What were the dates in which Union conscription for the civil war took place?
March 1863 — The First Conscription Act. Because of recruiting difficulties, an act was passed making all men between the ages of 20 and 45 liable to be called for military service. Service could be avoided by paying a fee or finding a substitute. The act was seen as unfair to the poor, and riots in working-class sections of New York City broke out in protest. A similar conscription act in the South provoked a similar reaction. On July 11, 1863 the first 1,236 names were drawn from a wheel to determine who would be drafted into the army. The next day as the casualty list from Gettysburg was being posted, the names of these draftees were listed in morning papers and posted around the city. It did not take long for chaos to ensue. On Monday, July 13, the draft office at Third and Forty-sixth was set fire by a mob of angry draftees. “Instead of putting out the fire, a fire brigade, angry that their jobs no longer entitled them to an official exemption [from the draft], joined the mob” (D
