More to Explore
People and Groups
Themes
Events
Related Topics
This Day in History
Feb 9
Civil War
Yankee General George Custer marries, 1864
On this day in 1864, Union General George Armstrong Custer marries Elizabeth Bacon in Monroe, Michigan, while the young cavalry officer is on leave.…
Recommended Articles
-
Alexander Hamilton
(born January 11, 1755/57, Nevis, British West Indies—died July 12, 1804, New York, New York, U.S.) New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787), major author of the Federalist papers, and first secretary of the Treasury of the United States (1789–95), who was the foremost champion of a strong central government for the new United States.
-
Gustavus Conyngham
(born c. 1747, County Donegal, Ire.—died Nov. 27, 1819, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.) American naval officer who fought the British in their own waters during the American Revolution.
-
Sir James Craig
(born 1748, Gibraltar—died January 12, 1812, London, England) British soldier in the American Revolutionary War who later served as governor-general of Canada (1807–11) and was charged by French-Canadians with conducting a “reign of terror” in Quebec.
-
William Legge, 2nd earl of Dartmouth
(born June 20, 1731—died July 15, 1801, Blackheath, Kent, England) British statesman who played a significant role in the events leading to the American Revolution.
In U.S. history, program of cash bonuses paid to entice enlistees into the army; the system was much abused, particularly during the Civil War, and was outlawed in the Selective Service Act of 1917. During the French and Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War, military bounties included land grants as well as cash payments; Civil War bounties were in cash only.
From 1861 to 1865 the federal government, along with states and localities, paid about $750,000,000 in recruitment bounties. Congress authorized a $100 bounty in July 1861 to men enlisting for three years. With the passage of the Enrollment Act (March 3, 1863), three-year enlistees received $300 and five-year recruits got $400, but these sums were divided up and paid in monthly installments with the soldiers' regular compensation.
The states and localities offered higher bonuses. Since the federal draft applied only to congressional districts unable to meet their manpower quotas, wealthy districts would often pay in excess of $1,000 to volunteers from poorer districts in order to entice these men to enlist. The poorer districts were thus inequitably affected by the draft because their volunteers were not counted toward their quotas.
Bounty-jumping—the widespread practice of enlisting, collecting the bonus, deserting, reenlisting, collecting another bonus, etc.—was an inherent defect in the system. Many bounty brokers recruited men and pocketed a sizable portion of the bonus, or they passed off derelicts as able-bodied men to the recruiting sergeants, receiving their money before the derelicts were discovered and discharged.
Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
Shop HISTORY
-
-
The Ultimate World War II DVD Collection
There will never be another war like it; there will never be another DVD collection like this.
-
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign upClassroom Study Guides
-
Vietnam in HD Teacher's Guide (PDF)
Classroom companion for the new HISTORY series Vietnam in HD.
-
10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America: Antietam (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program dramatically exploring the events, meaning, and significance of the watershed battle at Antietam.
-
April 1865: The Month That Saved America (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program covering the last few weeks of the Civil War, from President Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration, to the surrender at Appomatox, the assassination of Lincoln, and the final laying down of arms by the Confederacy.
