Talk:Confederate Conscription Acts 1862–1864

Assessment Comments

You've obviously put a lot of work into this; my aim is to ensure others benefit from that effort, so my comments are designed to improve the user experience :).

• Added Infobox (not right, but...)
• Lead is hard to follow; maybe shorten, split into segments. The point (I think) is its not just about the legislation but the stresses it revealed within the Confederacy - which is a great point, but hard to decipher. That applies elsewhere in the article.
• Less is more; words (like e-mail) cost. As an example of what I mean;

eg The original proposition for a Confederate draft came from Robert E. Lee. With approval of President Jefferson Davis, Lee detailed Captain Charles Marshall of his staff to draw up the text for a proposed conscription act. President Davis thought a draft was the only available solution to the Confederate military manpower crisis. Compulsory military recruitment would also ensure that the burden of defending the South fell on all citizens, not just the most patriotic members of society. But not all Confederate congressmen agreed with the president. Texas senator William Simpson Oldham, claimed that draft would call in question the courage and individualism of the Southern people, while threatening the Southern society with military centralization and despotism of European proportions. Yet, military necessity made the act easily pass both houses, and it became law on April 16, 1862.

• Rewrite

Designed to address the Confederate manpower crisis, the first proposal was drawn up by Charles Marshall, a member of Robert E. Lee's staff. It was supported by Jefferson Davis, who saw it as a way to ensure the burden of the war was shared by all citizens. Others including Texas senator William Simpson Oldham, claimed it questioned the courage of the Southern people, and opposed it as an act of despotism. However, military necessity meant the Act easily passed both houses, and became law on April 16, 1862.

• Maybe worth explaining why there was a manpower crisis (two lines)

• As above, too many sentences beginning with 'But' or 'Yet' (sorry, its one reason I've never been able to read Robert Ludlum :)).

Robinvp11 (talk) 16:44, 26 March 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for the time and effort spent commenting on the text. I appreciate it as valuable feedback which I will take into consideration and try to apply in the future; unlike the summary ratings which do not give the writer any real guidance. Creuzbourg (talk) 07:28, 5 April 2020 (UTC)

Follow on

You changed McPherson, James M. (1990) to McPherson, James M (1988). (2003 ed.). How do you know its the same pagination? Creuzbourg (talk) 14:19, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

I've got a copy of it. Robinvp11 (talk) 17:50, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

Why the advert for Amazon? Creuzbourg (talk) 18:51, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

You are more than welcome to remove any and every edit I've made; please don't feel obliged to explain them to me. Robinvp11 (talk) 15:36, 4 April 2020 (UTC)