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 An Appeal to the People of Alabama- 
 
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 EXECUTIVE r>EI»^^IiT]\IEIVT, 
 
 Montgomery, Alabama, Deo. 22tl, 1862. 
 
 In view of tlic anticipated crtoct of tlio Cimscriiit law "lion tlio militiii system of the btate, on 
 the 12th da}- of May last I invited the .nhlc-hodicd men of Alabama, not subject to con.'icription, to 
 form volunteer Companies. That invitation did not receive the attention it merited. , The Legis- 
 lature has adopted no law for the improvement of the militia organization of the State. The 
 impaired condition of that system leaves no means of making the remaining military strength of 
 the State available for its protection and defense except by the formation of volunteer Companies. 
 
 The State is now threatened from several directions. Our unscrupidous foe has collected all 
 his resources for one stupendous ctibrt to subjugate and enslave us. lie can never repeat the effort. 
 lie makes it the crisis of his cause. If foiled in this last desperate struggle, exhausted and dispir- 
 ited he must yield the contest. Our brave pco[ile may congratulate themselves upon the opportu- 
 nity to hasten the achievement of peace and independence, by an exhibition of the fortitude and 
 courage necessary to defeat the enemy in this last great and convulsive effort. Tiie ultimate triumph 
 of our glorious cause is now clearer than it has ever been. There is no reason for despondency. 
 Our people will not shrink in this their iinal trial. The splendid victory at Fredericksburg will 
 be followed by still more decisive results upon other fields. l?y repeated shocks the enemy's vastly 
 accumulated power will Jjc broken. At no distant day we shall enjoy, in the blessings of peace 
 a\id good goveruracnt, a reward for all our sulfering. Alabama must be true to herself and do her 
 dut}' in the emergency. She must be ready to meet and quell the domestic and social disturbances 
 which may spring u\) as the tide of war approaches; to resist hostile raids; to protect her people 
 and their property in any assailed (piarter; to give death to every wanderer from tiie lines of our 
 invading army, and if need bo to increase the strength of the Confederate forces lighting upon our 
 soil in its defense. For the aocomplishmcrt of these objects she looks, and can only look, to the 
 voluntar\' movement of a patriotic people — too brave to suffer their cities and towns to bo sacked, 
 their homes to be desecrated, and their country to be desolated without striking a manl}- blow in 
 their defense. I therefore call again ujiou the men and youths of the State, exempted from the 
 service of the Confederate States by reason of their age or other cause, who are capable of bearing 
 arms, to speedily organize themselves into Companies to eonstitnie a reserved force, subject to ser- 
 vice in this State upon the call of the Executive. The}' will be called into service only when 
 necessity requires it. Their services may never be needed, but it is the part of wisdom and manly 
 courage to be ready. U, is the i>art of l"ol!y and cowardice to wait until the enemy's foot is upon 
 our soil, and his muski-'ts gleam in the hands of brutal soldiers at our doors. Shall I call in vain 
 upon Alabamians to prepare to stand tind tight upon their own soil in its defense? Alabama has 
 given freely of her sons to our country's cause, but her warlike strength is not yet exhausted. 1 
 .send to her people my warning, and I leave it for them to decide whether in the hour of trial, which 
 may be before us, they will be ready with as much of the remaining military strength of the State 
 as may be required. 
 
 People of Alabama! I must appeal to you for your aid to the Covernment in another matter. It 
 is due to the great cause in which we are engaged, it is just to those now bravely enduring the 
 trials and perils of actual war, that all within the ages prescribed by the act of Congress known as 
 
llie Conscript law, should bo in tlio suivicc. A coiisiclerablc uuiuber of persoua in cveiy part of 
 the State, both officers and privates, who belong to the army and are fit for duty, are lingering at 
 home upon various pretext.?, while their more manly and patriotic comrades, with ranks thinned 
 a!id weakened by their absence, bear the shock of an unequal contest. So, too, a hirge number of 
 person.^ suliject to conscription are shrinking from the toils and perils which those ot like age are 
 bravely enduring, and hiding from the enrolling officer, to whom patriotism requires that they 
 should promptly report themselves. Now when the last great struggle of the war is upon us; now 
 when there is an opportunity to share in the closing triumphs of tliis great contest ; now when our 
 soldiers in tlie liehi, standing with fearless resolution amid suilerings and dangers, which would 
 appall men less noble and brave, call upon those of like age with themselves for aid and relief ; 
 now when every strong right arm is needed to strike the quick and eflectivc blows which are to 
 give us peace, it is a shame and an iniquity that those two classes of persons should successfully 
 evade the service they owe to their country. Every community owes it to its own reputation and 
 to the country, to give no shelter to those wiio belong to the two classes above described, and to 
 drive then), by the withering punishment of public scorn, to their proper places. 1 call upon all 
 the officer.'!, civil and military of the State, and upon all good and patriotic citizens, to give all their 
 influence, personal or official, to constrain those persons into tiie path of duty and patriotism : and 
 I especially invoke them to give their aid to the proper ofRcersin arresting and coercing those who 
 yield to no gentler means. It ma)- be a disagreeable task, but the evil is great and ruinous to our 
 country's cause, and it is the part of the patriot now to shrink from no task, however disagreeable 
 or dangerous it ma}- be, when the country calls. It is the pride of Alabama that her soldiers never 
 falter upon the battlc-lield. Let us hope that none will be permitted to hide under cover of home 
 from their appropriate duty. 
 
 I subjoin directions to guide in the formation of Companies under this proclamation : 
 
 1. Each Company must consist of not less than forty Privates, four Corporals, four Sergeants, 
 two Lieutenants, and a Captain. When the number of Privates in a Company exceeds sixty, it 
 shall be entitled to another Lieutenant. The Captain and Lieutenants will be elected by the Com- 
 pany, and the non-commissioned officers will be appointed by the Captain. 
 
 2. As soon as the requisite number of men have been enrolled, and the Contpau}- officers have 
 been appointed, the Captain will make out the muster roll, showing the name, age and rank of 
 every member of the Company, accompanied by the oertiQcate of the commanding officer to the 
 correctness of the roll. These muster rolls will be at once forwarded to Gen. 11. P. Watson, Adju- 
 tant General of Alabama Militia, when the Company will be at once accepted into the service of 
 the State. 
 
 3. The Companies thus formed will be subject tu the order of the Governor, but will not be 
 called into actual service, ('xeopt in cases of urgent necessity, and then they will be employed only 
 for pur[)0scs of local and State defense. 
 
 4. Each Company will provide its own arihs as far as possible, anil the deficiency will be 
 supplied by the State, when the Compau}- is called into actual service. Captains of Companies 
 will be authorized to purchase all the powder and lead which can be procured in their respective 
 neigliborhoods, and upon properly certilied vouchers the State will [lay for the same, which will be 
 retained for Company use, to be accounlcd for by Company commamlei's. It is earnestly hopcil that 
 every man in tlie State who has in his possession either arms or munitions »vhich he is not able to 
 use in the public service, will place them at the disposal of his neighbors who attach themselves to 
 this organization. 
 
 5. It is not intended that this organization shall interfere with the business pursuits of the 
 people, as the companies will only be called into service in cases of actual necessity ; but for the 
 purpose of acquiring some proficiency in drill, I request that in all our cities and large towns the 
 business hours ma}' be closed at 8 o'clock P. M., that the balance of the day ma}' be devoted to 
 drilling; and that companies organized in the country will drill as often as practicable, not to inter- 
 fere too seriously with their industrial pursuits. Even should this arrangement occasion some 
 inconvenience, the public safety requires it, and no good citizen will hesitate to adopt it. 
 
G. All companies reiiortcd under tliiri procliunation will bo enrolled as part of the State 
 Guard. When called into service, they will be paid and subsisted by the State as other troops. 
 Should it be thought necessary, the companies will be united into battalions and regiments, and in 
 that event, the field officers will be appointed by the Governor. 
 
 7. AH companies desiring to do so, may, by complying with its provisions, be regarded as an 
 organization under the act of Congress of 18tli October, 1802, a copy of which is appended to this 
 proclamation. Companies desiring to be so organized should report to me. 
 
 In TEbTi.MONY Whereof, I, John Gill Shorter, Governor of the 
 State of Alabama, have hereunto set my hand, and caused 
 the Great Seal oT the Stateto be affixed, this the 22d day of 
 December, A. I). 1862, and of the Confederate States the 
 second year. 
 
 JOHN GILL SHORTER, 
 
 Governor of Alabama. 
 
 By the Governor : 
 
 P. 11. BRITTAiV, 
 
 Secrclari/ of State. 
 
 To authorize the formation of \'oluntccr Companies for Local Defense. 
 
 TIk: Co)if/rc.ss v/ t/'C Confederate Slates do ciiaet, That for the purpose of local defense in any por- 
 tion of the Confederate States, any number of persons, not less than twenty, who are over tlie age 
 of forty-iive years, or olliorwiso not liable to military duty, may associate themselves as a military 
 company, elect their own olliccrs and establish rules and regulations for their own government, and 
 shall be considered as belonging tij) the Provisional Army ot the Confederate States, serving without 
 pay or allowances, and entitled, when captured by the enemy, to all the privileges of prisoners of 
 war: Provided, That such company sliali, as soon as practicable, transmit their muster roll or a list 
 of the names of the officers and privates to the (rovernor of the State, the commanding General of 
 the department, or any Brigadier General in the State or Confederate service, to be forwarded to 
 the Secretary of War, but the ['resident or the commander of the Militar\- District may, at any 
 time, disband such companies: Proeidcd, That in the States and Districts in which the acts entitled 
 "an act to provide for the public defense," approved April 10th, 1862, and the acts amendatory 
 thereof, have been suspended, persons of an\- age, resident within such States of Districts, may 
 volunteer and form such companies so long as such suspension niay continue : Provided, hoirever, 
 That no person shall become a member of said company until he shall have lirst taken the oath of 
 allegiance to the Confederate States of Aiiierica in writing, a cojiy of which shall bo filed with the 
 muster roll of said compau}- as above prescribed. 
 
 Approved October 10, 1862. 
 
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