Desertion

The Revolutionary War

Desertion was rampant among American forces during the Revolutionary War. In particular, members of state militias deserted in high numbers, usually during planting and harvesting seasons when their families needed them to keep the farm going. Members of the Continental Army also deserted quite regularly, although their desertion rates were more often tied to service conditions. Desertions were particularly high after major defeats.

Regulars also disappeared in great numbers when the government failed to provide promised supplies or payments. State enlistment bounties complicated the system, as thousands of soldiers deserted their units only to reenlist and gain a new bounty payment. Each winter, the Continental Army was decimated by desertions, forcing Gen. George Washington to raise and train an almost entirely new army each campaign season.

One of the major reasons for the desertion of American troops at this time was concern for survival. Thousands of Americans taken prisoner by the British deserted while held in prisoner of war camps and in prison hulks; many of these deserters later reported that they feared death by starvation or disease if they did not agree to desert their service and join the British. The desertion problem was not limited to the United States, however; British regulars and German mercenaries deserted in high numbers as well, often with the assistance of American civilians. Like their American counterparts, one of the most common locations from which British and German soldiers deserted was the prisoner of war camp.

The Early 19th Century

In War of 1812, desertion rates and causes remained similar to those experienced during the Revolution. Desertion rates for American troops were especially high among those serving in the Great Lakes region, where U.S. forces suffered a number of setbacks and discipline was often lax. As in the Revolutionary War, prison camps proved to be fertile recruiting grounds for enemy commanders seeking to induce prisoners to desert. Immediately after the war ended, a large number of postwar desertions were recorded, as many troops considered their service to be over and did not wait for their formal dismissal from service.

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