Invited talk given to the Danke club of Erie PA

1. Die Deutschen im
amerikanischen Bürgerkriege
Stephen T. Frezza
Electrical & Computer Engr
Gannon University
frezza@gannon.edu
DAN
Gannon

2. Sezessionskrieg 1861-1865
The Story of Germans in
The War...
The Story of The War
– 216,000 German-born
Union Soldiers
– Nearly every Union Army
Corps
– Every Major Campaign &
Battle
Pvt. Alexander Zang, c. 1862
DAN
Gannon

3. German Americans in ACW
• Most marked events in the history of
German-Americans
• Loyal to the Union
• Virtually no German...
– promoters of succession
– slaveholders
• Provided significantly more volunteers than
other ethnic groups
– double the rate of other groups
DAN
Gannon

4. An Overlooked History
• Few sources available
• Most inaccessible to modern historians
Central Text:
• Kaufmann, Wilhelm, “Die Deutschen im Amerikanischen
Bürgerkriege,” Verlag R. Oldenbourg, München, 1911
• Kaufmann, Wilhelm, “The Germans in the American Civil
War,” translated by S. Rowan, John Kallman Publishers,
Carlisle PA, 1999
DAN
Gannon

5. German-Born Americans
10% of Union Army:
– 2,150,000 Union Soldiers (White)
– 216,000 German-born (vs. 144,000 Irish)
~ 300,000 American-born
~ 250,000 ‘Old Germans’
High volunteer rate:
Northern population of 1.6 million (1860-64)
~ 72,000 in rebellious states
DAN
Gannon

6. German Enlistees
• Considered / emigrated from
then-nations of:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
DAN
Denmark
Austria
Switzerland
Belgium
Luxembourg
Alsace
Holland
Canada
Pvt. Conrad Holtzhaur
Co A 2nd MI Inf
DOW Malvern Hill
Gannon

7. 14%
20%
9.2%
8.4%
6.5%
7.7%
6.3%
11%
36%
6.2%
12%
6.2%
Where they Enlisted
DAN
Gannon

8. German Regiments
• 36,000 of 216,000
• New York:
7th Infantry
8th Infantry
20th Infantry
29th Infantry
41st Infantry
45th Infantry
46th Infantry
52nd Infantry
54th Infantry
103rd Infantry
DAN
9.2%
Gannon

9. German Regiments
• Pennsylvania:
–
–
–
–
6.3%
–
–
–
–
–
27th Infantry
73rd Infantry
74th Infantry
75th Infantry
• New Jersey
12%
– 3rd Cavalry
– A, 1st NJ Light
Artillery
DAN
• Ohio
9th (Turner) Infantry
28th Infantry
37th Infantry
107th Infantry
3rd OH Cavalry
• Wisconsin
– 9th Infantry
– 26th Infantry
Gannon
7.7%
20%

10. German Regiments
• Missouri:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
DAN
• Illinois
1st Infantry
36%
2nd Infantry
3rd Infantry
4th Infantry
5th Infantry
12th Infantry
15th Infantry (Swiss)
17th Infantry
(Turner)
–
–
–
–
–
43rd Infantry
82nd Infantry
37th Ohio
107th Ohio
3rd OH Cavalry
• Indiana
Gannon
– 32nd Infantry
8.4%
4.6%

11. Half-German Regiments
• New York: 39th, 58th, 68th, 119th
• Pennsylvania: 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 48th,
50th, 51st, 56th, 65th, 79th, 88th, 96th, 98th
• Ohio: 7th, 47th, 58th, 74th, 106th, 108th, 165th
• Missouri: 1st,39th, 40th, 41st, 4th Cav
• Illinois: 9th, 24th, 36th, 44th, 45th, 57th, 58th, 13th Cav, 16th
Cav
DAN
Gannon

12. Half-German Regiments
• Indiana: 24th, 136th
• Minnesota: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th,
• Texas: 1st (Loyal)
• Kansas: 1st, 2nd
• Nebraska: 1st Cav
• Kentucky: 5th, 6th, 2nd Cav
• Maryland: 5th
DAN
Gannon

13. Why they enlisted
• Strongly influenced by the ideals of the
1848 revolution
Union
• Value and importance of Republican
Ideals
Slavery
“All für Lincoln und Sie Freiheit”
• Freedom
DAN
Gannon

14. German Support
• Frankfurt great market for Union
Bonds
– Small savers, not speculators
– Bismark, Moltke & King Wilhelm: all
decisive opponents of succession
• Organized American Communities
– Leaders like Lieber, Stallo, Schurz
– Forthy-Eighters - once united
DAN
Gannon

15. Camp Jackson
1st Bull Run
Wilson’s Creek
Pea Ridge
Franz Sigel
The War - 1861
DAN
Gannon

16. Early Blows
• May: Saving St. Louis
–
–
German Loyalist rush to flag
Armory Held, Camp Jackson taken
• July: 1st Bull Run
– Blenker’s German Division
• held in reserve
• mistaken For U.S. Regulars
• Wilson’s Creek
• Pea Ridge
DAN
Gannon
Louis Blenker

17. South-West Texas:
Little Germany
• 1/5 of all whites - over 22,000 German-born
• Pro-Union, anti-slave, German-speaking
communities
• February - Twiggs surrenders, Commanches attack
• August - Banishment Law, Law of Confiscation
– Moved, or Pro-Union property confiscated
Four years of Murder, Man-hunts, Imprisonments,
Lynching
DAN
Gannon

18. Antietam
Bull Run
Cross Keys
Fredricksburg
Seven Days
Henry & Donelson
August Willich
Stones River
Shiloh
Corinth
The War - 1862
DAN
Gannon

19. Year of Dissapointments
•
•
•
•
•
•
West
Henry & Donelson
Shiloh
1st Corinth
Perryville
2nd Corinth
Stones River
•
•
•
•
•
Conrad Holtzhaur
Killed at Malvern Hill
DAN
Gannon
East
Cross Keys/ Port
Republic
Seven Days
Antietam
Mud March
Fredricksburg

20. Gettysburg
Peter Osterhaus
Chancellorsville
Chattanooga
Chickamauga
Vicksburg
The War - 1863
DAN
Gannon

21. The Turning Point
West
•
•
•
•
East
Vicksburg
Tullahoma
Chickamauga
Chattanooga
•
•
•
•
Carl Schurz
DAN
Gannon
Chancellorsville
Brandy Station
Gettysburg
Mine Run

22. Wilderness
Spottsylvania
Petersburg
Nashville
Kennesaw
March to the Sea
Atlanta
The War - 1864
DAN
Gannon

23. The Long Year
West
East
•
•
•
•
Reseca
Kennesaw Mountain
Atlanta
March to the Sea
•
•
Franklin
Nashville
DAN
Gannon
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wilderness
Spottsylvania
Cold Harbor
Monocacy
Petersburg
Valley Campaign

24. The End
South
East
• Goldsboro
• Bentonville
DAN
•
•
•
Gannon
Petersburg
Saylors Creek
Appomatox

25. Summary
• Germans
–
–
–
–
DAN
Played a significant role
Helped train the Union Army
Received little recognition
Suffered for their Union Sentiments
Gannon