The Conscript Bill! How to Avoid It!

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Description

The Navy created this recruiting poster in 1863, hoping to encourage men to volunteer. The Navy offered wages ranging from $12 to 18 a month for the lowest ranks, plus an extra $1.50 for grog, or alcohol. Sailors enlisting under this recruiting drive avoided being drafted into the Army, where pay was $13 a month.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library.

National Archives Identifier: 595095

Full Citation: The Conscript Bill! How to Avoid It!; 1863; Records Relating to Naval Recruiting, Enlistments, and Shipping Articles; Subject Files, ca. 1924–ca. 1946; Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library, Record Group 45; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/the-conscript-bill-how-to-avoid-it/, January 14, 2026]

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