American Civil War Desertion, Desertions, and Deserters: Homepage
"Execution of a Civil War Deserter"
(The Soldier in Our Civil War , 1893)
Civil
War: Deserter, Desertion and AWOL
One of the basic rules in studying history is to “define the terms.” In today's military,
for example, we interchange "AWOL" (absent without leave) and "desertion," thus making them one and the same. During
the Civil War, that was not the case. One error that many buffs and researchers make is that they
equate AWOL with desertion. During the Civil War: 1) Absent without leave (AWOL) simply meant that the soldier was not on
leave but was absent from the unit’s specific muster location. In other words, the soldier was “absent”
for a reason other than “leave.” He may have been on recruiting duty, foraging orders, detached duty (assignment),
sick at home, rounding up deserters, in the hospital, at headquarters, etc. 2) On the other hand, when the soldier deserted
or abandoned his unit, the records were very specific and reflected “deserted,” and not AWOL. (However, if the soldier was AWOL beyond the allotted time, then
he was likely pronounced a "deserter.")
Recommended Viewing: The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns. Review:The
Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns is the most successful public-television miniseries in American history. The 11-hourCivil War didn't just captivate a nation,
reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When
people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters
and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with
still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era
he depicts. Continued below...
The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew
only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller,
and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the
words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained
photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. "Hailed
as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling." "[S]hould be a requirement for every
student."
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