Civil War Union Documents
$300 Civil War 1864 Union Substitute Volunteer Document
November 22, 1864-Dated Civil War, Partially-Printed Document, Substitute Volunteer Soldier Receipt for a who was paid a $300 bounty to go to war in place of David H. Brown, of New Hampton, NH, with 5 Cent US Revenue Stamp, Choice Extremely Fine.
Offered here is an official Civil War Issued Receipt, measuring 7.25" x 4" being boldly printed in black on light blue wove period paper, detailing a “Substitute Bounty” payment for a volunteer, John Yeaton of Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, who enlisted to the credit of the quota of the small Central New Hampshire town of New Hampton. He was paid to be a “Substitute Volunteer” a $300 Bounty to go to war in place of David H. Brown, of New Hampton, NH who apparently paid that $300 Federal fee to remove himself from military service. Original vivid bold green paper seal is attached. Yeaton has also signed his initials on the attached US Revenue stamp to cancel it.

The Following is from a history of the town of New Hampton: "New Hampton responded to each of the president's calls for volunteers by increasing the amount of the bounties being offered to each man who enlisted. By October, 1863, each New Hampton volunteer received a bounty of three hundred dollars. It would seem these generous bounties not only attracted many American men but also a large number of foreigners, the majority of whom were intent on playing a con game that consisted of accepting the bounties and absconding to neighboring towns where they would again engage in their game of deceit. As the war wore on it became increasingly more difficult for the towns to persuade their able-bodied men to enlist in the army; as a result, conscription was instituted. During the Civil War the practice of "substitution" was ubiquitous. Substitution was the legal means by which a wealthy man could avoid military service by paying a fixed amount of money to a person who would act in his place."

The subject of this receipt was a substitute volunteer as described above. We also found the volunteer represented by the present receipt in the Civil War personnel American Civil War Research Database: John Yeaton, St. Andrews, New Brunswick; 29 years old. Enlisted on 11/22/1864 as a Private. On 11/22/1864 he mustered as a substitute into "C" Co. NH 7th Infantry. credited to the quota of the town of New Hampton, NH. He was Mustered Out on 7/20/1865 at Goldsboro, NC.