Proclamation by Richard Yates

PROCLAMATIONS

BY HIS EXCELLENCY

RICHARD YATES,

GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS.

CALL FOR 20,000 MEN FOR ONE HUNDRED DAYS!

WASHINGTON, APRIL 25.

To the People of the State of Illinois:

On the twenty-first day of April, the Governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, submitted to the President of the United States a proposition to furnish volunteers from their respective States for the coming campaign.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, APRIL 21, 1864.

To the President of the United States:

1st. The Governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, offer to the President infantry troops for the approaching campaign.

2d. The terms of service to be an hundred days, reckoning from the date of muster into the service of the United States, unless sooner discharged

3d. The troops to be mustered into the service of the United State by regiments. When the regiments are filled up, according to regulations, to the minimum strength, the regiment to be organized according to the regulations of the War Department; the whole number to be furnished within twenty days from the date of the notice of the acceptance of this proposition.

4th. The troops to be clothed, equipped, armed, subsisted, transported, and paid as other Untied States infantry volunteers, and to serve in fortifications or wherever their services may be required, within or without their respective States.

5th. No bounty to be paid the troops, nor the service charged or credited on any draft.

6th. The draft for three years service to go on in any State of district where the quota is not filled up; but if any officer or soldier in this special service should be drafted, he shall be credited for the service rendered.

[Signed,] JOHN BROUGH, Governor of Ohio.

O. H. MORTON, Governor of Indiana.

RICH'D YATES, Governor of Illinois.

W.M. STONE, Governor of Iowa.

The foregoing proposition of the Governors is accepted, and the Secretary of War is directed to carry it into execution.

(Signed,) A. LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, April 23, 1864.

I shall not set forth the various reasons which induced the Executives of these States of submit their proposition. It will be sufficient for you to know that it is evident from the circumstances which surround us, that the battles which are to decide the fate of the country are soon to be fought. The enemy has, during the past winter, been concentrating all his strength of the summer campaign, which is before us. It is of the utmost importance that the Government be prepared to meet them with the greatest force, and with the most overwhelming numbers which it is possible to be brought to bear.

You are also aware that the country which has already been wrested from the grasp of the enemy is of vast extent, embracing many States and Territories, many thousands of miles of sea coast, and the whole length of the Mississippi, and of most of her tributaries, and that to hold this country and these long lines of sea and river coast requires large stationary forces. The strongholds, ports, garrisons, cities and towns, situated as they are in the midst of populations which are for the most part disloyal, and ready to rise upon the withdrawal of our troops, are almost innumerable, and require by far the greatest part of our immense army in their protection and defense.

In view of the case, the Executives of the Northwestern States believed that the efficiency of the army might be immensely increased by a volunteer force, to be immediately raised, which should occupy the points already taken and release our veteran troops and send them forward to join the main body of the army, which is soon to engage the forces of the enemy. It will be apparent also, that while these forces are to be employed in fortifications, and at such points as the Government may require, that now in the future also, they will place in the hands of the State the means to repel invasion from their borders, suppress insurrection and maintain the peace.

The mode of enlistment, places of rendezvous, and all information pertaining to organization, &c., will be communicated to you by the Adjutant General of the State. I make my appeal to the State of Illinois to respond to the Government with her full quota of twenty thousand men in the next twenty days. Although the State has thus far exceeded her quota under all calls by so many thousands, I doubt not she will stand ready to strengthen the arm of the Government in this trying hour, and that she will send this timely and necessary relief to her gallant sons now in the field, and who have so distinguished her proud name upon every battle-field of the war.

It is confidently hoped that by the aid which may thus be given our veteran army, the last blow may be given to this wicked rebellion, and the Government re-established, the Union restored, and all the blessings of a stable and lasting peace secured.

Though in the North and in the South the notes of the preparation for the conflict fills the land, yet for the first time have I fully seen the beginning of the end of this frightful war. All that is now required is, that the Government put forth its power at the right time and in the right place.

The people of Illinois have confidence in her son, the great commander, Gen. Grant, whom she has given to the country, as well as in the armies under his command. Let us do in all our power to uphold and strengthen their arms. Glorious Illinoisans ! in every period of this war you have done your duty ! The shining achievements of your sons are the admiration of the world. In this eventful hour you will not fail.

RICHARD YATES,

Governor.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25th, 1864.

Appeal to the Loyal Press of Illinois.

10,000 Men Already Enlisted.

State of Illinois, Executive Department,

Springfield, May 6, 1864.

To the Loyal Press of Illinois:

Important dispatches from Washington, just received, constrains me again to appeal to the loyal people of the State to promptly respond to the call of the President for 20,000 volunteers for one hundred days' service, and to invoke your powerful influence to arouse your people to immediate action. This is the more necessary because of the treasonable efforts of the disloyal press of the State to discourage enlistments, and thus prevent our veteran regiments, now doing garrison duty, from being relieved by these new troops and taking the front with General Grant in the great campaign which he has just commenced. There are now on file in the office of the Adjutant General applications for two hundred companies, which have been authorized to be raised, and it is probable that ten thousand volunteers have already enlisted, but only nine days now remain for raising the remainder, and the greatest activity is necessary to complete our quota. These troops are wanted immediately. I submit these facts to the loyal people of the State. The crisis is upon us. I confidently await the response.

The policy adopted, and the plan for raising and organizing these troops will be found in the accompanying order of the Adjutant General.

RICHARD YATES,

Governor.