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American Civil War
Enlisting Armies
Enlisting Armies

Enlisting Armies

Learn about how both the Union and Confederacy built their military forces during the Civil War, from recruiting volunteers to instituting the draft. See how these methods changed over time as the war dragged on, patriotic motivations faded, and military service became a more daunting prospect for potential soldiers.

  • 10th Wisconsin Regiment Union recruiting poster, 1861

    Recruiting poster that reads "302 Dollars or 402 Dollars for Veterans will be paid for volunteers for the 10th Wis. Regiment"

    View Full Item  in Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Recruitment poster for the 10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

    Civil War recruitment poster for the 10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.

    View Full Item  in Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Confederate broadside asking for volunteers to go to war in Virginia, April 17, 1861

    New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction

    Confederate call to arms printed in Lexington, Kentucky, asking for volunteers to go to war in Virginia. April 17, 1861. State Library, Richmond, Virginia.

    View Full Item  in New York State Archives
  • Volunteer enlistment document of Union soldier Joseph Short, September 18, 1862

    Roark, Lieutenant John E

    Volunteer enlistment in 1st regiment of the Veterans Company by Joseph Short, born in Ireland, but residing in Binghamton, New York and working as a laborer. This was his second enlistment. He first e…

    View Full Item  in UNT Libraries Special Collections
  • Political cartoon about Union draft resisters, 1862

    Unknown, Harper's Weekly

    Gettysburg College - GettOpen Public Collection; Political cartoons

    View Full Item  in Gettysburg College
  • Confederate recruitment poster recruiting in West Virginia before the conscription act, 1862

    Trigg, Robert C

    Signed: Robert C. Trigg, Col. 54th Regt. Va. Vols., July 21, 1862. Announces formation of mounted Partisan corps in Western Virginia. Parrish & Willingham. Confederate imprints, 5083. Hummel, R.O. Sou…

    View Full Item  in Duke University
  • Confederate States of America form granting exemption from conscription, 1862

    Confederate States of America -- Conscription Bureau

    A form used by the Confederate Army Department of Conscripts. This form is dated December 17, 1862.

    View Full Item  in Tennessee State Library and Archives
  • Massachusetts Union recruiting poster, 1862

    Title from accompanying materials. Date from accompanying materials. Essex Board of Selectmen

    View Full Item  in Town of Essex, MA, Town Clerk
  • Union recruiting poster for New Jersey offering a bounty for enlistment, 1862

    Civil War Union Army recruitment poster.

    View Full Item  in Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Union Army enrollment list for New Paltz, New York, 1863

    Schedule 2 - Enrollment List of all persons of Class 2, subject to do Military duty in the New Paltz Sub district of the 18th Congressional district, consisting of the Counties of Ulster, and Green in…

    View Full Item  in Historic Huguenot Street
  • Union draft wheel used in a Provost Marshall’s Office in Connecticut

    New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction

    Draft wheel used in Provost Marshall's office during Civil War. The wheel was used to randomly select names of men to be drafted into the Army. Colony Historical Society, New Haven, Connecticut.

    View Full Item  in New York State Archives
  • Book titled The Draft Riots in New York, 1863

    Barnes, David M

    Running title: Services of the metropolitan police during the riot week, July, 1863. Caption title: The Metropolitan police.

    View Full Item  in University of California
  • Receipt for three hundred dollars paid by Abraham Gilman to avoid serving draft duty, Wisconsin, 1863

    A receipt made out to Abraham Gilman for the $300 he paid to avoid serving his draft duty in the Civil War.

    View Full Item  in Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Union enlisment paper for William A. Constantine, bugler from Massachusetts, 1863

    United States. Army

    Title from accompanying materials. Associated name: William A. Constantine, bugler Date from accompanying materials. Federal Government - Army

    View Full Item  in Town of Essex, MA, Town Clerk
  • Issue of Forney’s War Press for August 8, 1863, reporting on the New York draft riots

    Original newspaper, Forney's War Press, Saturday, August 8, 1863. Illustration shows "The New York Riot-Andrews Haranguing the Mob." The New York Riots resulted from anger over conscription into the a…

    View Full Item  in Tennessee State Library and Archives
  • Broadside calling for fifty volunteers from Otsego, New York, December 1863

    New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction

    Broadside calling for 50 volunteers for the Civil War from the town of Otsego, N.Y., December 1863.

    View Full Item  in New York State Archives
  • Volunteer enlistment for Union soldier Tilman Hurst Sevier County, Tennessee, August 1, 1863

    Volunteer enlistment for Tilman Hurst of Sevier County, aged nineteen and occupied as a farmer. He volunteered on August 1, 1863 to serve as a soldier in the Army of the United States of America. Sign…

    View Full Item  in Tennessee State Library and Archives
  • Muster-in roll for Hamilton K. Redway which certifies him as Captain of Company F, New York, January 1864

    Seymour, Horatio

    Muster-in roll for Hamilton K. Redway which certifies Redway as Captain of Company "F," First N. Y. Vet. Cavalry. The muster-in roll details that Redway was made captain when he was stationed at Camp…

    View Full Item  in UNT Libraries Special Collections
  • List of draft dodgers issued by the Provost Marshal’s office offering a thirty-dollar reward, Wisconsin, 1864

    List of Civil War draft-dodgers issued by the Provost Marshal's office.

    View Full Item  in Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Draft letter for Elijah Leppo of Finksburg, Maryland, June 25, 1864

    United States. Provost Marshal General's Bureau

    Draft notice (Form 37, Provost Marshal's Office) to Elijah Leppo of Finksburg, Carroll County, Maryland dated June 25, 1864 ordering him to report for duty in Frederick, Maryland by July 5, 1864. The…

    View Full Item  in Private Collection
  • List of drafted men who have failed to report, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1864

    With: List of drafted men who have failed to report. Milwakee : Office Provost Marshal, 1864. -- Deserters : list of men drafted in Third Congressional District, Wis., in 1864, who failed to report. L…

    View Full Item  in Harvard University
  • Muster-in roll of William W. Allen, 2nd Assistant Surgeon of the 5th Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers, 1864

    Muster-in Roll of William W. Allen, 2nd Assistant Surgeon of the 5th Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers. The 5th Regiment was commanded by Colonel Thomas S. Allen and called into the service of…

    View Full Item  in Tennessee State Library and Archives
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American Civil War
Enlisting Armies

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