Family muster roll... Unnasigned?

[CaptHerendeen]

I have a grandparent who has a muster roll filled out... It was filled out to join the 111th NYSV. It says on the roll that he was 18 years old (yeah... pretty sure he lied). The year was 1864...

He would be my only grandparent that had a chance of fighting in the war, but it says he was 'unassigned.' So I guess not.

What does this exactly mean? I know that his (person previously mentioned's) mother, my 4th g-grandma, had a brother (my 4th g-grand uncle) who was already killed at Gettysburg a year prior). I figured that since her brother died a year ago, she maybe didn't want to let her son go too. Did the army just 'not need him' and that's why he was unassigned? Did they figure that he was too young to join? Did he just change his mind? I'm curious as to how that works, and if any of you have run into the same problem with family members.

 

[Moonshiner]

Taken from another source: Typically, if a soldier was carried on a Company Roster, unassigned meant he belonged to that Company. He wasn't detailed out to perform other duties at the Regimental HQ, brigade, division or Corps level. These duties might include clerk at Brigade HQ, engineer or pioneer battalion, cook, baker, medical attendant and so forth. Each company had to provide men for these duties.

In short, it likely meant he was a "grunt" to borrow a more modern term.

 

[CaptHerendeen]

Taken from another source: Typically, if a soldier was carried on a Company Roster, unassigned meant he belonged to that Company. He wasn't detailed out to perform other duties at the Regimental HQ, brigade, division or Corps level. These duties might include clerk at Brigade HQ, engineer or pioneer battalion, cook, baker, medical attendant and so forth. Each company had to provide men for these duties.

In short, it likely meant he was a "grunt" to borrow a more modern term.

Anhh okay! So I can't find any records for what he exactly did (he was also part of a long line of Quaker families and they're generally pacifists so your description does seem fit) but that makes sense! He was also still very young. I wish I could find out what he did!

 

[Moonshiner]

I have several of my relatives that are listed as "unassigned" as well. My guess is mine were manure movers