[WhiskeyPapa]

Twenty seven of the captured Union troops were reportedly deserters from the Confederate Army. They were tried by court-marshal and 22 of them were subsequently hung.

I wonder if they were "galvanized", forced to enlist in the so-called CSA forces or face being hung.

You say reportedly. Reported by whom?

Walt

[rustbucket]

I wonder if they were "galvanized", forced to enlist in the so-called CSA forces or face being hung.

You say reportedly. Reported by whom?

The numbers of deserters came from a 1996 talk at an East Carolina University Civil War Symposium by Dr. Doanald E. Collins. Dr. Collins is apparently writing a two-volume book on the Eastern North Carolina Union vets. The text of the talk is given at: Carolinians in the Union Army

In a quick scan of the talk I didn't see reference to these people being forced to joint CSA units. The author does mention that there may have been a bit of rich man / poor man rivalry at work here and that some of these poor Carolina farmers that joined the Federal units may have hoped to appropriate some of the rich slave owners' property. The author also mentions that some joined these Federal units after Gettysburg and the downturn in Southern fortunes. Perhaps these were the ones who deserted the Confederate Army.