Civil war
Civil warThe Civil War
For minorities, as for other Americans, the Civil War was
an opportunity to prove their valor and loyalty. Among the first
mustered into the Union Army were a De Kalb regiment of German
American clerks, the Garibakdi Guards made up of Italian
Americans, a "Polish Legion," and hundreds of Irish American
youths form Boston and New York. But in Ohio and Washington,
D.C., African American volunteers were turned away from
recruiting stations and told, "This is a white man's war." Some
citizens questioned the loyalty of immigrants who lived in
crowded city tenements until an Italian American from Brooklyn
turned that around. In the New York Senate, Democrat Francis
Spinola had been a vigorous foe of Republican policies and
Lincoln. But now he swore his loyalty with stirring words, "This
is my flag, which I will follow and defend." This speech gave
great assurance that the masses in the great cities were devoted
to the Union and ready to enlist for its defense.
More than 400,000 European immigrants fought for the
Union, including more than 170,00 Germans and more than 150,00
Irish. Many saw their services as a proud sacrifice. The first
officer to die for the Union was Captain Constatin Blandowski,
one of many immigrants who earlier had fought for freedom in
Europe and then joined Lincoln's army. Born in Upper Silesia and
trained at Dresden, Germany, he was a veteran of democratic
struggles - a Polish revolt at Krakow, the Polish Legion's
battles against Austria, and the Hungarian fight for
independence. Some nationalities contributed more than their
share of Union soldiers.
Some immigrants earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Italian American officer...
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