Wrong.
Pg 13 - Conscription and Conflict in the Confederacy by Professor Albert Burton Moore, PhD, Professor of History at Alabama University. Pub by MacMillan Company. b At this juncture the Confederate Congress proved its mettle. In spite of the theory of the indepnedence and sovereignty of the States- thus far had unforseen exignecies driven it-- it passed by a vote of more than two to one [Journal of the Confederate Congress, II, 154, V, 228] an act (April 16th) declaring every able-bodied white man between the ages of 18 and 35 to be subject to the military service of the Confederate States. Thus it was for the national legislature in a governmental system, the very woof and filling of whose texture was the principle of State sovereignty and independence, to exploit and explain the extent of the power of general governments to raise and support armies.
President Davis urged conscription upon Congress for several reasons [message to Congress, March 28, 1863] First, he thought it was imperative as a means of retrieving the mistake of short enlistments. [Appleton's Annual Cyclopadia, 1862, 243-4] Second, it was necessary to have uniformity and regularity in the military system; a well balanced and sympathetically coordinated military machine could not be created by the independent action of twelve governments. He had early become an exponent of a simple and uniform military system with a centralized control, and he urged with fervor upon Congress from the beginning of 1862. Third, he thought the act was necessary to secure an equal distribution of the burdens of war. Without it the ardent and patriotic would pay more than their debt of military service.
The conscription act was passed about one month before the expiration of the term of enlistment of 148 regiments of the twelve-months' men. All white men within the age limits at the time the President should call for them were declared to be in the military service of the Confederate States for three years, unless they were entitle to exemption. Likewise those persons fo conscript age who were already in the army were to be continued in the service for three years from the date of their original enlistment, unless the war should end sooner. The Twelve-months men, especially affefcted by this act, were given the priviledge to reoganize themselves and elect their officers. The furlough and bounty act of the preceding December was retained for their benefit, and if they preferred not to use the furlough they might recieve in lieu of it the commutation value in money of the transportation charge. Thirty days of grace were allowed in which companies, squadrons and battalions might be raised by the volunteer method, with the priviledge of electing their officers. This gave those of conscript age an opportunity to avoid the odium of being forced into service. The privilege of volunteering inot units already in the field was allowed, provided one volunteered before he was enrolled.
The President was given power, with the consent of the governors of the various states, to employ the State officers for the enrollment of conscripts, but in any State where the State officers were not available he was authorized to use Confederate officers. The actual procedure in enrollment was left to the discretion of the Secretary of War. When enrolled, conscripts were to be assigned by him to those companies already in the service from their respective states until each company was filled with the maximum number. In case any state did not have enough units in the field to absorb its conscripts the excess was to be held in reserve, and the depleted ranks of companies in the field from that state were to be replenished by lot at intervals of three months. The reserves were allowed to remain home pending their call by the President.