Pratt, William M. (fl. 1864) [General orders no. 59 regarding the purchase of African Americans to serve in place of drafted persons]
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02224.01 Author/Creator: Pratt, William M. (fl. 1864) Place Written: New Berne, North Carolina Type: Printed document signed Date: 31 August 1864 Pagination: 1 p. ; 19.5 x 12.7 cm. Order a Copy
Signed by Pratt, Aide-de-Camp (possibly to Brigadier General Innes Newton Palmer). Relates the story of John H. Irish, a recruiting agent, who attempted to bribe officers to allow him to cite previously enlisted men in order to satisfy recruiting quotas for Yates County, New York. States that Irish furthermore intended to sell the names to a recruiting agent in New Jersey, committing a double instance of fraud. Irish is portrayed as "a fair sample of a good portion of the Recruiting Agents who are now sent out from the Northern States, to purchase colored men to do the fighting for them to whom the approaching draft is such a terror." States that Irish will receive a trial if he wishes to have one, but that his option of having a trial is not a precedent for future cases. Issued from headquarters of the District of North Carolina by Assistant Adjutant General J. A. Judson. Issued by the command of Palmer.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.