Did confederates have 2 and 3 year enlistments?

MikeyB

Sergeant
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
How did it work? Did you sign up for 2 or 3 year commitments like in the union? Or were you pretty much signing up for as long as they needed you? Sis the CSA ever have problems with enlistment running out and veterans going home?
 
Initially it was worse, the Confederacy started out with 1 year and 3 year enlistments which would have resulted in a catastrophic situation in 1862 so they rapidly moved to introduce the first of their Conscription Acts. I would need to double check but I am fairly confident a clause in that changed all enlistments to "For the Duration..." give it time and the more detailed scholars should turn up to answer your excellent question.
 
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The 1862 Act stated "that the President be, and he is hereby authorized to call out and place in the military service of the Confederate States, for three years, unless the war shall have been sooner ended, all white men who are residents of the Confederate States, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years at the time the call or calls may be made, who are not legally exempted from military service. All of the persons aforesaid who are now in the armies of the Confederacy, and whose term of service will expire before the end of the war, shall be continued in the service for three years from the date of their original enlistment, unless the war shall have been sooner ended:"

It was not until February of 1864 that troops were legally bound for the duration "That from and after the passage of this act, all white men, residents of the Confederate States, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, shall be in the military service of the Confederate States for the war...That all the persons aforesaid, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, now in service, shall be retained, during the present war with the United States"
 
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How did it work? Did you sign up for 2 or 3 year commitments like in the union? Or were you pretty much signing up for as long as they needed you? Sis the CSA ever have problems with enlistment running out and veterans going home?
I see 12 month and 3 years enlistments in Confederate muster records all the time. Most of the early war 12-monthers reenlisted from what I have seen.
 
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My understanding of the difference between the Union and Confederate armies is this: enlistees in federal service were allowed to muster out after the conclusion of their terms of service (for example many 3 year regiments expired in 1864). But Confederate soldiers, whether they initially volunteered or were conscripted were in it for the "duration" and had no option to withdraw after a period of time. (Officers in both armies were of course allowed to resign at any time.)
 
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Initially it was worse, the Confederacy started out with 1 year and 3 year enlistments which would have resulted in a catastrophic situation in 1862 so they rapidly moved to introduce the first of their Conscription Acts. I would need to double check but I am fairly confident a clause in that changed all enlistments to "For the Duration..." give it time and the more detailed scholars should turn up to answer your excellent question.
Do you know if part of the reason for initial 1 year recruits was due to the Treasury Dept. allocation? I know the early stages in the Navy Department set-up with Mallory are covered in the Official Records regarding rank and pay. I haven't seen any such concise detail with the land troops.
Lubliner.
 
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I see 12 month and 3 years enlistments in Confederate muster records all the time. Most of the early war 12-monthers reenlisted from what I have seen.
"3 years or the War"
31 Dec 62.jpg
 
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Do you know if part of the reason for initial 1 year recruits was due to the Treasury Dept. allocation? I know the early stages in the Navy Department set-up with Mallory are covered in the Official Records regarding rank and pay. I haven't seen any such concise detail with the land troops.
Lubliner.
Initial southern enlistments were of various lengths, BUT the Secretary of War refused to accept any units into the army unless enlistments were 1 year or duration, so you will only see different lengths for the very earliest units.
 
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