Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/171

 MILITARY AFFAIRS IN HOPKINTON.

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��the families of volunteers; this was done on the 29th of October.

The summer of 1S62 witnessed a new impetus to military affairs. On the 4th of August of that year the President of the United States issued a call for 300,- 000 men for a service of nine months. Under two calls, both issued in July, 1S61, the government had already made demands for 600,000 men for three years. Impelled by these calls, at a pub- lic meeting held on the 26th of August, 1862, the town voted to pay $150 each to all soldiers who had enlisted for the war since the last call for troops; to all who had or would enlist after the first of Au- gust to fill up old regiments, $200 each; to all who would enlist for nine months, $75 each; and to all who would from that date enlist for three years, and dur- ing the war. $200 each. The same day a vote was passed to assist the families of soldiers to an extent not exceeding twelve dollars a week, — or four dollars for a wife and the same amount for each child not exceeding two. Soon after, Patrick H. Stark and Daniel E. Howard were made enlisting officers. On the 2d of October the same year, another vote was passed, giving $150 to men enlisting for nine mouths, or $200 each if the quota was filled.

The year 1S04 was one of great activity in the United States. The resolution to maintain the integerity of the Union became as determined as the urgency of the situation was great. On February 1st of that year, a call was issued for 500,000 men for three years, a part of whom were to be credited to the darft, under a call for 300,000 men, on the 17th of October, 1863, the enforcement of which draft was not completed, owing to a defect in the law under which it was made. The call of February I, there- fore, formed a total of all calls after 1862. On the 14th of March, 1S64, an ad- ditional call for 200,000 was issued; this was succeeded by a call for 500.000 on the 18th of July, and another and a last one for 300,000 on the 19th of December of the same year.

The urgency of the national situation during the memorable year of 1864 gave

��a spirited activity to the people of New Hampshire. Such words as were ut- tered hy Gov. Gilmore in his proclama- tion of the 16th of July lully awakened the people of the different towns to a practical comprehension of the situation. "Our quota," said the Governor, "is to be filled by volunteering if we can, by drafting if we must." In view of the reigning crisis of that year, the town of Hopkinton took formal action on the 4th of June, voting to raise $40,000 for the encouragement of voluntary enlist- ments, and also to pay $300 each to drafted men or their substitutes. On the Sth of November, the town voted to authorize the selectmen to enlist or oth- erwise procure soldiers in anticipation of any call.

Enough has been written to illustrate the general promptness and liberality with which the town of Hopkinton as- sumed her share of the pecuniary bur- dens of the war. The responses to her appeals for volunteers were fully as ready and prompt as could be expected in a town of her population and charac- ter. Only a few of her population were drafted into the army of the United States. We think, also, that none of our people were compelled by the draft to take a position in the ranks of war. Of those entering the army, many re- turned, but also many died. Some of the bodies of the dead were brought home and interred, but others sleep in distant or unknown grounds; their memory is cherished in the hearts of a grateful peo- ple.

The Report of the Adjutant General of New Hampshire, Vol. II. 1S65, thus states the summary of our war record : Enrollment, April 30, 1S65, 180; total of quota under all calls from July, 1863, 86; total credits by enlistments or drafts, 115; surplus, 29.

The amount of money authorized to be appropriated for war uses, exclusive of sums paid to soldiers' familes, was some- thing over $100,000.

The length of this article precludes mention of the names of our soldiers en- gaged in the war of 1861.

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