I know from the schedule that 150 years ago today draftees from the Town of Tyre in Seneca County, New York appeared in Auburn for their examinations. Here’s a comment from a Democrat newspaper from Seneca County in 1863:
Mr. Ebenezer Munson, of Tyre, after having paid $900 for his three sons who were drafted, made this patriotic remark: “They may take my property, but give me my country.” Mr. Munson already has two sons in the army. – Courier.
How very patriotic! Had Mr. Munson practiced what he and his abolition friends profess, he wouls not have kept his sons from the army. Men and not money, has been the cry of the abolitionists since the draft commenced. They, however, sing quite a different tune when it directly affects them, and if it cannot be avoided by hard swearing, they almost invariably resort to some other method to clear themselves.
It so happens that but two of Mr. Munson’s sons were finally accepted by the Board, instead of three. A little more perseverance on his part, and another “rehearing” may result in releasing the other two.
The following section of the summary of examination results for the NY 24th Congressional District makes it look like Mr. Munson ended up paying the whole $900:
Jno Squires, T[y]re, paid $300.
Andrew J Bishop, Tyre, paid $300.
Smith W Lamb, do do do
Martin Lane, do do do
Chas. N Berry, do do do
Charles Hill, do do do
Jas. T Stevenson, do do do
Wm. H VanCleef, do do do
Albert Nichols, do do do
Stephen Munson, do do do
Geo. Munson, do do do
Thos. T Munson, do do do
My first thought was that there sure must have been some money in Tyre 150 years ago, but there were other reasons for exemptions in the town. For example, “Elijah D Chalker, Tyre, ulcers of leg.” I don’t know how you could fake that.
The 1863 commutation fee inspired a parody of an 1862 recruiting song [1]. “We are coming, Father Abraham, Three Hundred Dollars More” tweaked this:
or he’ll take the cash?
- [1]McPherson, James M. The Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989. Print. page 602.↩
