Abraham Lincoln Signed Draft Call

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1809-1865) 16th President of the United States. Partially Printed Document Signed, “Abraham Lincoln.” Executive Mansion, Washington, D.C. June 30, 1863. One page, 10” x 16 ½”. Framed alongside a Lincoln medallion and a print of Lincoln based on Alexander Gardner’s February 5, 1865 photograph of Lincoln. Overall size of 35 1/2" x 32". The document reads: “I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States of American, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy thereof, having taken into consideration the number of volunteers and militia furnished by and from the several states, including the State of Vermont, and the period of service of said volunteers and militia since the commencement of the present rebellion, in order to equalize the numbers among the Districts of the said States, and having considered and allowed for the number already furnished as aforesaid, and the time of their service aforesaid, do hereby assign one thousand five hundred and five as the fixed proportional part of the quota of troops to be furnished by the 1st DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF Vermont under this, the first call made by me on the State of Vermont, under the act approved March 3, 1863, entitled ‘An Act for Enrolling and Calling out the National Forces, and for other purpose,’ and in pursuance of the act aforesaid, I order that a draft be made in the said 1st DISTRICT OF THE STATE of Vermont for the number of men herein assigned to said District and FIFTY PER CENT IN ADDITION. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Thirtieth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States, the eighty seventh. Abraham Lincoln.” The first effective draft by the federal government, signed into law by President Lincoln on March 3, 1863m, called for all men between the ages of 18 and 45 to be enrolled into local militia units and be available to be called into national service. The actual draft was managed by the states, which most often used a lottery system. Not long after being signed into law, draft riots erupted in New York City and federal troops, including soldiers from Vermont, were called upon to restore order in that city.

Read More

Read Less