Civil War Military Draft Act (Enrollment Act)
03/03/1863 AD enacted
The Act was the first genuine national conscription law. The law required the enrollment of every male citizen and those immigrants (aliens) who had filed for citizenship, between 20 and 45 years of age, unless exempted by the Act.
The Act replaced and tightened the Militia Act of 1862: Men selected in the draft could provide substitutes or, until mid-1864, pay commutation money. Many eligibles pooled their money to cover the cost of anyone drafted. Families used the substitute provision to select which man should go into the army and which should stay home.
The draft highly unpopular: In the North, some 120,000 men evaded conscription, many of them fleeing to Canada, and another 280,000 soldiers deserted during the war.
The U.S. Congress followed in July, authorizing a militia draft within a state when it could not meet its quota with volunteers. European immigrants joined the Union Army in large numbers, including 177,000 born in Germany and 144,000 born in Ireland.
When the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in January 1863, ex-slaves were energetically recruited by the states and used to meet the state quotas.
States and local communities offered higher and higher cash bonuses for white volunteers.
"Bounty jumpers" enlisted to get the generous bonus, deserted, then went back to a second recruiting station under a different name to sign up again for a second bonus; 141 were caught and executed.
Lattitude: 38.9072° N
Longitude: 77.0369° W
Region: North America
Modern Day United States
Subjects Who or What enacted?
Objects To Whom or What was enacted?
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Conscription (the draft) The compulsory enlistmen...
Events in 1863 MORE
