Statistics, medical and anthropological, of the provost-marshal-general's bureau derived from records of the examination for military service in the armies of the United States during the late war of the rebellion of over a million recruits, drafted men, substitutes, and enrolled men. Compiled under the direction of the secretary of war. Vol. I / by J. H. Baxter.

  • Baxter, J. H.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics, medical and anthropological, of the provost-marshal-general's bureau derived from records of the examination for military service in the armies of the United States during the late war of the rebellion of over a million recruits, drafted men, substitutes, and enrolled men. Compiled under the direction of the secretary of war. Vol. I / by J. H. Baxter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    The principal features of the law of July 27, 1872, by which the French army was re-organized, are as follows: Every Frenchman owes personal military service, and can be called upon from the age of 20 to 40 years to form part of the active army or of the reserve.^ No bounty is paid in any shape. Only Frenchmen are admitted into the army; all convicts are excluded. In January of every year, the mayor of each canton prepares a list of the names of those young men who attained their twentieth year during the year preceding.” On a given day, this list is read aloud, and observations are permitted from those inter- ested. At the drawing, those who have been guilty of fraudulent representations have their numbers first extracted from the urn, after which the general drawing takes ])lace. Persons are appointed to draw for those not present, and the result is unalterable, no second drawing being allowed under any circumstances.^ Exemption obtains for those who are found to be physically unfit for either active or auxiliary dut}; also in certain cases of dependent relationshi}), confined, however, to those of legitimate birth. Young men who at the })eriod of their examination have not attained the required minimum of height, viz, 154 centimetres, (G0.G31 inches English,) or who are not robust enough for the service, are required to })resent them- selves again the next year, and, if still incompetent, again the year following, for fur- ther examination. They are described as ^^ajournes''^ Each canton has its council of revision^ consisting of a general officer, a surgeon, and one or more magistrates. After hearing all matters of appeal, the council divides the list of conscripts into five classes: 1. Young men found fit for service. 2. Those exempt for dependent relationship. 3. Those exempt as students, volunteers, &c. 4. Those who from deficient height or other causes have been dispensed from active service but are fit to take part in some auxiliary branch. 5. Those “adjourned” to a future examination.® The French army is classified under four heads: The Active Army: This is comj)osed of the young men found fit for active service l)e- longing to the five latest classes drafted. It also includes volunteers and re-enlisted men. The Teserve of the Active Army: This is composed of the four classes prior in date to the five active classes. The Territorial Army: This is composed of those who have served their full terms in the two preceding. This force is locally distributed, and is analogous to the Landwehr of the German nations. The Reserve of the Territorial Army: This is composed of those who have served their full tenns iu the three })receding. The term of service of the French soldier dates from July 1 of the year in which he is di’awn, and extends tlu’ough twenty years. lie serves his first five years “ undei’ * Lot 8ur le recnitvmeui dc Varmee, dit 27. juillet 1872. Bulletin tlea lois <le l.'i R^publiquo Frauf/aise : 12' s6rie, t. v, 1>. 97, Svo, Paris, 1873. * As the conscript uiiist have attained the age of twentj’ on or before the 31st December of the year previous to the drawing of his “ class,” it is evident that many of them may be upward of twenty-one years old when sent to cami) to commence their military career. A competent authority has estimated the average age of the class at twenty and a half years. (On the milifary conHcription of France, by Major-General B.vi.FOun, Journal of the Statistical Societij, \o\. XXX, p. 216, London, 1867.) ^ Op.dt., pp. 9'', 90. ^ Op. cit., p. 101. Op. cit., p. 106.