The Banner Town Of Essex County : South Danvers' Patriotic Revenue. Rhetoric. and Rivalry In The Civil War

2007·79.9 MB·English

by  Kenneth McCue

Ken MeCue

Salem State Collene

HIS 990:
Research & Writing
Dr. smerson Baker

‘The Banner Town of Pssex County
South Thanvers* Patriotic Revenue. Rhetoric. and Rivalre in the Cisil War

Rivuling the Amerivan Revolution us perhups The most sosesecked aad writen topic in

American history, che Civil War continues fo fascinate historias unl auclienoos as they search
Ter new analyses to repudiate or enlace previous histovical scholamiip. or ils exorbitant
umber of histories, newly every comnmunily Irom North to South elim to have “dons its pact

{in matching or exceeding the effore: of others 20 suppoet the Civil War: mar enlfsted im grcat

murabsrs, women raised fonds end material to provide necessities, citizens donased mney to

provide bounties aad family aid, and communities claimed patriotic allegiance, ‘he town of
South Danvars, which would incorporate as the town of Peabody shortly aller Ore war im 1868,

1s his sel Eugurandizing posture lypieal of many New England towns, During the ction!

year of 1802, s junenue dnuing whick: ie became evident the Confeverauy woul noe dante

‘without a universal commitment from every community im the Union, South Danvers eialms 1s

whos. Dacumrentary

Ihave not only met ins call bur to have excosded the efforts «i her ns
‘ovidente (ound in its public meetings and reporting, oF its weekly newspaper, the South Damvers

Wizard, reveals » concerted effort in terms of approptistions, publi: elfarts ts provide miterial

suppor. and wcll encouragement, eax] competition wilh ils usighbors ta support the cause of ti

Union. As the town secured more money and men, the Somwh Damvsry Wizard increasingly

portrayed the town 85-9 bastion of patziotism to which others in Lssex County, Massachuseus

should look ca tor example and ingpiration. Moreaver, the: Wizard! decontively vomored this

rnp anu eyregiously wwointed Soul Pavers the “Tuner Town” of Essex Coury through a
Sheee-pronged public relations campaign hased on revenue, hetorie, a rivaey
Uae South Danvers Wiel, liberally utilized in comping ard wculyeing much of Sou

Danvers’ Civil War coutelbutions, provides the lens Jing hich one viows Ihe contributions

a its sx thousand citizens. As may be sunmied, the weekly nemegapsr repeatedly ossaplayed

thc vontibations of the town, espevially in the frenzied summer of 1862 when President Lincoln
isu so ens fr 39,000 men, each separated by sxuetly one inaith, As tke domiant source
sailed in this paper, one mast heed some esulion in assuring South Danvers played as Tarue a

roleas the Pizani puporis, Although the majority ofthis paper fiasss an the patriotic efforts

‘of Souh Danvers men sexd women, oa¢ may meusure the JPisards clalms against the data
‘cenpiled in an inevodibly valuable souree, Wilign Sehouler's 18/1 publication 4 Tlistory of
_Mascusasetes in the Chil War, Because this paper extensively analyzes his data, a spteadsacet

‘compiling Schoulee’s statistics has boon included ia an appendix tr the reader's eferense. Tl

ds one-sided homstawn Eivortiom, he will assuredly be duped

‘ene rclies solely on the 7
into believing South Danvers wes the mos! patriotic wown ia tke Union. However, when
comparing the Ware's lavoritisn against the coutibutions of Pssex County"s oer diet three

‘muvicipalities. ic apponrs South Danvers deserves xr more eight to the coveted dtle “Tanner

o, Soult Danwers viewed itself as a

Town af Fasex Canumly” thun any ot her aeighbors, In es

Danner own but, moasured against other data, was ineeely ordinary. Wha is of particular

intores is not er the town sighsfully may Iny elim to the ide but the self centered

pergption of "Banner Town” chet bred rivalry in motivating ad encouraging South Tanvers
citizens 19 “do its pat.”

While one may engage the national data to estiblish a huroweter ‘or patuiotism, for

outh Danvers? level af devatfon tw the Usion ane may compare is

pusposes off measuring
prliefpatinn against Massachusetts and, more specifically, the chity-three other conmmanities
that enmprised Essex County is 1865, Avie thom raw data ‘n cenms of mon cx‘iste, fuling

und exceeding Goveenor Andrews' state-mandated quota, and tho smount of money

uppicpriated, one may examine other Joss definable parameters such a5 patrictic rosluiens

vvenen’s otpatizations’ offirls ns well as financial and material comiibutions, and the over:
feaving haunly system,

Since the bulk of the South Daswers Wizards posturing reletes to hie lavm's patriotic

ani] exceed the state-mandated quota, or outpace her neighhers, one may bein by

cellos tp ne

examining the inner workings of the system und tuaw her smucipalises compared in
arsuicting President Lincoln's smd, suhseyuently, Governor Andrews’ call. President Lincoln
‘sel tv calls far men in 1862: issuing a call on Tuy 4 ar 300,000 volunteers to serve three

joths, The: vals alse

‘yess aud on Angust "another order for 300,000 men to serve ale

informed the sass al is quota were not mact within 4 comparilively short ine, a deat would

be resorted to. ‘Thus, within ons month Vassacusetts was asked to fui 31080 men, with is

Ure amber af

shore at 15,000 und 19,080, respectively for cach cull, Tefore the clase of 18

‘men requested had becn enlisted, enrolled, und sent tora to the frost
Prior to the President's {862 calls, no system Tad heen established tor recruiting ox

we calls the

crediting citics aud tonne for silliers previously obtained. Soon after thes
Mussachuselly Adjulant-Geneial, with te approval af Governor Andrew, issued an onler

Jectinen of each town to make # sworn Teluen of

requesting the mayor of cach sily amd the

those who entered militiy servige? These rernmus wore then forurded Wn the United States

lity aulborities in Washington, D.C. and agccpled as eomeet, The system pursued lensetrih

far the duration othe ae.

The stato based its proportional requirement an the enzollment of all able-budied. m

nd town shot Fesnish to

ive to decide tre number of ren e&

ges eighteen 10 fb:

Maracas the Loot Wee Fob

‘la Sebo Hater
lo State, 1821),
pas Marstons Acint Cine le lie was Tian Seoul, 7 held the pot ben LS ING.
esis Willa Stigler sve work ws nized eeteosvely corr Lex (on. at fo Ms pap
Pile Sel oy Masseonusets irae ik Bar Pol H fincas seitisee, ‘eaon, Maesones
‘wills Scholes 1571}, 1

meet czch eall, Bocsuse the number of mea previously furnishad was credited and deducted in

ely 1852, some lawns were not xcquiced to fumish any men pon the fst call of July 4, 1862,
Surpluses, however, were not allowed or Ue Hest cal but were appliod on subseyuent calls,

Cafornmately for Mussichuselts, ne accom was Ineen und no exedit given for the Iwelye

thousanel nen in the Navy wari: Congress passed a law an July 4, 1861 allowing ther te be

‘counted. Every Massachusetts city amd town filled its quota sr all except foe twelve salt

‘ons furnished « surplus. Mussuchusetts was crodited with 159,165 men by the end of Ms war,

26,917 413%) of whieh were supplied by Pssex County *

‘According to “he 1865 vensus, the pesceutage of women in Massachusetts outpaced amy
lotr stale in the Union. Adlisionally. the perventuge of elderky was higher thin in most states

umber of hee Young mon nt sca engaye i fisheries, who were

‘and Massachuserts acl In

afl were counted in the papolstion, che Purdes in

‘exempt frum miliary service, Because

supplying men wns grealer om Muassachusetts than nearly every state, especially ia maritime:
rrogions sush as Fssex County. ‘Lherefore, » financial incentive in the form oa bounty wes
revessary to cutice cnlistmenl®

(One arin whieh South Danvers rook pride in achieving was its ability wo procure what
they viewed as a competitive boonty, Primarily offered as a moans of enticing, enlismtent,

‘rounties also played! a larger veonornie role when the profits of war industy emerged during the

weir, A lage proportion nf’ Massashusers’ war-ayed men were mechanics at veirh in

wands e080, their wus

rave as highh as five dollans per day for

rannfactoring aml, as Tubsie

skilled Ixbor, Ry comparison, an enlisted min sured sixteen dollars per month, exclusive 6

bil ar Ya Pe nities, Wasa. Machen:

“wii Soak
yitisr Shonis, L421 715.28, 17
yi Schouler. slater of Misarhavats nthe CPt Wart 23 JF V0 ond hes, Bose, Messe
‘yitiam Setuile, 7, 28