[570] days, and be mustered in and credited to the quota of the town. They were also authorized to borrow not exceeding six thousand dollars to pay the same. Voted, that the property of soldiers shall not be taxed to pay any portion of the money raised for this purpose. The representatives of Plymouth in the Legislature were instructed ‘to procure, if possible, the passage of a law reimbursing the town for the expenditure of money in the payment of bounties to volunteers.’ On motion of Charles G. Davis, Esq., it was—
Voted, That the citizens of Plymouth, in town-meeting assembled, hereby pledge themselves to purchase and encourage, so far as possible, the products of American industry, and earnestly recommend to their fellow-citizens and the women of New England,—ever zealous in every patriotic mode of sustaining the cause of their country,—the expediency and the duty of breaking the bonds of habit and fashion, and of wearing and consuming the products of American labor; that this recommendation is made in no narrow spirit of retaliation, but because the public debt, the condition of the currency, the scarcity of change, the stagnation of business, and the cause of our country demand that every encouragement shall be given to home labor and industry, and that Americans shall teach and learn in every way the great lesson of self-reliance.August 23d, The selectmen were authorized to pay a bounty of seventy-five dollars to each volunteer for nine months service to fill the quota of the town; and if more men enlist than the quota requires, preference be given to those who enlisted first. They were also requested to confer with the selectmen of neighboring towns in regard to forming a new company for nine months service. The treasurer was authorized to borrow money to pay said bounties. It would appear that from this time until the close of the war, complete authority was given the selectmen and treasurer to recruit men and raise money, to keep the contingent of Plymouth always filled, and also to provide for the comfortable maintenance of the soldiers' families; as no other votes relating to these subjects appear recorded upon the records of the town. Plymouth furnished seven hundred and sixty-four men for the war, which was a surplus of thirty-six over and above all demands.
