INTRODUCTORY 



During the first two years of the war of the rebelUon, the armies of the United 

 States were" recruited by vohmteer enlistments, under the control of the authorities of 

 the several States; audit was not until March 3, 1863, when this method had proved 

 inadequate, that Congress passed an act^ creating a bureau of the War Department 

 to be known as the Provost-Marshal-General's Bureau, which should have charge, 

 among other matters, of the recruitment of the armies by volunteer enlistments, if 

 found practicable, or by draft, should it become necessary. 



As preliminary to the latter method, a complete enrollment of all persons liable 

 under the law to perform military duty, namely, "all able-bodied male citizens of the 

 United States between the ages of twenty and forty-five years," with certain excep- 

 tions,"- was speedily made by boards of enrollment, one in each congressional distnct,-' 

 consisting of a provost-marshal, a surgeon, and a commissioner, whose duty it was to 

 attend to enlistments, the enrollment, and the draft ; forward volunteers," drafted men, 

 or substitutes to the various rendezvous camps, &c. 



At the time these boards of enrollment were formed, the armies in the field were 

 depleted by casualties and disease, the discharge of soldiers on account of disabilities 

 existing prior to their enlistment, and by the expiration of the terms of service for 

 which men were enUsted. Owing to these causes, they were in no condition to cany 

 on offensive operations, more than three hundred thousand men being necessary to fully 

 recruit them to a condition of efficiency. 



In order that none but able-bodied men should be put in the field, a thorough and 

 systematic medical examination was necessary; and on January 11, 1864, the "Medical 

 Branch of the Provost-Marshal-General's Bureau" was estabhshed, and to it was 

 assigned the supervision of all matters pertaining to the medical examination of men 

 for military service, and to its chief medical officer all surgeons of boards of enrollment 

 reported and from him received their instructions. Prior to the establishment of this 

 branch, by an order assigning me to duty as chief medical officer, medical matters of 

 the Bureau had been conducted in an able and efficient manner by the late Lieut. Col. 

 R. H. Coolidge, medical inspector United St ates Army, whose attention, however, had 



■ "An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces," approved March 3, 1863. 



= For exceptions, see act of March 3, 18fi3, section a, and the amendatory act of February 24, 18t)3. 



^Ibid., particularly section 4 of the first. 



* As only those who voluntarily enlisted were known to the Provo3t-Marshal-Gener.al's Bureau as recruits, the same 

 designation has been adopted in the tables of this report; but elsewhere the term volunlcers is used, and the words 

 ra-rMt and recruih are givcu their more extended and general signification. For further remarks on this subject, see 

 page 4. 



