Vance's Proclamation Against Deserters, Weekly Raleigh Record, May 20, 1863

Date Uploaded: 06/14/2024

Vance's Proclamation Against Deserters, Weekly Raleigh Record, May 20, 1863

As the second year of the Civil War drew to a close, the Confederate army was hamstrung by desertion from its ranks. While North Carolina had supplied more troops than any other state in the Confederacy, its soldiers were deserting at an elevated rate. According to some estimates, more than 23,000 North Carolinians -- 20 percent of all who enlisted -- eventually deserted.

In May of 1863, just over a year after the Conscription Act, Governor Zebulon Vance, issued this proclamation regarding desertion. He called upon the people of North Carolina to capture or shoot deserters, and he recommended that anyone who aided or helped deserters should also be punished. This version of Vance's proclamation was published in the Weekly Raleigh Register on Wednesday, May 20, 1863.

Public Domain

"By the Governor of North Carolina, A Proclamation." The Weekly Raleigh Record, May 20, 1863.

Public Domain

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Citation

"By the Governor of North Carolina, A Proclamation." The Weekly Raleigh Record, May 20, 1863.