We Hate the Draft!

April 1863

Dear General Ulysses S. Grant,

            I heard about the Conscription Act that was passed last month.  I feel upset about how men, ages twenty to forty-five, have to enroll in the draft lottery.  My friend that got picked by the draft lottery said that he was in your army in the last battle.  If you know Bob Tucker, tell him I said hi.  I am now thirty years old and had to put my name into a box for drafting.  The only way we can get out of the situation is if we pay three-hundred dollars or if we can find someone to replace us.  You shouldn’t tell people that they have to go fight a war.  It’s stupid.  What if we don’t want to fight and can’t get out of it?  We should get to choose if we want to fight.  I had just come from Germany as an immigrant and was resistant to the draft.  I searched and finally found someone to gladly replace me.  Why would I want to fight for a country that I just came to, a country where I wanted to start a new life and relax for a while?  What did we do after the first names were picked? We started to protest.  I thought it got a little out of hand but the country needed it.  They burned draft buildings, destroyed rolls of names, etc.  If we want to fight, we will fight.  Another one of my friends saw you on battlefield.  We hate the draft.  Please get rid of it.

Sincerely,

Drafthater#1

(P.S.  I hope the Union wins the war!!!)