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History of the Provisional Army of the Confederate States
History of the Provisional Army of the Confederate States
On February 28 of 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress met in Montgomery, Alabama to discuss the creation of an army in the event of war. This discussion arose due to the reluctance of several Federal garrisons in southern territory to capitulate. [2] The Provisional Confederate Congress and Jefferson Davis, who at the time was the provisional president of the Confederacy, saw this as an act of war. It was this factor that led to the creation of a military organization that would be responsible to conduct land based operations during a time of war. On February 28, The Provisional Army of the Confederate States (PACS) was created.
The Purpose of PACS was to be an organization of volunteers and conscripts for land-based military operations during a time of war. This force was raised for the foreseeable future and would be disbanded at the war’s end. All troops were exclusively raised and equipped by the seceding southern states themselves but would be under the command of the commander in chief and the war department. The Provisional Confederate Constitution, adopted in February of 1861 by the Provisional Confederate Congress, specified that the president would be given the ability to raise an army for a time of war. [4] PACS was an organized military body that was under the command of the President who could call upon such a force during a time of war and would be disbanded at its end.
On March 6th 1861, President Jefferson Davis called for 100,000 volunteers to be raised by the seceding southern states at the time to provide the manpower necessary for an organized war effort. These troops were bound to a 12 month contract and would be organized into the Provisional Army of the Confederate States. [1] Uniforms were designated by the Confederate Government to be cadet gray, however, uniforms were generally designated by each state's own battalions and regiments. This policy was adopted due to the difficulties of equipping troops with uniforms and weapons. Creating an army that was structured in this manner in regard to the states equipping the troops and the national government commanding them was the optimal choice.
The Provisional Army was a completely different organization than the regular Confederate army. The regular army was organized on March 6th 1861, when Jefferson Davis recognized that there would be a need for a regular army to be in place should the war come to an end. He initially requested 3,000 men to be mustered into the regular army. The size would be raised to 15,000 later in the war, however, that number was never achieved and the program never amounted to much in size. [3] PACS would make up the vast majority of all Confederate troops who served in the war.
References
[1] Matloff, Maurice,
Army Historical Series: American Military History, Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army,
Washington D.C. 1969, pp. 185.
[2] McPherson, James Munro. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, New York, 1988, pp. 317–318.
[3] Nofi, Albert,
A Civil War Treasury, Castle Books, New York. 1995,
pp.185.
[4]
The Confederate Soldier in the Civil War,
Fairfax Press, pp. 19.
On February 28 of 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress met in Montgomery, Alabama to discuss the creation of an army in the event of war. This discussion arose due to the reluctance of several Federal garrisons in southern territory to capitulate. [2] The Provisional Confederate Congress and Jefferson Davis, who at the time was the provisional president of the Confederacy, saw this as an act of war. It was this factor that led to the creation of a military organization that would be responsible to conduct land based operations during a time of war. On February 28, The Provisional Army of the Confederate States (PACS) was created.
The Purpose of PACS was to be an organization of volunteers and conscripts for land-based military operations during a time of war. This force was raised for the foreseeable future and would be disbanded at the war’s end. All troops were exclusively raised and equipped by the seceding southern states themselves but would be under the command of the commander in chief and the war department. The Provisional Confederate Constitution, adopted in February of 1861 by the Provisional Confederate Congress, specified that the president would be given the ability to raise an army for a time of war. [4] PACS was an organized military body that was under the command of the President who could call upon such a force during a time of war and would be disbanded at its end.
On March 6th 1861, President Jefferson Davis called for 100,000 volunteers to be raised by the seceding southern states at the time to provide the manpower necessary for an organized war effort. These troops were bound to a 12 month contract and would be organized into the Provisional Army of the Confederate States. [1] Uniforms were designated by the Confederate Government to be cadet gray, however, uniforms were generally designated by each state's own battalions and regiments. This policy was adopted due to the difficulties of equipping troops with uniforms and weapons. Creating an army that was structured in this manner in regard to the states equipping the troops and the national government commanding them was the optimal choice.
The Provisional Army was a completely different organization than the regular Confederate army. The regular army was organized on March 6th 1861, when Jefferson Davis recognized that there would be a need for a regular army to be in place should the war come to an end. He initially requested 3,000 men to be mustered into the regular army. The size would be raised to 15,000 later in the war, however, that number was never achieved and the program never amounted to much in size. [3] PACS would make up the vast majority of all Confederate troops who served in the war.
References
[1] Matloff, Maurice,
Army Historical Series: American Military History, Office of the Chief of
Military History, United States Army, Washington D.C. 1969, pp. 185.
[2] McPherson, James Munro,
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, Oxford Univ.
Press, Oxford, New York, 1988, pp. 317–318.
[3] Nofi, Albert,
A Civil War Treasury, Castle Books, New York. 1995, pp.185.
[4]
The Confederate Soldier in the Civil War,
Fairfax Press, pp. 19.