SUKGEONS' RKPORTS — MASSACHUSETTS — THIRD DISTRICT. 201 



of the enrollment-act, either by personal service, snbstitute, or coininutatioii. An inijiortaut sub- 

 ject in connection with the draft is the large number of men, drafted or liable to a draft, who igno- 

 miniouslj- left the country while a draft was pending or after it bad been made. To prevent su(!h 

 a disgraceful stampede in case of any future draft, a strict enforcement of the i)assport-regulations 

 of the Government, for a reasonable time prior to the enforcement of the draft, woidd seem to 

 aflbru a feasible protection against this cowardly method of evading the highest and most sacred 

 duty of a citizen to his country in her time of greatest need. 



In the examination of drafted and enrolled men, I have rigidly adhered to the i)rovisions of the 

 different sections of paragraph 85, Revised Regulations, Prcvost-Marshal-General's Bureau, and 

 found them admirably to answer the iiurpose for which they were intended. With tlieaid of these, 

 and a careful attention to traits of character and peculiarities of each individual, the cases of suc- 

 cessful fraud in evading the claims of military service sbould be rare. 



Substitutes and recruits, if any disqualifying infirmity exists, are as desirous of concealing it 

 as the drafted man is of exhibiting it. If quite desirous of enlisting, whatever the motive influ- 

 encing them, whether the expectation of receiving a large bounty, or an honorable feeling of patri- 

 otic duty, they are tempted to resort to any artifice to conceal a disability. In doubtful cases a 

 more than usually rigid enforcement of the method of examination is quite certain to develo]) the 

 disability. The professional " bounty jumper" is not so easily detected, as he is almost invariably 

 free from disqualifying infirmities, but practices bis artful devices for evading military service, in 

 most cases successfully, after his arrival at the rendezvous or regimental headquarters, first making 

 sure of a liberal bounty. 



I am not aware of any sure method by which these scoundrels can be detected. It appears to 

 be an evil fostered by the vicious system of paying large bounties for volunteers in order to avoid 

 a draft, and the consequent employment of brokers, many of whom are irresponsible parties, to fill 

 the quotas of towns and cities. 



In comparing the aptitude of the natives of different countries for military service, the degree 

 of intelligence, as well as average physical development and capacity of endurance, should be in- 

 cluded in the qualifications required. In these elements combined, I am of opinion that our native- 

 born population, including in this class native colored men and those born in this country of foreign 

 parentage, is decidedly supsrior to the average of other nationalities. A large miijority of those 

 I have examined were natives of this country. 



The Germans are intelligent, and many of them finely and symmetrically developed, but they 

 presented quite a large proportion of disabilities. In all the essentials of good soldiers they arc 

 next to our native population. 



In the single point of physical development, the Irish recruits were not inferior to either of the 

 preceding classes; in intelligence, they were below the average. 



Nearly every other European nationality was represented, and a few Asiatic, but not in suffi- 

 cient numbers to warrant an opinion as to their qualifications. 



I have not examined a very large number of colored men, (not exceeding three hundred,) con- 

 sequently cannot speak from large experience. Those I have examined compare favorably in intel- 

 ligence and aptitude for military service with white recruits. In muscular development and free- 

 dom from physical disqualifications they are superior to the average of the white men I have 

 examined. The finest specimens of physical develoi>ment I have seen were among the colored 

 recruits. I am not aware of any reason why the colored race should not furnish as eflicieut soldiers 

 as were ever in service. 



The present enrollnientlaw, if faithfully executed, is all that can be desired to make available 



the military strength of the nation. If the arms-bearing population of the country recognize to 



the full extent the authoritative claim of the Government to their services in any future exigency, 



there should be no dissatisfaction with the provisions of the enrollment law. The 23d section of 



the enrollment gives them the opportunity of responding either by volunteers or by submitting to 



a draft, thus leaving it optional with those most interested which course shall be adoi)led. I do 



not perceive that the enrollment-law as it now exists can be amended to improve it. The subject 



of reexamination of recruits and substitutes at reudezvous„-camps is important, inasmuch as there 



is liability of grave injustice being done to examiuiug-surgeons in ascribing to them carelessness and 

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