Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

by James M. McPherson

Hiring a substitute was the most controversial form of exemption. Rich men could buy their way out of the army whether or not their skills were needed at home. This gave rise to a bitter saying: “A rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.” Some poor men, however, might become rich—if they survived—by selling themselves as substitutes. [Page 432] “Substitute brokers” established a thriving business. Many substitutes deserted as soon as they could, and sold themselves again—and again, and again. One man in Richmond was said to have sold himself thirty times. The price of substitutes rose by late 1863 to as high as $6,000 (the equivalent of $300 in gold, or three years’ wages for a skilled workingman). The abuses of substitution became so obnoxious that Congress abolished the privilege in December 1863.