Union Soldier A typical Union soldier was a United States citizen, unmarried white Protestant male. (Note: A Protestant is a non-Catholic Christian) The average of a soldier was 25 years old. Most were farmers by trade and the majority could read and write. Other careers included accountants, surveyors, locksmiths and mechanics. The Union army consisted of other ethnic groups as well. Recent immigrants from Ireland and Germany and well over 180,000 African American soldiers formed Union regiments.
Joining the War Most of the soldiers volunteered to serve but some were drafted. If you were drafted into the military, it meant that the government required you to serve. Abraham Lincoln signed this policy into law in March of 1863. It was the states' responsibility to draft soldiers which was usually done by a lottery drawing. Certain people that held jobs important to the success of the war effort such as telegraph operators, railroad engineers, judges and other government employees were exempt from the draft. Men with mental or physical disabilities were also exempt. Wealthy men had the option of paying $300 or hiring a substitute if drafted. This policy favored the rich and prompted the cry "rich man's war, but poor man's fight".
Motivation to Join There were a variety of reasons why men enlisted including friendship, peer pressure and the desire for adventure and excitement. For the Union soldier, protecting and preserving the Union was their primary motivation. They felt that the United States should remain an undivided nation just as their ancestors had intended when they so bravely fought for liberty in the Revolutionary War. Most Union soldiers were not fighting to abolish slavery but that was certainly the goal for the African American men who were given the opportunity to enlist after Abraham Lincoln freed most of the slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation.
Confederate Soldier A typical Confederate soldier was also a native-born US citizen, unmarried white Protestant male. Most soldiers were between the ages of 18 and 39 with an average age of just under 26. The majority of those enlisted were farmers but other trades included carpenters, merchants, blacksmiths and teachers. The Confederacy also recruited soldiers from different ethnic groups such as Native Americans, Chinese Americans and believe it or not, African Americans.
Joining the War Although most soldiers volunteered to serve, the Confederacy initiated the draft in April of 1862 when there became a shortage of soldiers. This was a very unpopular policy as most Southerners believed it took away the rights of individual states to make decisions apart from a central government which was one of the reasons they seceded from the United States. Certain people that held jobs that were considered to be valuable in the war effort such as railroad and river workers, telegraph operators and miners were exempt from the draft. Anyone who owned 20 or more slaves was also exempt. A wealthy Southerner could hire a substitute to take his place in the draft but this practice was considered unfair so it was eliminated in December 1863.
Motiviation to Join The motivation for a confederate soldier to enlist in the war effort most often was peer pressure. Another strong motivator for a Southern man was to fight in defense of their home and the women. Most men did not own slaves and were not fighting to protect the right to own slaves but they did fight to defend their state and because they had a tremendous pride in their land and what their fathers had achieved. Sympathy for the "cause" and a hatred for the "Yankee" enemy was also considered an important motivator.