Immigrants in the Civil War
European Immigrants in the Union Army
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European immigrants joined the
Union Army in large numbers.
The German- and IrishAmericans constituted the
majority of foreign-born Unionist
support
Over 6,000 German immigrants
living in New York joined the
Union Army
Another 4,000 Germans in
Pennsylvania also joined the
Union forces
500,000 Unionist soldiers (1/4 of
the entire Union Army!) were
born in Europe
European Immigrants in the Union Army (cont.)
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Over 400,000 European immigrants
served in the Union Army: 216 German
soldiers, 170,000 Irish soldiers, 4,000
Swedish soldiers
At Chickamauga, the Scandinavian
Regimen lost 63% of its forces.
“President Abraham Lincoln's call for
volunteers evoked a sense of patriotism
to the Union that was fanned by Irish
newspapers and political and religious
leaders.”
The French population showed
powerful support for the Unionists. The
Lafayette Guards, an entirely French
force, led by Colonel Regis de
Trobriand, strongly supported the
Unionist cause.
European Immigrants in the Confederate Army
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Although the Confederate Army did
receive some foreign-born support, the
immigrant’s support for the Union army
was far stronger
40,000 Irish immigrants served as
soldiers in the Confederate Army
23.4% of all Union soldiers were
German-Americans; about 216,000
were born in Germany
“German-American units in general
earned a reputation for discipline and
ruthlessness. Many of the Germans who
fought for the Union during the Civil
War had been professional soldiers
back in Germany, and came to America
because that was where the action was.
The American Civil War offered these
professionals a new venue to prove
themselves in.”
Social Impact of Immigrant Enlistment
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Despite the valiant fighting of the
Irish-Americans in the Civil War,
many returned the post-war America
facing the same strong anti-Catholic
racism that was so prevalent
antebellum
Because the Irish-Americans were the
most politically involved of all the
immigrants groups, soldiers were
able to understand and take action
against the same “injustices” as
American born soldiers
Irish-Americans overcame strong
racial prejudices in order to share the
Unionist soldier’s sense of
nationalism
The Irish-Americans
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The Irish-Americans are perhaps
the most well remembered out of
all the immigrant groups for their
patriotic support of the Unionist
cause
“They went into battle with an
emerald green flag with a large
golden harp in its center,
celebrating their heritage even in
the midst of death.”
Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher is
the most noted Irish-American
hero of the Civil War; he was an
Irish revolutionary fighting for
the Unionist cause and bravely
led the “Irish 69th” into combat at
the Battle of Bull Run
The “Irish Brigade”
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The “Irish Brigade” was a famous
militia group that supported the
Unionist cause
The Brigade fought in the first
significant, military engagement of
the Civil War: the Battle of Bull Run
“The remarkable precision of its
evolutions under fire ; its desperate
attack on the impregnable wall at
Marye's Heights; its never failing
promptness on every field; and its
long continuous service, made for it a
name inseparable from the history of
the war.”
The 69th New York State militia (“Irish
Brigade”) fights valiantly for the
ostensibly defeated Unionists
The 69th Irish Brigade
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The 69th Irish Brigade fought in the
following battles of the Civil War:
Battle of Bull Run,
Peninsula Campaign, Fair Oaks,
Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill,
Malvern Hill, Antietam,
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Appomattox
The Irish Brigade at the battle of Antietam
(flying their flag alongside the American
flag!)
Members of the 69th Irish Brigade
Esoteric Zinn Question (EZQ)
• “How could these new
Irish immigrants,
themselves poor and
despised, become
sympathizers with the
black slave, who was
becoming more and more
the center of attention, the
subject of agitation in the
country?” – Howard Zinn
A possible reason for Irish Allegiance to the
Union…
• “In the beginning of the
[Civil War], many Irish
favored the South as they
saw the North attempting
to act much as the English
had in their native land of
Ireland. However, when
Britain began considering
support of the
Confederacy, many Irish
threw their lot in with the
North. ”
"They came as
immigrants &
fought to defend the
spirit of their
adopted country...
as true patriots."
Works Cited
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivilwarE.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-Americans_in_the_Civil_War
http://www.civilwarhome.com/irish.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Brigade_(US)
A People’s History of the United States
http://www.civilwarhome.com/irishbri.htm
Five (5) Questions
1. Which ethnic group is renowned for their steadfast loyalty to
the Unionist cause?
2. Which side (Union/Confederate) received more support
from European immigrants?
3. How were Irish-Americans treated when they returned from
their service in the Civil War?
4. Besides the Irish-Americans, name two (2) other European
immigrant groups that supported either the Union or the
Confederate cause.
5. The 69th Irish Brigade is remembered for their heroics at the
Battle of ________________.
Answer to the Five (5) Questions
1. The Irish-Americans
2. Union
3. With the same hatred and racism that was prevalent
antebellum
4. Scandinavian-Americans, German-Americans,
Swedish-Americans
5. Bull Run