Alan,

I think the high desertion rate was a result of the nature of the units. Many of the men in the 1st and 2nd Florida (U.S.) were fiercely independent. Some had spent the war refusing to serve in the Confederate forces and others had already deserted from the Southern service.

Many signed because the Union forces were offering enlistment bonuses and quite a few deserted within days or weeks of joining.

Others, like the members of William Strickland's band from Taylor County, Florida, wanted more than anything just to be left alone by both sides. They joined the Union forces to retaliate against the Confederates for harsh measures against them after they deserted from the Southern side.

Dale