Most deserters from the confederate army simply returned to their farms to plant, tend, or harvest crops. Desertion during the civil war, originally published in 1928, remains the only book length treatment of its subject. The south instituted a draft in 1862, requiring three years of service for those selected between the ages of 18 and 35. In view of the conditions which prevailed in the war department and in the union army, it is not surprising that desertion was a common fault. At first, men between the ages of 18 and 35 were called up and were required to serve three years if selected. The articles however tend for the most part to focus on virginia and north carolina. The age group grew as the war went on, with the final draft covering those aged between 17 and 50 years. The politics of southern draft resistance, 19171918. Apr 01, 2016 americas first military draft took place during the american revolution.
Three governors and alabamas wartime home front, 18611865. Mcpherson on down have been saying for years that there needs to be a fresh study of this topic. While northern political divisions have been well documented, there is still much to learn about the political activities of dissenters within the confederacy. Confederate states of america the reader wiki, reader view. Sometimes draft evasion involves refusing to comply with the military draft laws formally known as conscription laws of ones nation.
May 02, 2011 from 1863 to 1865, four drafts took place in the united states. The problem of confederate desertion was aggravated by the inequitable inclinations of conscription officers and local judges. Was confederate soldier desertion rampant towards the end of. This last is a point the significance of which will emerge shortly. Civil war desertion, desertions, deserter, deserters history. The drafts building the armies of the american civil war.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Americas first military draft took place during the american revolution. A lesson for all rebels at home iupui scholarworks. Chapter three explores the resistance to the confederate conscription act of. In the darkness of an early summer morning in 19 18, a truck loaded with fifty soldiers lumbered up into the hills north of atlanta, georgia, part of a federalstate expedi tion into rural cherokee county, a reported center of resistance to the world war i draft.
The draft in the civil war the initial war fever soon dissipated in both the north and south, and each side was compelled to resort to conscription. Despite these figures, the study of confederate desertion has been a. Nearly 3 million men served in the confederate army. There was much evasion and overt resistance to the draft, and the new york city draft riots were in direct response to the draft and were the first largescale resistance against the draft in the united states. While many students of the civil war are familiar with the typical southerner defending his home and hearth against northern aggression, how many civil war buffs and students of the war know the history of the immense number of union soldiers who stated that it was a rich mans war and a poor mans fight, because of rich northerners dodging. However, they made a number of mistakes that greatly reduced th. Oct 20, 20 williams book bitterly divided the south inner civil war on page 4 discuss davis begging csa soldiers to return in the summer of 1863 and in 1864 admitting that almost 2 3 of his soldiers were awol. Desertion as politics in the north carolina confederate army volume 21 issue 2 katherine a.
Union army from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia jump to navigation jump to search for the cu. Auman and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Union and confederate armies washington, 18801901, series 3, iii, 3553, 543, herein after cited as o. Draft evasion is any successful attempt to elude a governmentimposed obligation to serve in the military forces of ones nation. The confederate states draft began in 1862, not too long after the war broke out. Glossary of civil war terms american battlefield trust. Desertion confederate during the civil war encyclopedia virginia. If anything, the evaporation of confederate forces was worse than the record indicates. Confederate states of america the reader wiki, reader. Desertion was not a serious problem for the confederacy. Desertion desertion is a barometer of an armys morale.
Owing to the fragmentary nature of surviving records, researchers have arrived at different conclusions as to how many north carolina soldiers actually deserted the confederate army. Incorporating extensive archival research with a synthesis of other secondary material, mark a. Cline a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree with honors history the honors college university of maine may 2014 advisory committee. The confederate campaign against peace agitators, deserters and draft dodgers 9780786476633 by william t. The first thing to be said about this book is that it is different from any other i have read about the civil war. The desertion rate from the confederate armies increased as the men realized they were fighting a rich mans war and a poor mans fight. For soldiers to resort to abandoning their country and their states cause in this fight suggests that far too many offputting factors had impacted confederate men in such a manner so as.
By the end of the war, the minimum age for the confederate draft was 17 and the maximum age was 50. Harriet howell no relation to henry explained that her husband opposed the confederacy from the start, but accepted being drafted into the army rather than lie out in the. Desertion occurs when soldiers deliberately and permanently leave military service before their term of service has expired. In the ouachita mountains, men who had avoided conscription efforts fought with confederate forces in the february 15, 1863 skirmish at mcgraws mill, resulting in a confederate victory. Opposition to the confederacy thrived in upcountry and mountain areas where few whites owned slaves, but it broke out in the plantation districts as well. Though at first the attack caused union forces to retreat, the confederate push forward was stalled for long enough to allow grants forces to rally and prevent the southerners from escaping. Wheeler, local autonomy and civil war draft resistance.
From 1863 to 1865, four drafts took place in the united states. Turpie and professor micah pawling for their advisement and their help in pushing this. Even so the actual extent of it, as shown in the official reports, comes as a distinct shock. The following list does not aspire to be complete one book from the. By the end of the war, wide areas of the south this book dispels the myth that the white south was solidly united in defense of the confederacy. There were numerous reasons for draft evasion and desertion during this. The imbalance in the literature reflects in some way the notion that desertion hurt the confederacy far more than the union and thus the story is somehow. The special correspondent of the new york times says. When push came to shove during the american civil war, these people were. Class conflict and the confederate conscription acts in north carolina, 18621864 by tyler c. Which of the following statements about the confederacy is. These hints were printed in newspapers, told by word of mouth, or in 1863 published in book form.
More damning than slaughter is the first broad study of desertion in the confederate army. Steinways endorsement by the jurors is emphatic, and stronger and more to the point than that. Giuffre skip to main content we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Union and confederate forces were approximately the same size. Draft evasion is any successful attempt to elude a governmentimposed obligation to serve in. Drawing on official war records, she notes that one in seven enlisted union soldiers and one in nine confederate soldiers.
The draft call of 1863 required registration of eligible men between the ages of 20 and 45, divided into two classes as described below in the data base, u. Civil war desertion by north carolina troops remains a controversial topic. North carolinas civil war history, like that of other southern states, is a complex mixture of internal division, draft resistance, desertion, deprivation, and shifting allegiances. The lackofwill thesis, which blames confederate defeat on rot from within, prevailed in the 1980s, and it was strongly rooted in the social history half of the civil war bookshelf. Resistance to confederate conscription was also noteworthy in the highlands of arkansas, where there was little investment in slavery. Class conflict and the confederate conscription acts in. Weitz confronts a question never fully addressed until now. Armys provost marshal general officially estimated.
Prof david downing in his book a south divided page 111 that the csa had 200k deserters out of a white population of 5. Young people have engaged in a wide variety of draft evasion practices around the world. During the american civil war 18611865, both the union and confederate armies were plagued by deserters, whose absence depleted the strength of their. Confederate desertion rates american civil war forum. During the american civil war 18611865, both the union and confederate armies were plagued by deserters, whose absence depleted the strength of their respective forces. Class conflict and the confederate conscription acts in north. How serious was desertion and draft evasion in the union. The desertion rate of any military force reflects the level of its fighting spirit. The object of this work has been from historical data to show that the southern states had rightfully the power to withdraw from a union into which they had, as sovereign communities, voluntarily entered. R dennis ziccardi, conscription, draftdodging and desertion in mercer county in the civil war, mercer county history, i 1971, 59. The littleknown history of antisecession southerners. R dennis ziccardi, conscription, draft dodging and desertion in mercer county in the civil war, mercer county history, i 1971, 59. When the confederate congress passed a draft law in may of 1862, many unionists accepted conscription because they considered the alternative of resistance too costly.
Conclusion a discussion of rationale for confederate. The draft was held on july 22, 1863, without violence, and 263 names were selected, all of which were published in the rutland herald the following day. The south began drafting soldiers in 1862 and the union followed a year later. During the civil war draft evasion, desertion, peace movements, and even armed resistance threw whole regions of the south into anarchy. Pillow attacked union forces in an attempt to open up an escape route from donelson to nashville. There are three book length studies of confederate desertion in addition to a variety of journal articles. Although the prison camps did not fall to saboteurs, they remained a persistent source of worry for officials. Was confederate soldier desertion rampant towards the end.
The following list does not aspire to be complete one book from the counterculture of the 1960s enumerated over 1,000 supposed draft evasion practices in one nation alone. The politics of southern draft resistance, 19 171 9 18. Desertion of alabama troops from the confederate army. Unfortunately, its a common misconception that in the 1860s, ouila.
Cowardice in the civil war was defined as deserting in the face of the enemy. Armys provost marshal general officially estimated that 23,000 north carolina troops deserted between. To survive, they fought hunger, sickness, and nakedness with resourcefulness. The souths internal civil war, by david williams, a georgian. Desertion, cowardice and punishment essential civil war. Draft riots and resistance civil war history discussion. Almost 2,000 years ago, the roman historian vegitius stated that the desertion of enemys soldiers had a greater effect on its army than battlefield casualties. As the civil war progressed, desertion amongst confederate soldiers infected the confederate. Jul 11, 2014 fry agreed and stated he expected no serious resistance to the draft in any part of the state, except rutland and vicinity, amongst the irish laborers in the marble quarries. Book civil war draft resistance and the molly maguires. Oct 23, 2017 an examination of the myth of massive southern desertion. Conscription in the united states, commonly known as the draft, has been employed by the federal government on three occasions. As the above evidence sets forth, the environment that western north carolina confederate soldiers had to withstand during the civil war was horrendous. After antietam robert e lee himself estimated that a third of his force was absent at the battle of antietam on september 17, 1862.
There were two hundred and sixtynine pianos from all parts of the world entered for competition. Some of these practices go back thousands of years. Which of the following statements about the confederacy is not accurate. Fry agreed and stated he expected no serious resistance to the draft in any part of the state, except rutland and vicinity, amongst the irish laborers in the marble quarries. Confederate general service button, csa, s buckley, 1960s centennial manufacture, 22mm button was probably made for the centennial and is high quality. Illegal draft evasion is said to have characterized every military conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries. The third incarnation of the draft came into being in 1940 through the selective training and service act. Williams book bitterly divided the south inner civil war on page 4 discuss davis begging csa soldiers to return in the summer of 1863 and in 1864 admitting that almost 2 3 of his soldiers were awol. There were 16 union armies named after rivers, such as the army of the potomac and 23 confederate armies named after states or regions, such as the army of northern virginia. The increased volume of desertions inspired by the souths disasters.
After the war these same men, controlled and oppressed by coal companies, continued their battle for justice. Women were permitted to serve only in noncombat roles. Desertion during the civil war, originally published in 1928, remains the only booklength treatment of its subject. Ella lonn examines the causes and consequences of desertion from both the northern and southern armies. The rise and fall of the confederate government, vol. I wont attempt to make my own case, but rather just use the confederate leaders themselves. Conscription in the united states project gutenberg self. If the thirteen colonies could beat the worlds strongest power in 1776, then certainly the confederacy could have defeated the union in the civil war. The union army is estimated to have been slightly over 2 million men. The topic of confederate desertion remains one of the least well understood in the field of civil war scholarship, according to historian gary w. A compilation of over one hundred receipts adapted to the times. Table 1 in the appendix of lonns book lists 1,028 as the figure.