Hi Everyone, Just a few things that I thought you might enjoy: First I wanted to mention that recently while working on a "what-ever-happened-to" ~ my G-Grandfather's little brother [who was fighting during the Civil War with the Confederate Army out of KY] whom we lost track of in 1862 after he was listed as sick in Nashville, TN and did not receive pay from October through December 1861 ~ we ran across a Union soldiers file that is very interesting and prompted a few new trains of thought. Linda suggested the other day that he may very well have recovered from that illness in Nashville and been a part of the first draft of the United States that was initiated by President Lincoln as a result of the war dragging on and on with fewer men willing to enlist. We did find a Union Soldier who matches his description and are waiting to receive those military records now. It will be a wonderful coo to find that this is the same man we have been looking for. I thought that perhaps this information might be a great help to some of you who have ancestors who seemingly disappeared during the Civil War? It makes perfect sense in many cases as these men had NO choice. Here is the scenario and back up info that Linda posed to me the other day and in our case regarding this Uncle it may well prove to be brilliant: Robert joins the Confederates in 1861, gets sick, leaves Nashville and comes home after he gets well enough to travel back, then joins up on the Union side in 1863 - because he has to as a result of the Enrollment Act. All the men 20-45 were required to join the Union Army (or pay $300 to send a substitute) - America's first draft - as a result of the Enrollment/Conscription Act that Lincoln signed in March 1863. That's why these guys joined up in 1863-64 and were in the Union Army. [Here is an example of what the men of Campbell Co., KY, received about the draft]: After the first year or two of the Civil War, the number of volunteers dwindled to near zero. The Union needed men to continue the war and so the Enrollment Act was passed and signed by President Lincoln March 3, 1863. Under the new draft bill, white males and aliens who had declared their intent to become citizens were eligible for the draft if between ages 20 and 45. An article in the Kentucky Times Star on April 30, 1917 recalled the local Civil War draft and reprinted the notice received in June 1864 by Conrad Hafner of Newport. It read: Provost Marshal's Office, Sixth District, State of Kentucky, June 23, 1864, Conrad Hafner, Campbell County, Kentucky. You are hereby notified that you were legally drafted into service of the United States for the period of three years in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress for enrolling and calling out the National Forces and for other purposes, approved March 3, 1863. You will accordingly report on or before the 29th of June 1864 at the place of rendezvous or be deemed a deserter and subject to the penalty prescribed therefore by the rules and articles of war. Transportation will be furnished you on presenting the notification at Covington, Kentucky or the station nearest your place of residence. Signed: Henry A Mitchell Major 17th Regiment VRC Acct Provost Marshall Sixth District of Kentucky ======================================================================== ==== It is estimated that of those who took part in the American Civil War, 75,215 were regulars, 1,933,779 were volunteers and 46,347 were drafted and 73,600 were substitutes. Officially, 201,397 men deserted, of these 76,526 were arrested and returned to their regiments. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++ Now here is another thing that I thought was interesting in Sunday's Washington Post and want to make sure that you've had a chance to read it too: UNDER A CITY SIDEWALK, REMINDER OF A WAR LONG AGO: While burying electrical cables under a busy sidewalk this month, construction workers in Burlington, VT., made an unusual discovery; 10 skeletons laid head to toe, between three and six feet deep. Archaeologists called to the scene believe the bones are from soldiers stationed in the area during the War of 1812. They found scraps of uniforms, a pewter button with the inscription "U.S." and remnants of hexagonal wooden coffins. Some 5,000 soldiers were stationed in the Burlington area during the war and after. Archaeologists believe there may be hundreds more remains under the city. The excavation site in the north end of Vermont's largest city, which as almost 39,000 residents, was once a hospital and cemetery for soldiers. "It's a forgotten part or Burlington's history, because the city just grew up over it," said John G. Krock, the director of the University of Vermont's Consulting Archeology Program, which has been hired by the state to analyze the discovery and it working on a map of the former military installation. "We're hoping to figure out where other hot spots for more graves might be," he added. Reported by: Jonathan Finer ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++ "You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was." --Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Best Regards, Marianne Ordway www.b4us.net <http://www.b4us.net/> mordway@adelphia.net