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1864 Union Draft $300 Commutation NH. Recruiting Agent's Substitution Payment

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,000.00 USD
1864 Union Draft $300 Commutation NH. Recruiting Agent's Substitution Payment
Civil War Union Documents
1864 $300 “Commutation” Union Draft Recruiting Agent's “Substitution” NH. Payment Document
August 2, 1864-Dated Civil War Period, Union Draft Substitution Payment Form, Partially-Printed Document, for “Peyser, Drake & Co., U.S. (Army) Recruiting Agents, Portsmouth, N.H.,” Received at the Town of Seabrook, New Hampshire, Very Fine.
An Extremely Rare, possibly Unique, “Recruiting Agent's” Substitution Payment Document. This Civil War-date Draft Substitution Payment Form is 1 page, measuring 4” x 7.75”, Oblong, printed for Peyser, Drake & Co., U. S. Recruiting Agents, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Printed in black on wove period paper, somewhat wrinkled with an ink spot at center over a few letters, having partial ink erosion in that spot. Signed by Chase on the verso edge, a light blue paper dot at lower right, apparently added as a seal. It is issued at Seabrook, New Hampshire on August 2, 1864 to David Chase and witnessed by his father, Lemuel H. Chase, paying the sum of Three Hundred Dollars to the Town of Seabrook, New Hampshire.

An extraordinary item for specialized collectors of the infamous $300 “Commutation” Draft Substitution Union method to buy one’s exemption from the Army. The first we have seen of this rare, but often referred to Union substitution payment form. We have not seen or offered another or anything quite like this historic receipt form $300 “Commutation” Union Draft Substitution and likely Unique!
In the North a Draftee soldier could always hire a “Substitute” if he could afford it. The government allowed this escape from military service on the theory that, so long as each name drawn produced a man, it made no difference whether the drafted person or one hired to take his place appeared for duty This method of draft evasion was legalized with the Conscription Act of 3 March 1863. Until the Act of 24 February 1864, the conscript could choose between hiring a substitute or paying the government $300 as Commutation of service.