New Recruit

[riverratmess]

I was doing research on a specific Connecticut soldier who enlisted in Stonington, CT on June 18, 1862. I believe he answered Lincoln's second call for volunteers. He was mustered in at New Haven, CT on June 30, 1862. I always been confused as to the difference between enlist and muster in. When he enlisted, that is where he actually joins the Army? When he was mustered in, does this mean when he was actually placed into a unit?

Now I actually found a reference in another soldier's letter in his unit to him first arriving into his regiment's camp in Fredericksburg, VA on August 16, 1862. My question is what was he doing for the last month? What would a replacement soldier be doing prior to him first joining his unit?

[Remember1864]

Re: New Recruit

That's been my understanding. To "enlist" is step #1. "Mustering in" is the entry into solider life. Sometimes there would be a delay between the two. Kinda like today's modern "DELAYED ENTRY PROGRAM". On other occasions, they happened on the same date.

[bhutton]

Re: New Recruit

My understanding of it comes from some research of early war NY volunteers. Regiments were formed around the Colonel's recruiting for a unit, the prospect would enlist in the unit as a volunteer in the regiment , at a later date that regiment would be formally mustered into the US Army. not sure if this is correct.

[ajroscoe]

Re: New Recruit

Since the volunteer regiments who fought in the war were raised by the several states, the enlistment was the process by which they joined the regiment, formed companies, starting drilling, received gear, ect. Much like the National Guard today, that regiment was "owned" by the state until it was called up for Federal service, at which point it would be mustered in. Case in point, the 24th Michigan was raised from 15 Jul 62 until 15 Aug 62 and was present at Camp Morton (the present day Michigan State Fairgrounds) until it was mustered into Federal Service on 29 Aug 62.