The unfortunate victims who were drafted into the army and deported to these far-off regions were mourned by their relatives as dead.

During the autumnal season, when the recruits were drafted and deported, the streets of the Jewish towns resounded with moans.

The juvenile cantonists were packed into wagons like so many sheep and carried off in batches under a military convoy.

When they took leave of their dear ones it was for a quarter of a century; in the case of children it was for a longer term, too often it was good-bye for life.
How these unfortunate youngsters were driven to their places of destination we learn from the description of Alexander Hertzen, [1] who chanced to meet a batch of Jewish cantonists on his involuntary journey through Vyatka, in 1835.

At one of the post stations in some God-forsaken village of the Vyatka government he met the escorting officer.