Civil_War Conscription_in_the_United_States

the united states first employed national conscription during american civil war. vast majority of troops volunteers; of 2,100,000 union soldiers, 2% draftees, , 6% substitutes paid draftees.

the confederacy had far fewer inhabitants union, , confederate president jefferson davis proposed first conscription act on march 28, 1862; passed law next month. resistance both widespread , violent, comparisons made between conscription , slavery.

both sides permitted conscripts hire substitutes serve in place. in union, many states , cities offered bounties , bonuses enlistment. arranged take credit against draft quota claiming freed slaves enlisted in union army.

although both sides resorted conscription, system did not work in either. confederate congress on april 16, 1862, passed act requiring military service 3 years males aged eighteen thirty-five not legally exempt; later extended obligation. u.s. congress followed militia act of 1862 authorizing militia draft within state when not meet quota volunteers. state-administered system failed in practice , in 1863 congress passed enrollment act, first genuine national conscription law, setting under union army elaborate machinery enrolling , drafting men between twenty , forty-five years of age. quotas assigned in each state, deficiencies in volunteers required met conscription.

still, men drafted provide substitutes, , until mid-1864 avoid service paying commutation money. many eligible men pooled money cover cost of 1 of them drafted. families used substitute provision select member should go army , stay home. other popular means of procuring substitute pay soldier period of enlistment expire - advantage of method army retain trained veteran in place of raw recruit. of 168,649 men procured union army through draft, 117,986 substitutes, leaving 50,663 had personal services conscripted. there evasion , overt resistance draft, , new york city draft riots in direct response draft , first large-scale resistance against draft in united states.

the problem of confederate desertion aggravated inequitable inclinations of conscription officers , local judges. 3 conscription acts of confederacy exempted categories, notably planter class, , enrolling officers , local judges practiced favoritism, accepting bribes. attempts deal issue frustrated conflict between state , local governments on 1 hand , national government of confederacy.