National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-30
A CONSCRIPT ARMY.
HOW THE RANKS OF THE CONFEDERATE
REGIMENTS WERE FILLED.
An Act which "Robbed the Grade and tho
Gra,c'' 49, Behavior Of the Conscript
soldiers-Exccution ora Desertcr-B Bloody
Resistance OF tho Mountaineers.

Grave, 49, Behavior OF the Conscript
Standardization Of DeSerter-Bloody
Resistance OF tho Mountaineers.
Many persons with whom tho writer
has lately convorsed on the subject hold
the notion that the conscript act Of the
confcderacy was similar in its features to
the draft act Of the north, that is to say .
that az troops were needed they were
called for and selection was made by lot
from tho able.bodiod portion Of the popu-
lation liable under the general law to
military duty. The idea thus entertained
is entirely erroneous. There was no
similarity in the operation of tho draft
and the CONSUMPTION. Tho great bulk Of
the army of Northern Virginia in 1861
was composed of twelve months men.
There were comparatively fow regiments
that had enlisted "for the war" And
this state of affairs was owing, not to n
desire to escape the service before tho
conflict was oyer, but to the fact that not
one person in hundred believed that
tho war would endure for six months. Mr..
Stewards NINETY days" theory was very
generally accepted, even in the south, al
though there mn opposite result was an
ticipated. About tho latter part of tho
winter OF 1s6l-62, those who had been
before most sanguine OF an early peace
felt gloomy over the prospect-and the
opposing governments, particularly, be-
came thoroughly aroused to the fact that
there was long aud tough job ahead.
Tho confederate congress at this juncturo
passed an act offering n bounty Of $50 to
all tho twelve months men who would re.
enlist "ior three years or tho war" A
large number of tho volunteers availed
themselves of tho bounty, but tho accept
ance was by no means universal. If those
who refused to re-enlist should at the OK.
piration of their term of service DO per-
mitted to return to their homes it would
| inevitably be tho death blow Of the cause.
| At this date In the south, as well as in
the north, the first flush of enthusiasm
had died away (albeit the people
were as sturdily determined one way and
the othor) and volunteering had almost
entirely ceased. Stringent measures
were necessary to bring the army up to
the requisite standard. Tho temper of
the people was favorable to the project
and accordingly the confederate congress
decided not to take two bites ut cherry,
as it were, but to mako virtual levy
on masse; for tho conscript act which
they passed was really nothing else but
that.
1t would take up too much space to give
moro than tho barest outline of this cele-
brated piece of legislation, by virtue of
which the south for so long resisted tho
superior power Of the north. Tho main
feature was that every able-bodicd man
throughout the length and breadth of the
confederacy between tho ages of Is and
A. inclusive, was, on the approval of tho
act by the president, declared enlisted in
the armies of the confcderacy, and was
ordered ipso tacto to report to the conscript
camp to be established in his district
for assignment. OF course this sweep
ing arrangement applied to the
twelve months men already in the
service, and deep were the regrets ex-
pressed by the boys who had refused to
re-enlist that they had not done SO and
gathered in the bounty, which was then
almost on par gold. 1t is doubtful
IL any other people IN the world, except
under the pressure of an immediate and
awful danger, which did not then appear
to be impending. would have accepted
without u murmur, without single kick.
this radical and stringent measure, which.
40 has been said of ii, VIRTUALLY robbed
the cradle and the grave" Even in the
determined north, where the draft act
operated comparatively mild on the
population, aud where the facility for
obtaining substitutes was so great, there
were serious riots in various quarters
against its enforcement.
As to the exemptions under tho con-
script act, they were reduced to the
minimum consistent with carrying on
the operations of the government. the
maintenance of the armies in the field,
and the business of the people. The
classes exempt we're mainly, as we'll as
recollect, as follows: Confederate govern
ment officials, state government officials,
editors aud printers necessary to publish
bona fide newspapers already established
and then actually engaged thereon, rail-
road men then actually employed. prac-
ticing physicians. and planters who were
working twenty or more slaves. The
latter were made exempt for the express
purpose of providing bread for the army,
and the government had the privilege of
the first bid for their crops. There was
also clause giving the right to furnish
substitute, provided that the conscript
officer, who had quasi-judicial functions,
found the substitute to be qualified
to perform the duties of a soldier.
Besides tho difficulty of finding an ex-
empted able-bodied man willing to take
anothers place in tho ranks, there was
another morning caused which tended to
make substitution very infrequent. Tho
man, liable to CONSUMPTION, who. for no
other reason than an unwillingness to
bear his part of the heat, the danger, and
the burden Of the day, provided sudsti
tute become at once sort of social pariah
Public sentiment was SO strong ia this
direction that his acquaintan coldly
avoided him, and as for tho women they
would to wit turn up their pretty
noses at him, whenever he was brought
into their presence. 1t seems to me that
man must have had the heart of d
chicken aud the hide of rhinosceros, to
have withstood such purgatorial ostra
cism. 1t has been said that the women oil
the south were to the largest extent re-
sponsible for the determined resistance
and endurance of the southern armies
and there is certainly u considerable
spice Of truth in tho saying.
1t goes without saying that, in view Of
, the emergency, the conscript act was put
into operation with vim and vigor thai
augured the best results. Officers o.
! CONSUMPTION wese detailed and appointed
and camps Of rendezvous were formed In
the different states. to which by procla-
, nation the able-bodied men not exempted
were ordered to proceed at once a
government expense. The exompts were
required to show a mighty straight array
/, of proofs and papers, whore there wa
any doubt about it, and tho old lawyers
! in the towns and villages reaped q rici
, harvest from the conscript act, If no ont
else did, in the preparation Of papers
These officers proceeded to rake the con
fcderacy with fine tooth comb, SO t,
! speak, and they even carried thei
. researches into the sections held by thu
enemy, as will be mentioned further on.
4 The general camp of rendezvous for thu
army of northern Virginia was at CAM
/ Lee, near Richmond, aud here the con
scripts were gathered together from
, the states and given little prelimi
nnru inatrnniinIi In tln. nrnhln1. atm