An Army of the People Author:John McAuley Palmer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: IV. THE GREAT ENROLLMENT The President's proclamation received the widest possible publicity through the press of the country, but it was also published fo... more »rmally, as prescribed in the statute itself, by being posted in all of the post-offices in the land. The Proclamation contained the full text of the Act of Congress with the Special Regulations prescribed by the President governing applications for attendance at the camps of military instruction to be established during the coming summer. It was announced that one or more such camps would be established in each State, the number to depend upon the total enrollment and the distribution of applicants in each State. Applicants were advised that blank forms and descriptive lists could be obtained from the Postmaster to be filled in and signed by the applicant and returned to the Postmaster not later than April 1st, for transmission through the Post Office Department to the proper military authorities. These blank forms were accompanied by a prospectus or circular giving full information as to the objects of the proposed summer camp, its courses of instruction in general terms, and the proposed formation of the graduates of the school into a field army of volunteers. The prospectus described the duties and characteristics of the several branches of the military service and encouraged the applicant to express a preference for that arm which most attracted him, or for which he was espe- cially qualified by aptitude or training. It also recited the provisions of the law which embodied the general principle that all necessary expenses for transportation, shelter, subsistence, clothing, and equipment incurred in attendance at the summer schools, or in connection with any of the duties imposedupon officers or enlisted men of th...« less