American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Letter written by P. H. Gordon of Biddeford, ME, to his parents in Thorndike, ME. 12 August 1863.

3 1/4 pages, 5 x 8 in., old folds. Accompanied by postally used cover addressed to "Mr. Daniel Gordon, Thorndike, Maine."

After noting the numerous boarders seeking "the cool sea breaze [sic]," Gordon writes that "the draft is now finished and the examination in progress in this district." He writes that exemptions appear to be at 75%, which is much higher than was expected. He concludes that the draft will not furnish as many man as have been expected, and he is unsure what course will be taken to "furnish the required number," though he offers a theory almost immediately: "perhaps by enlistment of blacks. Ajt gen Thomas expresses his belief that before the expiration of this year that he will have in his department mustered into service armed and equiped [sic] 100,000 negro soldiers."

Gordon reports: "I suppose you have heard before this but City have voted to pay the drafted men $300.00 wich [sic] will furnish substitutes for all who wish in Boston and Phillidelphia [sic]. Substitutes are freely offered for 2 & 300.00 dollars there is 20,000 forreigners [sic] arriveing [sic] in N.Y. per week a number exceeding any emigration to this country in the same length of time a large per ct of this male emigration enters the army. There are men engaged in procureing [sic] for them their naturalizeation [sic] papers wich [sic] makes then citizens and subjects of this government. These men hire them to enter the army and hold them to fill the places of drafted men for all who wish to procure a substitute."

P. H. Gordon is most likely Peter Harmon Gordon (1829-1893), son of Daniel and Ann Gordon. He writes just a month after the violent draft riots in New York City that occurred over several days in response to the first federal draft, which many saw as unfairly affecting working-class immigrants.