SUEGEONS KEPORTS — MASSACHUSETTS TENTH DiStRICT. 223 



Substitutes and recruits, by inaliiigeiiiig, ])ractipe};ieater frauds toprocnretbeiidiscbaijieiVoiu 

 service tbau to enter it. Tins is euiiiieiitly true of diatted men, wlio liave neitber stoniaeb nor 

 bounties for fighting. Forced to render compulsory service, they take every opportunity to avoid 

 it ; and by persistently shirking duty, and by always complaining to the surgeon of ills for wbich 

 there is uo possible cure, at length they exbaust bis skill and llie patience of oElJceis, and a dis- 

 charge is recommended, often on the most frivolous grounds, as the easiest method of ridding them- 

 selves of their presence. This is not all ; the rei)ort on wliicb the discharge is recommended often 

 having been " referred," at lengtb reaches t be suigeon of tlie board wliere sucb persons were accepted, 

 and he finds bimself charged with ignorance, carelessness, negligence, and, in short, with ;•. general 

 unfitness for his ofhce, and is politely called upon to justify himself for having strictly followed tbe 

 regulations to the best of his ability. * # * 



Tbere are obstacles and annoyances incident to tbe draft, wliich grow out of tbe altered relation 

 of tbe citizen to tbe Government, which no suggestion can remedy, but wbich must be borne tor 

 the good of the service, or be overcome tbrough the tact and skill of the surgeon. * * » 



In view of the late astonishing and glorious results, I sbould be wanting in i)atriotism if I 

 indulged for a moment the tbougbt tbat any nationality possessed bigiier qualifications formilitaiy 

 service than ours. I believe tbat uo other people could have fought this rebellion to its utter 

 extiuction, inaugurated as it was under circumstances so favorable to success; and tbis happy 

 result bas been achieved by American ofiicers and soldiers almost exclusively. Foreign otbcers 

 and soldiers, as a general rule, have failed to meet public expectation ; they have done well on 

 occasions, but the real bard work of crushing tbe rebellion has been done by " uatives to the man- 

 ner born." 



Next in order, I would put the Canadian French, the Irish next, and tbe German last. * * • 

 Tbat tbe negro can and will fight has already been demonstrated. Most of tbe negroes presented 

 at tbis office as volunteer recruits or substitutes were tine specimens of the race, well foimed, 

 active, muscular, and remarkably free from dis(|ua!ifying disease. Many of tbem bad been slaves, 

 and seemed to have quite intelligent ideas of tbe nature of tbe obligations they were about to 

 assume, and, judging from their pbysical condition alone, I see no reason why they might not 

 become respectable as soldiers. * # # 



I would respectfully suggest tbat, in the future, before quotas are assigned to districts or 

 sub-districts, the enrollment-list be made to couform to section 1 of tbe enrollment-law by 

 excluding therefrom all persons not s[)ecial]y mentioned as constituting tbe national forces. To 

 tbis end, tbe board of enrollment sbould be directed to publish lists of i)ersons enrolled in each 

 sub-district as soon as completed, and to appoint meetings at convenient points in tbe district 

 wbere tbe commissioner and surgeon could examine the claims of enrolled men to bave their names 

 struck from the list; in tbis way only can quotas be equitably assigned. 



I would also suggest tbe propriety of exempting from enrollment and draft all regularly 

 ordained ministers of the Gospel. I think it impolitic in any nation to force its clergy into tbe ranks 

 of war. Their vocation is eminently one of peace, and the triumph of right, which sbould be the 

 end of all contests and tbe prayer of all Christian nuMi, is more surely secured through their influence 

 at borne as teachers of truth than tbrough their aid as instruments of war. The excitement, irrita- 

 tion, and ill-will engendered in a community over tbe drafting and holding to service of clergymen 

 cannot be compensated for by their service as soldiers. The dictates of policy and religion are 

 alike against it; and the noble stand taken, and the generous aid rendered by tbem in the Sanitary 

 and Christian Commissions, plainly indicate wbere their field of usefulness lies. 



I would respectfully sufigest that in time of war two years be made tbe minimum of volunteer 

 enlistments for the Army. Tbe cost of raising and ecpiipping a regiment lor six months or a year 

 is about equal to that for three years. I think the uniform testimony of tliose competent to judge 

 is that men enlisted for a less period than that luoiiosed are nearly or quite useless. Their term 

 of service scarcely ever exceeds a single campaign, and is altogether too short for tbem to ac-cus- 

 tom themselves to the wholesome restraints of military life, or to form correct habits as soldiers. 

 They leave tbe service with all the faults and prejudices of half-disciplined men ; and the records of 

 tbis office show that fewer numbers of this class reenter than of those who have won the honor- 

 able distinction of veterans. 



