United States Volunteers

United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the militia.

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

• The Regular Army, which was the permanent military establishment of the United States in peace and war.
• The Militia of the several 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.^[1]