The newest book published by the Meredith Historical Society tells the story of how Union sodliers were recruited in Meredith during the Civil War.  “Raising Lincoln’s Army” was written by the society’s president, Frank M. Waterman, and dedicated to his great grandfather, Charles Wesley Wilcox, a Mredith farmer who served in the Union Army.

Waterman points out that the states were responsible for responding to President Abraham Lincoln’s repeated calls for recruiting troops. New York passed that responsibility down to the counties, which in turn set quotas for each town. Though there was a national draft, most of the approximately 2.5 million men who served the Union were volunteers. The draft could be avoided relatively easily by furnishing a substitute or by paying the government $300.

All of the 120 residents of Meredith who served were volunteers. Such was the anti-draft sentiment locally that people were willing to pay higher taxes in order to encourage men to volunteer rather than be drafted. Meredith issued bonds ito finance paying a bounty ranging up to $1,050 to each volunteer.

The casualty rate among Meredith recruits was extraordinarily low: ten men died–eight of disease and two of combat wounds.

Waterman wrote that his main source was the Delaware Gazette, a newspaper available on microfiche at the Cannon Free Library in Delhi. He hopes to gather additional photographs, obituaries and other information to add to future editions of the book. Copies are available for $20 each through the Meredith Historical Society, P.O. Box 26, Merediale, NY 13806.