Civil War
"The United States Conscription Law of 1863" Extremely Rare Original Civil War Booklet on the March 2, 1863 Act
1863-Dated, Union Civil War Period Booklet titled, "The United States Conscription Law of 1863. / Official And Complete / New York: James W. Fortune, Publisher," Reviews all the Details of the March 2, 1863 Act, Very Fine.
An original historic Civil War Imprint Booklet, "The United States Conscription Law 1863. Official and Complete", measuring about 3" x 4.5", New York, 32 pages, plus original blue covers, 7 pages are advertisements. Minor soiling, edge chip to front cover, an ancient water stain mark to inside white paper pages at bottom not seen on its covers. Boldly titled: "The United States Conscription Law of 1863, Official and Complete" with light blue paper cover. Priced at five cents, this book details the specifics for the Conscription laws passed by Congress in 1863.
"An Act for Enrolling and Calling Out the National Forces, and for Other Purposes." This new law led to the Draft riots in New York in 1863. (A similar size and issued booklet of this type regarding the Emancipation Proclamation recently sold for several thousand dollars at auction.) We sold a similar example a decade ago in our EAHA Auction of December 12, 2005, Lot 457, selling then at $1,210 and a decade later we sold a second example in our August 28, 2015 Auction, Lot 2002, which brought $1,920. This "United States Conscription Law of 1863" booklet is desirable and in very collectable condition.
The Enrollment Act, 12 Stat. , enacted March 3, 1863, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, was a legislation passed by the United States Congress during the American Civil War to provide fresh manpower for the Union Army.
A form of conscription, the controversial act required the enrollment of every male citizen and those immigrants who had filed for citizenship between ages twenty and forty-five. Federal agents established a quota of new troops due from each congressional district. In some cities, particularly New York City, enforcement of the act sparked civil unrest as the war dragged on, leading to the New York Draft Riots on July 13th"16th. It replaced the previous Militia Act of 1862.