to credit or not to credit?
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in August 1863:
The Draft at Home.
During the past week efforts have been made to show by the official records at Albany that Seneca Falls has furnished, over and above the several quotas called for, volunteers enough to be relieved from the present draft. These efforts have been crowned with success and Gov. SEYMOUR has certified to the number of men thus furnished. With this certificate and with other official documents Mr. OWEN has gone to Washington to lay the matter before the authorities there. He will urge the matter upon the President, and ask that we be relieved from the conscription. What success he will meet with remains to be seen. We have but little faith since the unsuccessful attempts of influential parties from other localities in the same direction. Notwithstanding the specific instructions previously given by the Provost Marshal General, that localities should have credit on the draft for the surplus men sent to the field, he seems to have become suddenly convinced to the contrary. We hope that Mr. OWEN may be successful. There is a bare possibility that he may be. In the meantime we would advise all who have been drafted to either get their $300 in readiness or prepare to go into the service. The time is short and you must prepare for the worst. We were in hopes that our town would become interested, and that all who desired would be relieved from the burthens of the conscription. Such a course can hardly be expected at this late hour.
At Mr. Lincoln’s White House you can read a bio of James Barnet Fry, Provost Marshal General from March 17, 1863 until 1866.
