morning yall, We must remember that during the American War of '61-65, a majority of the troops were volunteers who believed that they were serving to defend their homeland. When word would reach units that their families were in dire straits, just as in the War of '75-83, these brave men (boys mostly...) would be torn between their loyalty to their comrades and the needs of their families. Is it any wonder that many troopers slipped away to aid their families only to voluntarily return to their units, many to later pay the ultimate price. Desertion for cowardice is one thing, truly deserving punishment, leaving ones unit is technically desertion but back then it was total war, not as we have now. have a great weekend Bill **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

also we must remember communication was not as we have it today! could have taken ill or got shot and even lost his horse, a number of things could have happen on his way back to camp and no way to inform his unit. I take a reports of desertions questionable. I often wonder how many of us would "desert " under the conditions they had to endure. Ann ----- Original Message ----- From: <Wmdperkins@aol.com> To: <civil-war@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2007 9:30 AM Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Desertion--different definitions for different times > morning yall, > > We must remember that during the American War of '61-65, a majority of the > troops were volunteers who believed that they were serving to defend their > homeland. > > When word would reach units that their families were in dire straits, just > as in the War of '75-83, these brave men (boys mostly...) would be torn > between > their loyalty to their comrades and the needs of their families. > > Is it any wonder that many troopers slipped away to aid their families > only > to voluntarily return to their units, many to later pay the ultimate > price. > > Desertion for cowardice is one thing, truly deserving punishment, leaving > ones unit is technically desertion but back then it was total war, not as > we > have now. > > have a great weekend > > Bill > > > > **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's > hottest > products. > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CIVIL-WAR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

At 09:46 AM 12/1/2007, you wrote: >morning yall, > >We must remember that during the American War of '61-65, a majority of the >troops were volunteers who believed that they were serving to defend their >homeland. > >When word would reach units that their families were in dire straits, just >as in the War of '75-83, these brave men (boys mostly...) would be >torn between > their loyalty to their comrades and the needs of their families. > >Is it any wonder that many troopers slipped away to aid their families only >to voluntarily return to their units, many to later pay the ultimate price. > >Desertion for cowardice is one thing, truly deserving punishment, leaving >ones unit is technically desertion but back then it was total war, not as we >have now. > >have a great weekend > >Bill I think that pretty well sums it up. I apologize to all for creating the impression that I might suggest that all desertions were a matter of cowardice. --Derick