Selective Enforcement in Leaving the Ranks

[ColonelBuckwalter]

I read this book on the Confederate States Marine Corps a while back. Seems the US Naval Department was for a short while throwing marines in the brig for resignation to join the southern states. The Confederate Marumine Corps was apparently offering a raise in rate (If I remember correctly a bonus too) for those Marines that went south of the Mason-Dixon.

How come thos didn't happen to army and naval officers changing sides?

My only though is that a first sargent who wasn't going to get promoted being offered a rate of second lieutenant might have seen as mutiny or treason. If not that, as a mercenary thing that might have tweeked Wells's nose and the rug he wore.

Was it a matter of standing within the military? The USMC was comparatively small to the army or navy. Was it a matter specialization in the manner of fighting, or the mindset of the sea soldier?

Would arresting Lee or either Johnston have caused such a big deal in the press and ruffled enough feathers that they didn't dare do it?

Considering that some officers were not 'big names' why were they not thrown in the stockade?

(Asking for a friend )

 

[RedRover]

I read this book on the Confederate States Marine Corps a while back. Seems the US Naval Department was for a short while throwing marines in the brig for resignation to join the southern states. The Confederate Marumine Corps was apparently offering a raise in rate (If I remember correctly a bonus too) for those Marines that went south of the Mason-Dixon.

How come thos didn't happen to army and naval officers changing sides?

My only though is that a first sargent who wasn't going to get promoted being offered a rate of second lieutenant might have seen as mutiny or treason. If not that, as a mercenary thing that might have tweeked Wells's nose and the rug he wore.

Was it a matter of standing within the military? The USMC was comparatively small to the army or navy. Was it a matter specialization in the manner of fighting, or the mindset of the sea soldier?

General Longstreet explained that officers had the right to resign their commissions at any time. Enlisted men were bound by their enlistments, and would have had to desert.

So the enlisted US Soldiers or Marines would have had to desert to join the Confederate forces. Desertion was a potentially capitol offence irrespective of the reason.

Would arresting Lee or either Johnston have caused such a big deal in the press and ruffled enough feathers that they didn't dare do it?

Lee and Johnston resigned their commissions in late April, 1861, and accepted State commissions from Governor Letcher. The State of Virginia did not ratify its secession vote until May 23. US troops only crossed the Potomac the next day.

To the United States, the war did not commence or end in all of the Southern States at the same time.

The United States forces and government, etc. did not consider all inhabitants of the Confederacy to be in insurrection against the United States until President Lincoln's proclamation of August 16, 1861.

Proclamation 98—Suspension of Commercial Trade with Certain States in Rebellion | The American Presidency Project

www.presidency.ucsb.edu

Considering that some officers were not 'big names' why were they not thrown in the stockade?

(Asking for a friend )

Resigning their commissions wasn't considered a violation of any kind allowing for incarceration. It was frowned upon. The US Navy for its part, did decline to accept the resignations of many of the officers "Goin' South" but instead struck them from the roll by dismissal.

In early August, Congress passed an act to consider Naval and Marine Corps officers who submitted resignations, and went South before they were accepted or declined, were to be considered as if deserters.

Then add the Proclamation of August 16 previously noted, that the inhabitants of the southern confederacy were in insurrection.

Then take the example of Captain Tansill of the US Marine Corps later in August submitting his resignation, in which he apparently made some reference in it to a purpose to proceed to what the US considered the insurgent territory, and he was promptly arrested after he declined to take an oath of allegiance to the United States and stricken from the rolls, but subsequently exchanged to the Confederacy... And the Confederacy allowed such officers Confederate pay for their period of incarceration by US forces.

Navy Secretary Welles reported of Tansill's case...