I found the notice in the digitized copy in the Library of VA's Virginia Chronicle digitized newspaper collection
here. This, of course, raises new questions about whether the four brothers were also members of the Madison county militia and whether this is why they were signing up to join Co. "L"? Interesting. Three of the four survived. Henry did not. He died, like so many of his comrades, at Ft. Delaware, and was dumped unceremoniously into a mass grave. The final indignity came years later when his name was misspelled on the brass plaque on the burial grounds bearing the names of some 2,000 of his similarly-treated comrades.
Here's some Colvins who also rendered some active service with Madison County's 82nd Regiment of Virginia Militia, Companies C and D when called forth for a brief period of service in 1861:
The Militia is organized by law, and the men are enrolled and serve in it by law, irrespective of one's opinion or interest in it. Fines could be paid to skip drills, etc., but there was no discharge beyond an obvious physical disability.
Back to the Revolutionary War, when no one was enlisting in the Continental Army after 1777 (The conditions of service become well known), the Continental Congress and the States commenced drafting quotas of Militia "levies" for several months active service in the ranks of the Army regiments, to bring them to effective strength during a given campaign. At the end of their time, they were sent home (usually before winter and the necessity of supplying them Govt. clothing). In that war, these "Levies" were not provided with clothing allowances, etc. and the Army encouraged them to enlist, etc.
But the mode was continuous through the close of that war. Those "levies" from the Militia for the rank and file of the Army was separate from calling forth the Militia by units, under their own officers.
After the 1790s there were more or less similar modes employed... For example in the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson commanded a division of Tennessee Militia. Under the Volunteer Army act of that era, militia units entire could "volunteer" to serve as volunteer troops with the Army. Jackson organized/ordered much of his militia command to do so, and so served the US as Volunteer Troops in the Southwest, etc. rather than as militia.
The Confederates employed such modes to fill the Confederate Army in 1861-62. But as mentioned, the Conscription threw the States and the Militia out of the mix, and declared all free white men soldiers in the Confederate army subject only to military authority, and to report forthwith...
Judge Peyton of Mississippi observed in 1865 that the Confederate conscription was rather unpopular generally.
And as Colonel Oates observed, unlike the Militia laws of the States or Confederacy, which rendered every man subject to military service (as previously under the US laws), the Confederate Conscription acts exempted many, even able-bodied men, etc., and employed large numbers of troops to hunt "deserters" from the conscription, or AWOL soldiers, rather than act on the front lines.
In contrast, as Col. Oates had observed, by the close of the war, the Union had enrolled over 2 million men in the "National draft" rolls (often called a "conscription"), subject to draft in their States, and tender to the Army to fill quotas had it been necessary to call them where enlistments were lacking. And throughout the war the US had called forth hundreds of thousands of militia as such for short periods, besides raising a couple million volunteer and regular troops from among them.
My principal point being that all American men in the 1860s were aware of the Militia laws, and their owing military service to their Governors and President when called. For citizens to ignore these calls as militia, was to risk penalty by the civil laws. And in the Confederacy, during the conscription period, 1862-65, it was to risk death as a "deserter" by military court martial, etc.
Still, it's interesting to see so many personal accounts from foot soldiery. Those kinds of accounts with the RW -- although the disenchantment sentiments are very similar -- are very rare. The best known is Pvt. Jos. Plumb Martin, "Ordinary Courage," ed. James K. Martin, (2013, Wiley-Blackwell) Dr. Martin is one of the foremost experts on Revolutionary War and a living descendant of Martin the foot soldier. I took both his advance course and capstone (which is like a grad course light.) RW first hand accounts by the infantry are rare. The CW has many.
Besides Joseph P. Martin, these Revolutionary war memoirs I found interesting.
John P. Collins of South Carolina, served with a partisan corps.
176 p. ; 21 cm
archive.org
Capt. Alexander Graydon of Pennsylvania, with the Continental Army, etc.
Light Horse Harry Lee's memoir of campaigns in the Southern Department...
General Thomas Sumter's letters to Gen. Greene in the Southern campaigns...
On the British side, in the Southern front, there is the memoirs of Colonels Tarleton...
vii, 518 p. : 28 cm
archive.org
And Col. Simcoe's journal of operations...
First edition, Exeter, Eng., 1787 issued with title: A journal of the operations of the Queen's Rangers ...
archive.org
Here's a site with Revolutionary War pension files, related principally to the Southern campaigns, search "Colvin."
You could refine the search here, say by adding "Virginia" etc.
Peace.
Bringing the