Were soldiers allowed to switch regiments?

[Iron Brigader]

I'm mainly curious about this in regards to the Union if that makes any difference.

 

[DaveBrt]

The Confederacy usually allowed such -- provided both men agreed, both company captains agreed, and there was no cost to the government.

 

[Salterr]

I'm mainly curious about this in regards to the Union if that makes any difference.

According to the articles of war, the 22nd article states that No non-commissioned officer or soldier shall enlist himself in any other regiment, troop, or company, without a regular discharge from the regiment, troop, or company, in which he last served, on the penalty of being reputed a deserter, and suffering accordingly. And in case any officer shall knowingly receive and entertain such non-commissioned officer or soldier, or shall not, after his being discovered to be a deserter, immediately confine him and give notice thereof to the corps in which he last served, the said officer shall, by a court martial, be cashiered. This is from the second rendition of the AoW in 1806 that went unchanged until 1863. It had 101 articles compared to the continental army's 69 articles.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

A bit of the subject, my 5th great grand father switched regiments with another guy during the Revolutionary War to serve alongside his brothers.

I would be interested in hearing of examples in the Civil War.

 

[1SGDan]

From my engineer series:
The 1st New York Engineers were supplemented in an unusual event by Special Orders No. 353, dated October 6, 1864, calling for the transfer of more than 150 enlisted men to the regiment from the 144th New York Infantry. These men were in excess of the number of soldiers that the 144th could keep on their muster rolls. Additionally when the 144th mustered out on June 25, 1865, those with time remaining on their enlistments were also transferred into the 1st NY engineer ranks.

 

[Fairfield]

Sure. It was frequent in Maine. Sometimes an entire regiment was rolled into another (soldiers assumed the name of their new regiment)