The Mississippi in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Cavalry
In Response To: Cavalry ()

Confederate cavalrymen were required to furnish their own horses; they were nominally reimbursed for some of the expenses, and the Government supposedly furnished forage, and would pay for the cost of the horse if lost. But the cost of providing a mount, particularly as the war advanced and horses became increasingly scarce, was prohibitive. Men who became dismounted and cound not provide a remount were customarily transferred to infantry or artillery service in exchange for men who could provide a mount.

In the first instance, men were allowed to volunteer for whichever branch of service they preferred, provided a space was available. This of course led to many men volunteering for units which were not front line units. After the Conscription Act was passed in the spring of 1862, men who were conscripted were sent to a central camp in each state, and then assigned to units which needed replacements. The Confederate system of not allowing the raising of large numbers of new regiments, but rather assigning men to existing units, was much more preferable than the Union system of new regiments, because it allowed the veteran troops to train the new recurits, with much better combat efficiency.

One of the weaknesses of the Conscript Act was that each state was allowed to provide for exemptions from service, and some states, Goeriga beging perhapsw the most notable, grossly abused the system, leading to enactment of very broad exemptions in some states. Georgia raised two entire regiments of men who were exempted, often derisively were called "Joe Brown's Pets." The regiments did see active service in the Atlanta campaign, but it is clear that they would have been much better utilized if they had been under unified Confederate command from start to finish, and available for use early in the campaign, when Joseph E. Johnston desperately needed the troops. My recollection is that the two regiments did not become actively involved until Sherman crossed the Chattahoochee.

Messages In This Thread

Cavalry
Re: Cavalry
Re: Cavalry