How many men deserted in the civil war?

Answer 1

They tried to count them, but they gave up!

In the Union army, there were the Bounty-jumpers - the bad Northern draft system effectively encouraged this.

The Confederates suffered endless desertions, partly because the poor white trash were naturally lawless people. But in the second half of the war, the Confederates were largely barefoot and starving. And Lee's army in Virginia included many regiments raised in Georgia. When these men heard about Sherman's March to the Sea, they felt they were needed at home, and they deserted, virtually 'en bloc'.