 This earliest form of conscription involved selective drafts of militiamen for service in particular campaigns.Following this system in its essentials, the Continental Congress in 1778 recommended that the states draft men from their militias for one year's service in the Continental army; this first national conscription was irregularly applied and failed to fill the Continental ranks.For long-term operations, conscription was occasionally used when volunteers or paid substitutes were insufficient to raise the needed manpower.