President Lincoln's 75,000 volunteers facts for kids

When the American Civil War began on April 15, 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln asked for 75,000 volunteer soldiers. They were meant to serve for three months after the attack on Fort Sumter. Some Southern states, like South Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas, refused to send troops against their neighbors. Because of this, most states in the Upper South, including Virginia and North Carolina, also left the United States. They joined the Confederate States.

In Missouri and Kentucky, groups supporting the Confederacy formed governments. Even though these governments didn't fully take control, the Confederacy recognized them. This made Missouri and Kentucky the 12th and 13th Confederate states. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the government stopped any attempts to leave the Union. Delaware also stayed with the Union throughout the war.

The US Army Before the War

In April 1861, the United States had a small national army. It was called the Regular Army. It had about 16,000 officers and soldiers. These soldiers were divided into different types of units. There were ten groups of infantry (foot soldiers) and four groups of artillery (soldiers who use cannons). There were also groups of cavalry (soldiers on horseback).

Most of these army groups were stationed in small forts. These forts were usually west of the Mississippi River. After seven Southern states left the Union in December 1860, the army started to shrink. Many officers and soldiers resigned. They left to join the new armies of the Confederate States.

Rules for Calling Up Soldiers

Before the early 1900s, the United States didn't usually make its regular army much bigger. Instead, it relied on calling up state militias and volunteers. However, there were rules about how many men could be called up. There were also limits on how long they could serve. State governors had more power than the President to extend their service.

The Militia Act of 1795 set an important rule. It said that militia members could not be forced to serve more than three months in any one year. Also, in 1799, the President could only call up a maximum of 75,000 militia members. This limit was never changed, even as the country's population grew much larger.

President Lincoln's Call to Action

President Lincoln made a special announcement. He said that laws were being ignored in several Southern states. He felt that the problems there were too big for regular police or marshals to handle.

So, Lincoln used his power as President. He called for the state militias to come together. He asked for a total of 75,000 men. Their main job would be to stop the groups that were breaking the laws. They would also help make sure the laws were followed.

Lincoln also said that the first goal for these soldiers would likely be to take back forts and property. These places had been seized from the Union. He promised that great care would be taken to avoid damage or harm to peaceful citizens. Lincoln also ordered the groups causing trouble to go home within 20 days. He also called a meeting of Congress for July 4th.

Secretary Cameron's Message to Governors

The Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, sent a message to all state governors. It was a "CALL TO ARMS!" and said "75,000 VOLUNTEERS WANTED."

Cameron explained that he was asking each state to send a certain number of soldiers. These soldiers would serve as infantry or riflemen. They would serve for three months, or less if they were discharged sooner. He asked governors to tell him when their soldiers would be ready. An officer would meet them to officially bring them into the U.S. service.

The message also listed how many regiments each state should send. For example, New York was asked for 17 regiments. Pennsylvania was asked for 15. Each regiment was supposed to have about 780 men. The total number of men asked for was 73,910. The rest of the 75,000 men would come from troops in Washington D.C.

How States Responded

Lincoln's call for soldiers asked for specific numbers from each state. It included some Southern slave states that had not yet left the Union. But it did not include California or Oregon, two free states on the Pacific coast. It also left out Kansas.

Many Northern states were very excited to help. Indiana, for example, offered twice as many volunteers as Lincoln asked for. Soldiers from Massachusetts arrived in Washington D.C. very quickly, by April 19.

However, many Southern governors refused to send troops.

• Governor Henry Rector of Arkansas said his people were "freemen, not slaves." He said they would defend themselves against the North.
• Governor Beriah Magoffin of Kentucky said his state would not send soldiers to fight against their "Southern brethren."
• Governor Claiborne Jackson of Missouri stated, "Not one man will the state of Missouri furnish to carry on any such unholy crusade."
• Governor John Ellis of North Carolina sent a telegram. He said he would not be part of this "wicked violation of the laws." He added, "You can get no troops from North Carolina."
• Governor Isham Harris of Tennessee told Lincoln that Tennessee would not send a single man to force Southern states back. But he said they would send 50,000 men to defend their rights.
• Governor John Letcher of Virginia had wanted his state to stay neutral. But after Lincoln's call, he said that since the President had started a "civil war," Virginia would send no troops.

More Soldiers Needed

In early May, President Lincoln made another request. He asked for an additional 42,000 men. On May 3, he asked for more volunteers to join new regiments. These soldiers would serve for at least three years. He also increased the size of the regular U.S. Army. In July 1861, the U.S. Congress approved Lincoln's actions. They also allowed for 500,000 more volunteers to join the army.

Template:Gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed" widths="300px" heights="300px" File:Abraham Lincoln.jpg|Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. President. Template:/gallery