would

"I've been told—we've heard rumors, I should say—that you offered the free men of color a bonus in addition to their regular pay."
"Yes, I did. One hundred twenty-four dollars and one hundred sixty acres of land." Jackson winced a little. "I'll manage the money. Whether I'll be able to come up with the land after the war... who knows? The local notables will object, of course."
"Land won't be much of an incentive anyway, for the men I'll be looking to recruit," Driscol said. "Can you increase the dollar bonus? I'll be wanting tradesmen, mostly, and a big enough bonus to allow them to set themselves up in business will be a major incentive."
Jackson winced again. "How many men do you expect to get?"
"I can't be sure, until I get to know the city better. But I'd be aiming for three hundred. Maybe four. I think that's possible."
Jackson's eyes widened. "That many? Major..."
Something in the set of Driscol's features caused Jackson to trail off. "You actually have a plan, don't you?"
Driscol shrugged. "Not as such, sir, no. But I've a lot of experience at this sort of thing—and I know Ball and his artillerymen very well, by now. I also know Henry Crowell and his teamsters. I expect most of them will sign up, also—if there's a big enough bonus. That gives me upward of two dozen men to serve as recruiters, and they can start immediately."
"They're new in the city."
"True. On the other hand—I've learned this much from the past months in their company—freedmen have their own societies, in every place they live. New to the city or not, they'll manage in hours what it would take me weeks to accomplish— if I could do it at all. But I need the core, and I need the money."
Jackson ran fingers through his hair again, disheveling it still further. "Two hundred dollars? I can go that high, I think—but there will be no land grants to go with it."
"That ought to be enough, Patrick," Sam said. "Most of them will be forming partnerships anyway, pooling their money. Just the way Henry put together the logistics train."
Jackson looked back and forth between the two men, then he chuckled. "You've become quite the experts, haven't you?"
Sam had to fight down a moment's irritation.
"There's not really much expertise required, sir. Just common sense and eyes to see. A freedman