Hayes Lowe
Reserves
Wed Feb 14 08:51:56 2001


Under an act of the Confederate Congress about mid-way through the war, three classifications of service were created:

1. Junior Reserves (17 year olds)

2. Active Duty (ages 18 to or through 45)

3. Senior Reserves (ages 45 or 46 and up)

Going by just Private Sims' records, it would appear that the 3rd Ala. Inf. Regiment Reserves was a Senior Reserves regiment. It is known that the 2nd Ala. Inf. Reserves was a Junior Reserves regiment.

When the men of the 2nd were anticipated to be 18 years old, the 2nd became an active duty regiment, being designated as the 63rd Alabama Infantry Regiment.

I don't know this for sure, but suspect, that near the end of the war (particularly when the Mobile Bay area was to be invaded), all the Alabama Reserves were activated. That is probably why some of the 3rd were transferred to the 63rd. This was probably an infusion of age to give some semblence of stability to the young, green members of the 63rd.

Now, back to Private Sims...I think that it is a very good bet that he had served earlier in a regular regiment. This would have to be so unless he qualified for an exemption. Exemptions that I know of were the following:

1. Overseers (I don't think that this exemption lasted for the duration of the war, though.)

2. Mail Contractors

3. Medical condition (even with a medical condition, unless it was extreme, the man was detailed to some type of military duty...usually State Militia, Reserves, or post duty)

Since Priv. Sims was not enlisted in the Reserves until July 1864, it is probable that he served until age 46 in some regular regiment.








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