Several ethnic units, including Company K of the 1st Virginia Regiment
(a German unit known as the the Virginia Rifles), disbanded in the field
in 1862, ostensibly because the Confederate Congress declared that
non-domiciled aliens didn't have to fight.  There was controversy over
this interpretation, however, and some of the officers were arrested as
deserters.  I believe that they were soon released and some then served
in home guard units.  If you look at the Compiled Service Records of
many Germans from Richmond you will find affidavits and documents
attesting that the soldier is only temporarily living here, owns no
property, etc.--i.e. is "non-domiciled."  Some Irish men got similar
documents from British officials.

For instance, Bernhard Bergmeyer of the Virginia Rifles asserted his
non-domiciled status by swearing under oath that he "is a native of
Prussia and came to America about five and a half years ago, to visit
the Country, and seek employment."  Bergmeyer claimed he intended to
return to "his Native Country," and had never "voted, has no property,
never took any steps towards being naturalized, or in any manner
attempted to exercise the rights of citizenship in this Country, and has
never reenlisted or received Bounty."  The Consul of the Free City of
Bremen in Richmond supported Bergmeyer's affidavit stating that
Bergmeyer "has never taken the oath of Allegiance to the United States
of America or the Confederate States of America or to any other foreign
nation."   

Gregg Kimball

Gregg D. Kimball
Director of Publications
  and Educational Services
Library of Virginia
804/692-3722
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-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Cabell [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 1:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Service in the Civil War


We have just returned from a short vacation in upstate NY, and read an
article about some NY regiment whose enlistments ran out so the whole
regiment returned and never went back to fight again.

Did anything like this total unit muster-out happen in the South,
particularly Virginia?  I have seen at least one instance of somebody
being 'honorably discharged' after the battle of Fredericksburg, but no
reason was given.  My impression has been that whatever term one signed
up for in the Confederacy, the term ended up being the entire war.

Randy Cabell

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