1. Enrollment as a Substitute: A person could pay someone else to serve as their substitute in the army. This practice was legal and widely adopted, especially by wealthier individuals.
2. Payment of Commutation Fee: The Enrollment Act of 1863 allowed draftees to pay a commutation fee to avoid military service. The fee was set at $300, and it was a significant amount of money at the time.
3. Physical Disability or Medical Exemption: Men who were deemed physically or mentally unfit for military service were exempt from the draft. This exemption could be obtained by providing medical certificates or undergoing a physical examination by a medical board.
4. Membership in Certain Professions or Occupations: Certain occupations and professions were considered essential to the functioning of society, and individuals employed in these fields were often exempted from the draft. This included clergymen, teachers, certain government employees, and workers in industries deemed vital to the war effort.
5. Enlistment in a Different Unit or Branch: Some individuals might have voluntarily enlisted in the Union Army in a different unit or branch, such as the Navy, before they were drafted. This could be a way to gain some choice in their military service.
6. Claims of Dependency or Hardship: Draftees could claim that they were the sole support of dependent family members or that their absence from home would cause undue hardship. These claims were sometimes considered by draft boards and could lead to exemptions.
7. Disqualification Criteria: There were certain conditions that disqualified a person from being drafted, such as being a non-citizen or having a criminal record. These individuals would not be eligible for the draft.
8. Fleeing or evading the draft: Some people resorted to fleeing or evading the draft altogether, either by leaving their homes or hiding to avoid being captured by draft officials.
It's important to note that the methods of avoiding the draft could vary based on the time period and location during the Civil War, as well as the specific regulations and policies of the Union Army.