{"product_id":"1861-1865-rare-civil-war-archive-carbon-county-pennsylvania","title":"1861-1865 Rare Civil War Archive Carbon County Pennsylvania","description":"\u003cp\u003eCIVIL WAR UNION BOUNTY TAX ARCHIVE – 6 SIGNED MANUSCRIPTS – CARBON COUNTY PA – RECRUITING SOLDIERS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginal Civil War-Era Manuscript Archive of Six Signed Agreements Supporting the Union War Effort\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOffered here is an exceptional archive of six original manuscript agreements executed by citizens and inhabitants of Franklin Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. These documents record a community-wide effort to finance Union Army recruitment through a special local tax assessment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe manuscripts state that the township's Finance Committee for the Volunteering of Soldiers had incurred substantial obligations while paying bounties to recruits in order to fill local military quotas. Because those debts threatened the finances of the township schools, residents voluntarily agreed to authorize a special assessment based upon property valuations to satisfy the obligations and continue supporting the Union cause.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe text reads in part:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"We the subscribers Citizens and Inhabitants of Franklin Township, Carbon County, do hereby promise and agree to pay a Local Bounty Tax...\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach manuscript represents a different school district within the township and bears original signatures of local residents. Together they provide a remarkable snapshot of community organization, wartime sacrifice, and civilian participation in the Northern war effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnlike military service records, these documents reveal the financial and political realities behind raising troops during the Civil War. Local governments and citizens frequently offered cash bounties to attract volunteers, and these manuscripts document the citizens' willingness to assume the financial burden necessary to meet federal and state troop quotas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistorical Importance\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginal Civil War-era manuscripts\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFranklin Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnion Army recruiting and bounty system\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSigned by numerous local residents\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSchool district and township administration\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHome-front Civil War history\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGenealogical and local history significance\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRare surviving archive preserved as a complete group\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCondition\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginal manuscripts with expected folds, light toning, handling wear, and minor edge imperfections consistent with age and use. Overall preservation is very good, with strong legibility throughout. Please review all photographs carefully for condition details.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncluded\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSix original signed Franklin Township manuscript agreements\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContemporary signatures throughout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCivil War-period Union recruiting bounty tax records\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn outstanding and highly unusual Civil War archive documenting how ordinary citizens funded the recruitment of Union soldiers and supported the preservation of the Union through direct financial sacrifice. A museum-worthy group for collectors of Civil War manuscripts, Pennsylvania history, local government records, and Americana.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52379158249754,"sku":"EB-327224960112","price":1495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/57_b90e73a4-5e68-4fca-8672-1abbe446adaf.jpg?v=1782056996","url":"https:\/\/princetonaudubonprints.com\/products\/1861-1865-rare-civil-war-archive-carbon-county-pennsylvania","provider":"Signature Documents LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}