I had to do some digging on Alabama's role in the war. Alabama had around 127,000 military age white men. Between 90,000* and 136,000# served in the Confederate army, and some 2,000-2,700 in the Union army (all willing volunteers, obviously). Some 10,000 Alabama black men served in the Union army as well, but given the coercive techniques of Union recruiters, how willing these men were is subject of debate.
Desertion started almost immediately after conscription (April 1862). The Confederates conscripted all white men between 18 and 35 (eventually 17 and 50). According to historian
Ella Lonn, of the approximately 103,400 enlisted men who deserted the Confederacy by war's end, although I think this number of a gross underestimate.
The relationship between deserters and criminal gangs is illustrated by this excerpt from a
book on Alabama.
Conecuh was the only south Alabama county to oppose immediate unilateral secession in 1861.
Sam Watkins of the 1st Tennessee Infantry described the reaction to the conscription act this way:
Interestingly, despite his cursing, Watkins served until April of 1865.
But the desertion problem started in earnest shortly after the passage of the conscription act.
* Governor Parson's Inaugural Address 1865, Walter Fleming,
Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama, p. 251
#
American Civil War Research Database which has compiled Alabama unit rosters.