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Mark P. asked in Politics & GovernmentMilitary · 10 years ago

Were Civil War enlisted men allowed to resign their commission after the war?

Please provide a link if you can find one. I know officers were considered gentlemen and allowed to resign their commission- and the north took the Confederates' word that they would not come back and fight. Enlisted men were not considered gentlemen. So were enlisten men allowed to resign their commission or if not what did the north do to them? Thanks in advance for your help :)

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  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Two things: it has nothing to do with being a gentlemen and only officers have commissions.

    While officers were considered 'gentlemen', that has nothing to do with resigning a commission. A commission from a country allows said officer to act in the name of the head of state / Sovereign. A commissioned officer can make decisions effecting public funds, execute military law, give orders of his own, etc. Conversely, a non-commissioned officer (Sergeants) can only give those orders that are directed by a commissioned officer. An NCO does not act in the name of the head-of-state / Sovereign, but rather in the name of his immediate officers in his chain or command. At the end of the Civil War, Confederate officers did not resign their commissions as they had no government anymore that they resigned to.There was no longer a Confederate government in which to accept their resignation. Officers signed statements that they would not take up arms against the Federal Government and were sent on their way.

    Enlisted Soldiers in the Civil War, both junior enlisted and NCOs were not commissioned, and thus could not resign one in the first place. By war's ends, those Soldiers (drafted and volunteers) simply signed a statement, like the one officers signed, that they would not take up arms again and were allowed to go home.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    Huh? i do no longer see what you're using at. The Civil conflict became began and stored on struggling with through fact the North, the Unionists, needed a effectual Federal government (which we defintely have now) together as the South, the Confederalists, needed States rights. The South became prevailing substantial conflict after substantial conflict; England and France seen helping the South by sending ships and protection rigidity. Lee took a substantial gamble and became defeated at Gettysburg, nevertheless the deadlies single conflict in human historic previous with greater effective than 10,000 infantrymen demise/hour. Lincoln desperate at his Gettysburg handle to make the Civil conflict approximately freeing the slaves to income help for his conflict efforts (remember: he became born a Southerner in Kentucky.) yet, you're proper, they could desire to no longer be bringing returned "racism", "slavery", etc. easily everyone in the international had ancestors who have been slaves; easily everyone in the international had ancestors who have been kings, queens, bishops, etc. For all people who worship "political correctness", this is intense time to attempt to get alongside with others.

  • 10 years ago

    enlisted men don't have a commission, but after the war almost all of them were mustered out and sent home

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    No as one can not resign what they don't have.

    At the end of the war most were not given the option of reenlsiting.

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  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Enlisted men have contracts..aka ENLISTMENTs numbnuts...Officer have Officer's COMMISSIONS

  • ?
    Lv 4
    10 years ago

    only officers are commissioned.

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