Category Archives: Draft

December 2, 1862: Resisting the draft in Tennessee

As noted recently, there was some resistance to the draft within the Confederacy. While the Georgia legislature lodged a pro forma protest, citizens in Lincoln County, TN (home of Jack Daniels, BTW) took more direct action. NASHVILLE, Tuesday, Dec. 2. … Continue reading

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September 18, 1862: Rabbis should be exempt from the draft

The Richmond Daily Dispatch notes that the Confederate conscription act exempted Christian ministers, but the wording would have excluded rabbis — they argue that this should be remedied. Oh, and while we’re at it, newspaper editors should be exempt too. … Continue reading

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August 28, 1862: Draft Insurance

The New York Times editorial decries the practice of selling draft insurance. Apparently it was possible to pay an insurer who would provide a substitute for you if you were drafted into the Union forces. The editorial argues that this … Continue reading

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August 12, 1862: The draft and the chicken-hearted

Cartoon from Harper’s Magazine, 1862. I don’t know why the balloon says “Leonidas” on it. In July the Union had instituted a draft — here the New York Times editor gives a little ironic advice to those hoping to duck … Continue reading

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June 20, 1862: Substitute Swindle

The Richmond Daily Dispatch ran this editorial decrying the trade in fraudulent draft “substitutes”, who would take a fee, enlist in some Virginian’s stead, and then desert to sell their services again. While the editorialist recommends that every man offering … Continue reading

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June 11, 1862: Substitutes wanted

The Richmond Daily Dispatch had a daily section for “substitutes” — ads for men to fill the place of a drafted Southerner, or ads from men willing to do so for a price. Substitute notices. Wanted — a Substitute for … Continue reading

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