to Newark and Columbus in 1848 on the Ohio canal, selling mostly fine coal to the penitentiary and along the canal. I was married on the 26th of May, 1853, and my hrother Ben and I worked together until he died on the 6th of March, 1855. After that 1 worked on the canal bank and carried on business by myself. In 1872 I moved over to creek farm and turned my attention to farming. I must confer I had good success all the.se times, but don't you forget I worked hard all these years. I bought land near Franklin Station. I farmed very extensively and also operated in the sand business. I made money enough to pay for all the land and build some very good houses. 1 am able to pay all my debt by selling some of my land. I believe I have told all the good I have done and now ask somebody else for the bad deeds 1 have done. In the fall of 1863 and spring of 1864 I built a canal boat for boating coal, the name of the boat being Ben Butler. In the summer of 1864 I hired a substitute to serve three years or during the war. for which I paid twelve hundred dollars. In the spring of 1865, when the Civil war ended. I worked in coal bank about three months and then quit and took up farming.

[Kanawha Riflemen]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

I too am not sure what you are looking for, but a quick search through the Valley of the Shadow for my home town revealed the following:

Valley Spirit: November 26, 1862
Waynesboro, list of substitutes and draftees: James Ageu for Lewis H. Morrison; John D. Nead for Henry Stover; Peter McFerren for Frederick Tritle; John Bonner for Jacob H. Forney; Alex D. Morganthall for Charles A. Binkley.

Waynesboro Village Record: March 27, 1863
On two occasions last week, reports the article, rebel sympathizers met after dark on the streets of Waynesboro to celebrate Jeff Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and the Southern Confederacy. "The 'copperheads,'" it notes, "are evidently growing more bold."

Countering "tory" allegations that the Union army is only drafting poor men, the piece argues that the conscription policy, which sets the limit for substitution at $300, "is actually for the benefit of the poorer classes." "Only Poor Men to be Drafted.."--The frequent allegations of the tory press throughout Pennsylvania, whose positions upon the question of Union or Disunion are perhaps not yet fully determined, that the conscription law compels only poor men to enter the army are ridiculous. It will be seen by reading the clause in relation to substitutes, that the fine provided for exemption is not fixed at any particular sum, but shall not exceed three hundred dollars. The drafted man is allowed to procure his own substitute, at any price he may agree upon, or, if he prefers, the Government will provide one for him at a price not exceeding $300. Did not the law contain this limitation, the price of substitutes would in all probability range much higher than that sum. The rich, being able to pay, would bid high, while the poor would be unable to pay the price to which over-bidding would raise the substitute market. Thus, instead of being an oppressive provision, the $300 restriction is actually for the benefit of the poorer classes. The provision under which the Government undertakes to furnish substitutes for a sum not to exceed $300, is in fact one of the best features of the bill.

Franklin Repository: May 25, 1864
In Waynesboro borough, 138 men have enrolled, leaving a deficiency of 15, so 23 names were drawn for the draft: Benjamin Lampkins, Jeremiah Cooper, Thomas Butler (col'd), James Bonner, W. G. Smith, W. H. French, Henry Bell, John Philips, David S. Bonebrake, John Kline, William Lokas, Patterson Overfield, Walter E. Krebs, Jeremiah Miller, Jeremiah Zimmerman, H. S. Bonebrake, Charles T. Rohyual, W. B. Hunter, Augustus Fisher, George Honstine, Samuel Kuhns, Josiah Bakener, Jacob H. Forney. The schedule for when and where the Board will sit and make the draft, hear claims for exemption and receive commutation money and substitutes, is given after the list of men drafted.

Hope this helps.

John A. Miller
South Mountain State Battlefield
Monterey Pass Washington Township Battlefield

[PenPusher]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

You can occasionally come across references to sustitutes in www.footnote.com. This is a link to a Michael O'Brien who acted as substitute for F. Oscar Verbois who served in Co A, Iberville Greys, 3rd Louisiana Infantry, http://www.footnote.com/image/#32|67628245, I remembered this one as it is incorrectly filed with the Michael O'Brien from Wheats Battalion who was executed in Virginia. Here is the link to Michael O'Brien in the 3rd La. confirming his acting as a substitute http://www.footnote.com/image/#69859424.

[yeoman]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

Sir and ma'am, this may not address the question put forth by Carl but his question did put me on the
trail of along with the option to hire a substitute for duty, the Conscription Act brought out another guise for those without moral integrity...,
the bounty jumper and the bounty broker.

Here, an illustrated sheet music cover, which protests the inequities of the draft or proscription system enacted under the Enrollment Act of 1863. The act allowed drafted men to purchase an exemption or to furnish a surrogate or "substitute" in lieu of their service. The unfairness of the measure to the economically disadvantaged is dramatized in the illustration to this piece, showing the bust portrait of one man, "I'm drafted", in contrast to that of an obviously more well-to-do young man, "I ain't".

This may be found here

[Old Cremona]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

I guess what I was looking for was records of men who hired substitutes, just like the records of men who actually served, as in muster rolls and such. I have some people I'm interested in who I strongly suspect hired substitutes, but I have no evidence. The famous banjo player and teacher Frank B. Converse of New York City was very well-heeled due in no little part to his wife's inheritance(s). Born in 1837 and childless, he would seem a prime candidate for the draft. But he never served. I strongly suspect he hired a substitute to keep himself safe. I wish I could prove it one way or another.

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

While this is not an online resource either pick up or ILL a copy of Kenneth Noe's Reluctant Rebels. There is alot of information in both the index and narrative about substitutes.

[yeoman]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

Sir, while looking around, this copy of Huette Wallick's enlistment paper as substitute for Taylor A. Pensinger turned up.



This was found here

[PenPusher]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

You might find this link useful http://www.archives.gov/publications...t-records.html

[Old Cremona]

Re: Hiring a substitute.

Thank you so much, Alan, that appears to be exactly what I was looking for.