(Not a homework question, incidentally.)
I have an ancestor who was in his late 20s in 1861, lived in Alabama where his family owned 6 slaves (i.e. not Union sympathizers) though they weren't rich or politically connected, and from his photograph he appears to have been able-bodied. There is no evidence he served during the Civil War in the army or in the Home Guard. He married in 1862 and had 2 children born during the war, also indicating he was at home and not in the field. He was not an only child or the sole support of anybody at the beginning of the war.
No tales survive of him through his descendants; I only know his name through genealogical research.
Any idea how he would have avoided service? (I know that northern men could legally pay other men (usually $300-$500 and usually Irish immigrants) to take their place, but this doesn't seem to have been an option for Confederates.)
Thanks for any good suggestions.
2007-09-13
11:36:01
·
4 answers
·
asked by
Jonathan D
5