"Civil War historians and genealogists with ties to Alabama will want to own this volume that details the activities of Alabama's units in the Confederacy. Chapters are included for artillery, cavalry and infantry units that are broken down by size: battalions, batteries, companies and regiments, as well as any other special designations such as Militia, State Troops and Volunteers. Entries include (as available) the name of the unit and any nicknames or other alternate designations; a summary of the unit's organizational details: its date and location of organization, mustering into service, the number of companies for battalion organizations, armament for artillery batteries, surrenders, paroles, exchanges and disbandment or mustering out; the first commanding officer and an alphabetical listing of the other field-grade officers; the brigade and higher-level command assignments of the unit; a listing of the battles and campaigns the unit engaged in; and suggested further reading" -- publisher website (February 2008).

This volume is part of a multi-volume work, organized by state. The first nine volumes are devoted to the regional histories of Alabama, Arkansas and Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia. The tenth volume covers the border states of Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri, plus Indian units serving the Confederacy and multi-state units designated as Confederates. The final volume is comprised of tables of brigades and higher commands, including names and ranks of their commanders and dates of their commands.

This volume deals with the conscription system in the Confederacy and the conflicts which it produced between Confederate and State authorities. It was begun with a view to discovering the effect of conscription upon the course of the war and to making available the experiences of the Confederacy, hard pressed always for fighting men, in raising its armies. I have endeavored to tell a true story, as it is revealed by the Official Records, newspapers and other source materials, and by the memories of living men and women. My chief sources of information have been the Official Records of the War and contemporary newspapers; however, I have found the Journals of Congress very useful. The Official Records contain an abundance of reliable information concerning the workings of conscription, especially in the States east of the Mississippi. Were personal records and newspapers more copious, color here and there might be added to the narrative, but it is hoped, and confidently believed, that the essential truths have been discovered and presented. If there was much dereliction among those of conscript age, contrary to prevalent notions North and South, it serves to set in a brighter light the heroism and sacrifices of the masses. If I have succeeded in making available to our leaders the extensive experiments of the Confederacy with conscription and presenting acceptably to the students of history a neglected chapter of our military and constitutional history, I shall consider myself amply compensated for my toils.