In the context of the Civil War drafts for the Union and Confederate armies, the group that would be exempt from both drafts would be African American men.
Here’s a brief overview regarding the other categories:
- Immigrant men who had filed for citizenship: Generally would not be exempt, as they were often required to serve once they became citizens.
- Wealthy men: In both the Union and Confederate drafts, wealthy individuals could often pay for exemptions or hire substitutes, so they were not strictly exempt.
- Married men: There were some exemptions in the drafts for married men, but this varied by specific regulations and often changed over time.
Thus, African Americans were not subject to the draft in either army during the early years of the war.
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