WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 1 The Common Soldier Approximately 3,000,000 men fought in the Civil War, with the North having a two to one ratio to the South (Idiot’s Guide to the Civil War, xxi). The United States Army was extremely small at the beginning of the war, and a number of those left when the South seceded to join a country that had no army – including 300 of its very best officers (Idiot’s Guide to the Civil War, 65). In other words, the majority of Civil War soldiers had no idea what it meant to be a soldier. These farm boys didn’t have a clue about the endless hours of drilling, living in the open, firing weapons, digging earthworks, eating unfamiliar food, living with thousands of other men, facing a myriad of diseases, or being wounded. It didn’t occur to many of them that they could see good friends die – or die themselves. Many times, the officers were just as clueless as the enlisted men. It was hard for these soldiers, who had grown up in a society that valued individualism to obey orders without question, especially when they had grown up with the men who became their officers. There were all kinds of names and descriptions attributed to officers; one Confederate described his colonel as an ignoramus fit for nothing higher than the cultivation of corn (The Civil War’s Common Soldier, 25). Some officers were highly disliked; when one such general died, one of his men wrote, Old Landers is ded…. I did not see a tear shed but heard a great many speaches made about him such as he was in hell pumping thunder at 3 cents a clap (Common Soldier, 25). William Black, wounded by an exploding shell. Courtesy of the National Archives, NWDNS111-B-2368 The majority of enlistees were white, American-born, Protestant males between the ages of 18 and 30 (Museum of the Confederacy, 2). Civil War enlistees ranged in age from very young to moderately aged. The youngest Confederate enlistee was Charles Hay, who joined an Alabama regiment when he was 11; William Black, who was 9, joined the 21st Indiana as a musician but became the youngest soldier (Common Soldier 6). For the majority of the war, the minimum enlistment age was 18. Boys who wanted to enlist but weren’t old enough wrote the number 18 on a scrap of paper and put it in their shoes, so when a boy was asked how old he was by the recruiting officer, he could truthfully say I’m over eighteen, and I stand on my word (Library of Congress). Curtis King, who was 80 years old, was the oldest soldier in either army. He served four months before being discharged for disability (Common Soldier, 6-7). 194 TWO WEEK CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING THE CIVIL WAR The Immigrant Army and Diversity in the Civil War The United States is, and always has been, a nation of immigrants. At the time of the Civil War, one out of every five Union soldiers, and one out of 20 Confederate soldiers, was foreign-born (Idiot’s Guide to the Civil War, 65). These numbers may seem high, but remember, in the years before the Civil War, a huge number of immigrants settled in what would become Union territory. WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 2 ✔SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER Why did so many immigrants settle in the American Northeast and Midwest? Which immigrant groups served in the Union Army? Irish German English Canadian Scandinavian French Italian Hungarian In fact, many nationalities served in the Civil War! In a few instances, the immigrant groups formed their own regiments such as: Swiss Rifles (15th Missouri) Gardes Lafayette (55th New York) Garibaldi Guard (39th New York) Martinez Militia (1st New Mexico) Polish Legion (58th New York) In addition, a large number of Hispanics served both the Union and Confederacy. At first, there were difficulties in using such a high number of immigrant soldiers. The biggest problems were prejudice and language differences. Eventually, however, immigrant soldiers proved their worth in battle and earned the respect of their fellow soldiers. The Irish was the foreign-born group that gained the most fame, mostly for their overindulgence in whiskey and fighting – both the enemy and themselves! For example, there was an Irish Confederate soldier named Burgoyne, who fought with the 9th Louisiana. He loved fighting so much that when the infantry stopped, he would continue to fight by helping to man the cannons. One time, he was manning a cannon while a captured Union Irishman was standing on the other side of the cannon. The Union soldier could tell that Burgoyne was Irish by his distinctive accent. The Union soldier shouted, “Hey, ye spalpane! Say, what are yez doing in the Ribil army?” “Be-dad, ain’t an Irishman a free man?” said Burgoyne. “Haven’t I as good right to fight for From The Union Soldier, His Life and Times, Michael A. Vasile http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/ other/other/acw_inf.htm C I V I L WA R P R E S E RVAT I O N T R U S T 195 WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 2 the Ribils as ye have to fight for the ****** Yanks?” “Oh, yes!” shouted the Union soldier. “I know ye, now you’ve turned your ugly mug to me. I had the plizure of kicking yez out from behind Marye’s Wall, that time Sedgwick lamed yer brigade out there!” “Yer a ****** liar, and I’ll knock yer teeth down your ougly throat for that same lie.” The two started to brawl, until Burgoyne noticed that the Union man had lost two of his fingers in battle. “You’re a trump, Pat,” he said. “Give me your well hand. We’ll fight this out some other time” (The Common Soldier of the Civil War. Civil War Times Illustrated. pp. 6-7). ✔SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER Why would such a huge number of immigrants voluntarily serve in the army? What incentives would there be to fight? What reasons would there be NOT to fight? Do you think their reasons would be any different from the average soldier? Why or why not? Although not technically “immigrants”, Native Americans (including but not limited to Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Seminoles, and Creeks) also served in both armies. In fact, before Arkansas seceded from the Union, political leaders in that state decided to convince the Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws, and Chickasaws to go with the Confederacy. People in neighboring counties with these Native American tribes were very worried about raising arms against the Union – which, supposedly, was supporting these particular tribes (Official Records, Series IV, Vol. I). On one occasion, at the battle of Honey Springs (Indian Territory, July 17, 1863), Native Americans fought for both the “Yanks” and the “Rebs” – meaning that they, too, were fighting “brother against brother” (CWTI Common Soldier, 8). They had such interesting names as Crying Bear, George Hogtoter, and Captain Spring Frog – but the name that stands out among them is Stand Watie, a Cherokee from Georgia who rose to the rank of General (CWTI Common Soldier, 8). 196 TWO WEEK CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING THE CIVIL WAR African-A American Soldiers in the Civil War African-American soldiers – both free men and escaped slaves – served the Union, despite resistance on the part of the whites. Much of the problem was racism. In addition, Abraham Lincoln feared that enlisting black soldiers would cause the Border States to secede (Idiot’s Guide to the Civil War, 220). As the war dragged on, though, more and more whites accepted the idea of black soldiers. Did you know that, until July 17, 1862, it was illegal for African Americans to serve in the army? On this date the Confiscation Act allowed African Americans to be employed by the (Union) military and another law specifically allowed free blacks to be recruited. The first black unit was the First South Carolina (Union) Volunteers – mustered in on August 25, 1862. By the end of the war, there were almost 179,000 African Americans serving in 166 regiments – about 10 percent of the Union army (Idiot’s Guide to the Civil War, 221). WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 3 ✔SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER Why would the Border States secede if African Americans were allowed to fight for the Union? Getting the chance to fight was another issue. At first, blacks were assigned to noncombat duties. They built fortifications, dug trenches, served on burial detail, guarded supply lines and forts, and so on. One terrible fiasco was the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia (July 30, 1864). The “Afro-American Army Teamsters” The Ohio Historical plan was for the 48th Pennsylvania (a regiSociety. ment made mostly of coal miners) to dig a tunnel, where four tons of gunpowder would be placed under the Confederate line. Then, specially trained black soldiers would charge through the gap. The black soldiers were eager to fight and prove their worth in battle. At the last minute, however, the black soldiers were pulled from this task and an untrained white regiment was sent in its place. The unit’s leader was incompetent – and stayed behind in the trenches drinking rum. The Union WAS successful in making a great big hole – into which a Southern infantry regiment and an artillery battery disappeared. But, without training or good leadership, the attack failed. The attacking units somehow charged into the hole and were killed in huge numbers. And, the specially trained black unit got the worst of the deal. They finally charged through the retreating white soldiers only to be massacred. Some Southern soldiers were angered to see black soldiers in uniform – and they murdered several who tried to surrender (Battle Cry of Freedom, 758-760). So, why wasn’t the black regiment allowed to lead the charge, as planned? First of all, many people felt that the black troops couldn’t do the job. Second, General Ulysses S. Grant was afraid that if the attack failed, “it would be said … that we were shoving these people ahead to get killed because we did not care anything about them. But that could not be said if we put white troops in front” (Battle Cry of Freedom, 759). ✔SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER What would have happened if the specially trained black regiment had been allowed to do its job? Would the outcome of the battle be different? Is it possible that the outcome of the war might have been different? C I V I L WA R P R E S E RVAT I O N T R U S T 197 WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 3 ✔SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER In what ways did prejudice cause the failure at the Crater? Have you ever watched the movie Glory? What difficulties did the black soldiers face? Being a black Union soldier was very hazardous. Not only did they have to deal with disease, exposure to the elements, and poor food and sanitary conditions like the rest of the soldiers, but they also had to deal with the lack of supplies and uniforms, half-pay, and abuse from white soldiers – both Union and Confederate. Many black soldiers fought “to the death” because they knew that surrender was not an option. If captured, they could be murdered or “executed” for “outrages” against the Confederacy (Battle Cry, 566). Towards the very end of the war, African Americans did serve the Confederacy because there was such a need for manpower. However, they only served in small numbers and didn’t see battle – because it was so close to the end of the war. There was huge public outcry at the idea of arming African-American soldiers. Some politicians realized that arming former slaves would change Southern perception of the black man: “The day you make soldiers of them is the beginning of the end of the revolution. If slaves will make good soldiers our whole theory of slavery is wrong,” said Senator Howell Cobb (The Civil War: A Narrative. Vol. 3. 859-60). In the north, when allowed to fight, black soldiers proved themselves to be just as brave and skilled as any white soldier. They served in 41 major battles and many minor ones, and 21 received the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry in action (Common Soldier, 21-22). The first was Robert Carney, color bearer for the 54th Massachusetts, for bravery during the assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. Note that in both armies, black men served from the very beginning, but in non-fighting roles. Despite all the difficulties in joining the Union army, free African Americans were never prevented from joining the Navy. Unlike in the Army, they received the same pay that white soldiers received. There were 118,000 sailors in the US Navy – and about 20,000 were African Americans (National Civil War Naval Museum, 14). 198 TWO WEEK CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING THE CIVIL WAR The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Conscripts and Substitutes WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR? 4 After all the excitement wore down and more men were needed, the Confederacy enacted the first conscription act in American history in April of 1862 (in other words, the draft). The Union did the same eleven months later in the Conscription Act of 1863. These forced soldiers were not looked upon with kindness by those who had volunteered. When one group of new “draftees” was brought into battle, a veteran said “some of them looked like they had been resurrected from the grave, after laying therein for twenty years or more” (Common Soldier, 10). The Union Conscription Act of 1863 also allowed anyone who paid a commutation fee of $300, which was the yearly wage of a common laborer, to be excused from the draft call. However, he might be drafted in the next call (Common Soldier, 9). Stop and Think: The median yearly income for a laborer, in the year 2000, was $15,015 (Source: www.census.gov). If the Conscription Act of 1863 occurred in the year 2000 – a person would have to pay $15,015 to avoid the draft. Does this sound fair to you? If your father, or brother, were drafted, could your family afford to come up with $15,000 to keep him home? (Assume you can’t go to the bank and get a loan for this!) Recruitment for men willing to take the place of another solider for money was common during the war. Collection of The New-York Historical Society If a Northern man wanted to be exempt from all drafts, he could hire a substitute to fight in his place. Confederates also allowed the hiring of substitutes. They also excused state and local government officials and men who owned a certain number of slaves. A slave-owner could also pay a fee to keep a white overseer on their land. A recruitment poster urging men to volunteer. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Portfolio 158, Folder 4. The Union also offered financial rewards to volunteers. Rewards could also come from the state, county, or the town – as everyone was competing for the remaining men who were willing to serve. Town officials did not want to lose their productive citizens, so many towns paid the $300 commutation fee for their residents or paid for substitutes after the commutation fee was eliminated. (If a town really needed a particular individual, such as a doctor or a prominent leader, they could pay to keep him at home. Not bad, right?) C I V I L WA R P R E S E RVAT I O N T R U S T 199