Substitute Soldiers
At the beginning of the American Civil War the Confederacy appeared to be confident that the conflict would not last very long. The terms of enlistment for volunteers was only for one year. As the war progressed and the end of the first year was near it became apparent that they needed additional troops. On April 16, 1862, the Confederacy passed the Conscription Act. This became the first effective general military draft in America. A provision of this act permitted draftees
