Estimates of Naval Militia and of Land Militia of the U.S., 23 October 1805
23 Oct. 1803
The best ground for estimating the number of seamen of the US. to be enrolled under the act for establishing a Naval militia, is the tonnage of our vessels. the latest return of tonnage, states it to have been on the 31st. of Dec. 1803. as follows
tons | |||
Registered tonnage employed in foreign trade | 585,909 | ||
in the whale fisheries | 12,389 | ||
Cod fisheries | 50,969 | 63,358 | |
in the coasting trade | 267,787 | ||
917,054 | |||
we are supposed to employ usually in navigating our vessels about 6. men for every 100. tons. but allowing for those who are not free, white, citizens, within the military age, we may estimate 5. to the 100. tons | 5 | ||
45,852 | |||
to these should be added the seamen then in our navy, and those employed on the tidewaters within the US. which we may safely state as making the whole number amount to | 50,000. |
———— || ———— || ———— || ———— || ———— || ————
An Estimate of the land-militia of the US.
The Census of 1800. gave us of free white males | of 16. and under 26. | 384,554. | |
of 26. and under 45. | 423,836 | ||
Our military age excluding those under 18. we must from the number | 384,554 | ||
deduct those in their 17th. & 18th. years, which by Buffon’s tables will be | 80,405 | ||
remain of the age of 18. & under 45. to wit the Minor & Junior classes | 304,149 | ||
Our censuses of 1790. & 1800. having shewed our increase to be in a geometrical | |||
ratio of 3⅓ pr. ct. pr. annum, the increase from 1800. to 1805 is | 54,184 | ||
leaving our whole number of free white males from 18. to 26. in 1805 | 358,333 | ||
from these are to be deducted the naval-militia men. but for the greater | |||
part of those employed in the foreign trade & whale fisheries being always absent, it | |||
is believed that not half of them were included in the Census. those supposed included then | |||
are. 35,000, of which according to Buffon those of 18. and under 26. will be only | 11,111 | ||
leaving of free, white, landsmen from 18. to 26. in 1805 | 346,622 | ||
from these are still to be deducted those not able bodied. suppose them 1. in 10. | 34662 | ||
leaving of free, white, able-bodied landsmen of 18. & under 26. | 311,960 |
To find what proportion of these will be of the Minor & what of the Junior class we are to enquire, Of 311,960. persons of 18. & under 26. years of age, how many will there be of each different year of age? Buffon’s tables resolve them as follows
As 84,589 in Buffon from 18. to 26: to 311,960 in the US. of the same age:
So are 11,014 in Buffon in their 19th. year: to x the number in the US. in their 19th. year.
then x = 311,960/84,589 x 11,014 = 3.69 x 11,014 consequently
Buffon’s nos | in US. | |||||||
those in their | 19th. | year will be 3.69 x | 11,014 = | 40,619 | } | |||
20th. | 10,919 = | 40,267 | = | 120,598 | of the Minor Class | |||
21st. | 10,768 = | 39,712 | ||||||
22d. | 10,675 = | 39,368 | } | |||||
23d. | 10,514 = | 38,775 | ||||||
24th. | 10,380 = | 38,289 | = | 191,358. | of the Junior class | |||
25th. | 10,259 = | 37,834 | 311,956 | |||||
26th. | 10,060 = | 37,100 | ||||||
311,956 |
To obtain the respective numbers of the Middle and Senior classes,
The Census of 1800. gave for both | 423,836 | ||
Add the increase from 1800. to 1805 | 75,506 | ||
499,342 | |||
from which are to be deducted, seamen from 26. to 45 | 23,289 | ||
476,053 | |||
deduct also those not able bodied, suppose 1. in 10. | 47,605 | ||
leaves free, white, able bodied landsmen from 26. to 45. | 428,448 | ||
Buffon’s tables make the numbers of 26. & under 35 = 84,182 & those of 35 & under 45 = 84,018 | |||
these are so nearly equal that we may consider the | Middle class one half, to wit | 214,224 | |
[. . . .]Senior class one half, to wit | 214,224 |
Recapitulation.
Naval-militia. | 50,000 | |||
Land-militia. | Minor class | 120,598 | ||
Junior | 191,358 | |||
Middle | 214,224 | |||
Senior | 214,224 | 740,404 | ||
790,404 |
MHi: Coolidge Collection.