The lists are arranged alphabetically by category. Most categories are relatively complete, although some incidental types of compilations (such as drafted men arrested at Milwaukee) are also included. Some related lists were printed by district provost marshals and are available in the Government Documents section of the SHSW Library.
The county draft books list the names of drafted men by county. These records primarily cover 1862. Volume 1, which is arranged by county and town, lists the names of draftees and substitutes ordered to Camp Washburn, the date when the soldier reported to camp, the date of furlough, and the regiment number. This volume covers Brown, Dodge, Door, Kewaunee, Marathon, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Ozaukee, and Washington counties. Volume 2 contains similar information for Buffalo, Dane, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Pepin, Vernon, Washington, Waukesha, and Waushara counties. Pasted inside Volume 2 is an alphabetical roll of drafted men who reported to Camp Washburn in 1862, their substitutes, and the regiment in which the substitute enlisted.
The lists of draftees and substitutes are printed forms that were completed by Provost Marshal District enrollment boards, 1863-1865. These lists show the name of the soldier who enlisted, his rank, birthplace, age, occupation, date, and place of mustering in, the enrollment district to which the soldier was credited, the term of service, physical description, travelling pay, value of clothing drawn, date of commencement of service, and remarks listing equipment furnished and the town or ward credited. The record also indicates whether the soldier enlisted before or after the draft and the name of the person for whom the soldier was serving. These rolls are arranged by Provost Marshal District number (which were coterminous with congressional districts), and thereunder chronologically. Most of the later rolls carry the signatures of the provost marshal, the commissioner of enrollment, and the district examining surgeon.
The enrollment board rolls are similar to the muster-in rolls found in Series 1200 except that the information about the principal for whom the soldier was substituting is often included here. In addition, the majority of the individuals documented here are from the “Unassigned” category in Wisconsin Volunteers, and no information about them is included in other series. Also, the remarks column sometimes includes unique descriptive details about the appearance of substitutes and draftees (in order to prevent unscrupulous individuals from repeatedly enlisting for profit). Unfortunately, genealogical information in this series cannot be accessed directly, and researchers need to know the congressional district in which an individual resided.
The somewhat misleadingly-titled furlough book (1862) was used not to list men home on recreational leave, but to record men sent home on furlough while their eligibility for the draft was investigated. In some cases, the final determination (i.e. alien status, disability) as well as the date of discharge is recorded. This volume is arranged by county (only fourteen are included, however) and chronologically thereunder.
The two books of local credits list the names of enrolled men by county and town, indicating each town's draft quota, the muster date (1863-1865) and the unit in which the soldier enrolled. Notations in red record commissions and the month in which the soldier was formally credited to a particular town. In cases in which the soldier was incorrectly credited, the name is crossed out in red and the proper town credit is noted.
Available only on microfilm are lists of persons eligible for military duty, census-like enrollment lists for 1862 and 1864 which were prepared by county sheriffs and town assessors of all men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five residing in each town or ward, showing name, age, and occupation, and occasionally the military unit, if the individual was already in the service, and an indication of medical or legal reasons for exemption from military duty. The original lists of persons eligible for military duty were destroyed after microfilming in 1974 and 1996. Reel 6 consists of additional Kenosha County town records in private hands that were loaned for copying in 1997. Similar lists deposited in various local governmental offices are separately catalogued by local custodial office.
In the 1862 lists, lines are drawn through the names of each exempted person. In the 1864 lists, the draft classification
(either 1, 2, 3), is indicated.[1]
For both groups, the records are arranged alphabetically by county and by town. Although these lists were intended to identify individuals who might be eligible for the draft, for the counties they document they provide an important supplement to state and national censuses of the period.
For 1862 the lists document Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Columbia, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, St. Croix, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, and Trempealeau counties. For 1864, the lists include Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dodge, Jackson, Polk, Richland, Rock, St. Croix, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago, and Wood counties.
The quota lists present statistical breakdowns of the apportionment of the quotas by district, subdistrict, and town. Unfortunately, these statistics apply only to 1864.
