Memoir 2, Page 93, Desertion

"Three men had deserted the rebel service."

Punishment for desertion was a particularly thorny issue for both sides. As Woods mentions, execution for desertion was impractical and therefore uncommon. Punishments as he describes here were used instead, though the popularity of many such practices declined as the war dragged on. The flogging of deserters was phased out particularly early in the war, as was branding. These punishments were typically replaced with punishments such imprisonment, time in the stocks in camp, or hard labor while wearing a ball and chain, as he describes here. Both armies increasingly relied on humiliation as an effective punishment for desertion rather than death or extreme pain. As a result, it is unlikely but possible that Confederates in Mobile were still using these methods to stop desertion in mid-1863. This section of Woods’ journal is interesting because of the change in handwriting that can be seen in this particular description. It’s impossible to know why the handwriting changes for these few sentences; however, it’s possible that he was trying to add emphasis or make his handwriting clearer to ensure that the reader can decipher it, as it feeds into his overarching picture of the barbaric Confederacy.