United States Volunteers

United States Volunteers (also called U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, among other variations) were military volunteers called upon during wartime to help the United States Army. They were separate from the Regular Army and the militia.

Until the Militia Act of 1903, the land forces of the United States were divided into three organizations:

• The Regular Army, which was the permanent military establishment of the United States in peace and war.
• The militia of states and territories, when called into the service of the United States.
• Volunteer forces that the Congress of the United States authorized to be organized for a limited time period as an adjunct to the Regular Army in time of emergencies.