Memoir 1, Page 115, First Conscript Law

"The first Conscript law (1862) required that every ablebodied man between the ages of twenty and thirty-five years, within the 'Confederate States' should be enrolled for military service in the 'Confederate Army.' There were a few exemptions."

The First Conscript law of the Confederacy was passed on April 16, 1862 following the massive mortality rates of the Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862. The act was the first of its kind in American history and made all white males aged 18-35 eligible for 3 years of service in the Confederate army while adding an extra 2 years to all active service members. Following concern over the fate of the homefront upon the removal of all white males, the Confederate Congress then added a clause for exemptions, which allowed those who were deemed crucial to the homefront, such as teachers, miners, and railroad workers to remain at home. This clause also exempted one white male on each farm per 20 slaves as a means of maintaining agricultural production and control of the African American population. This law was later amended to abolish planters’ ability to hire substitutes and to broaden the age of eligibility to include those between 17 and 50. The United States also implemented a draft with the Enrollment Act of March 1863 and ended substitution in mid-1864.