Foreign enlistment in the American Civil War
Diplomatic and popular interest were aroused by the United States' status as a nascent power at the time, and by the war's central cause being the globally divisive issue of slavery.
[5][2] Reflecting the influx of immigrants leading up to the war, the largest foreign contingents on either side were German, Irish, and British (including English, Scottish and Welsh).
[6] Most other foreign recruits were from Canada and the rest of Europe, particularly Poland, France, Italy, and Scandinavia;[5] smaller numbers came from China, Mexico, Hawaii, and various Native American tribes.
Like American citizens, foreigners and immigrants fought in the war for various reasons; many were motivated by an ideological opposition to slavery, others by loyalty to their adopted homeland, and still others sought economic opportunity.
[9] The more urbanized and industrialized states of the northern U.S. drew the lion's share of foreign arrivals, which accounted for the Union's decisive demographic advantage over the Confederacy; two-thirds of all Americans (21 million) lived in U.S.-controlled territory.
Many new arrivals had republican sentiments and a strong opposition to political oppression of all forms, including slavery; parallels were drawn between the enslavement of African Americans and the aristocratic exploitation of serfs and peasants.
[5] U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was attentive to the diversity and foreign makeup of the military and made conscious efforts to foster inclusivity of ethnic and national minorities, namely through high-level appointments and promotions.
The Brigade took part in almost every major battle and campaign in the Eastern Theater and was renowned for its bravery and valor; it reportedly suffered some of the highest casualties of any Union formation.
Soldiers sported kilts and bonnets and were accompanied by bagpipes; on at least one occasion, the First Battle of Bull Run, they wore tartan trews of Clan Cameron in honor of their colonel.
The multiethnic makeup of Union forces sometimes posed communications problems due to language barriers, as many regiments and divisions included a mix of volunteers from Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and other European countries.
A notable example was the 39th New York Infantry Regiment—also known as the "Garibaldi Guard" after Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi—which was led by Hungarian colonel Frederick George D'Utassy and comprised over a dozen nationalities, including Algerians, Turks, Slavs, Swiss, and Spaniards.
[15] In the earliest months of the war, before the development and adoption of formal encryption methods, Hungarian speakers served as code talkers, encoding and decoding telegrams and written correspondences with sensitive tactical information.
[17] They often faced greater hardship than other foreign groups due to both general antisemitism and ignorance to their distinct religious customs; for example, pork was often served to all troops without regard to Jewish dietary restrictions.
Notwithstanding incidents of both latent and overt discrimination, Jews as a whole, like other minority groups in the Union, demonstrated high morale and loyalty; among the most notable examples were Leopold Karpeles and Abraham Cohn, immigrants from Bohemia and Prussia, respectively, who were awarded the Medal of Honor.
President Lincoln likewise made a concerted effort to ensure Jews were appointed to leadership positions and accommodated by the military, such as in chaplaincies; he also countermanded Grant's controversial order almost immediately after learning about it.
Many fought out of personal affinity to their local or state community, rather than in support of slavery or secession; others were compelled by social pressure engendered by the South's greater need for manpower.
[21] Among the most notable British subjects to join the Confederacy included Henry Wemyss Feilden, who resigned his commission in the Black Watch to become an officer in the Army of Tennessee, and William Watson, who served as a sergeant in the 3rd Louisiana Infantry before commanding blockade runners.
