Paperback First Edition Thus (1963); unstated. Since the Galvanized Yankees were now considered enlisted men rather than prisoners, they were allowed . Hundreds accepted the offer. [8][n 3] Due to doubts about their ultimate loyalty, galvanized Yankees in federal service were generally assigned to garrison forts far from the Civil War battlefields or in action against Indians in the west. During the Civil War, in both Northern and Southern prison camps, soldiers sometimes decided to "galvanize," or change sides, to save themselves from the horrors of prison life. Detailed look at men imprisoned at Camp Morton, Rock Island and other prison camps, and how they fared when shipped out west. The National Park Service describes the origin of the expression "Galvanized Yankee" in a bulletin published in 1992 for visitors to the Gateway Arch National Park, which was then known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial: The term "galvanized" is most commonly associated with metal when it is coated with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Galvanized Yankees. Like the metal, these galvanized soldiers in many cases were still "Good old Rebels," or "Billy Yanks," underneath their adopted uniforms.[1]. Doubts about the loyalty and reliability of these ex-Confederates were alleviated since frontier duty would prevent them from fighting their old comrades. Dee Brown's history of Confederate POWs who took the oath of allegiance and joined Federal regiments policing the prairie in order to get out of prison. He then goes on to discuss other former Confederates who served in units outside of the USV regiments, the most notable being Henry Morgan Stanley, who served in the Confederate Army, the Union Army, and the Union Navy. . [6], In January 1863, following issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the United States began to actively recruit black soldiers. En route, four of Company E's recruits plotted to involve all Confederates in the company in a mutiny when it reached Julesburg, but were disarmed and arrested before the attempt could be made. Released October 17, 1864 after taking the Oath of allegiance and joining US Army. The Lincoln Administration wished to avoid any legal wrangles over the prisoner cartel that might be construed as recognition of the Confederacy as a legitimate government. Some in the North tried to enlist Confederate prisoners almost from the wars outset. Prison camps were horrible, filthy places that lacked all the necessities of life. The starving Sioux had had enough and attempted to regain their ancestral lands. During the American Civil War, many captured Confederate soldiers were offered a choice of rotting in a Union prisoner of war camp or entering the Union army to fight Indians on the Western frontier. In the case of the 4th USVI, more than a tenth of its recruits slipped away from the regiment before it even arrived at its first frontier outpost. On the first day of the Sioux uprising, 1,500 settlers were killed, and the town of New Ulm was saved only by the efforts of ill-equipped local volunteers. Yet this was no ordinary U.S. Army outfit. 205206). 1895 given a pension, living in TX. They were a valuable presence at a time and place in which they were needed. A young officer who had caught Butler's eye during his Louisiana sojourn, Col. Charles A. R. Dimon was put in command of 2nd Louisiana Volunteers. later he was assigned to the 1st arkansas light artillery. were posted to Camp Douglas; Company H, 5th U.S.V.I. Company H, 5th U.S.V.I. From 1864 to 1866 six regiments of Galvanized Yankees fought Indians, escorted supply trains along the Oregon and Sante Fe trails, accompanied expeditions, guarded surveying parties for the Union Pacific Railroad, and manned lonely outposts on the frontier. More like 3 1/2 stars, but I'll round up. [17] The regiment mustered out November 29, 1865, having served with distinction, including a low desertion rate. Galvanized Yankees was a term from the American Civil War denoting former Confederate prisoners of war who swore allegiance to the United States and joined the Union Army. Brown mentioned them several times in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and this book, written in 1963, was the first book length examination of the Galvanized Yankees. Michele Tucker Butts is an associate professor of history at Austin Peay State University, where she teaches the history of the American West and Native American history. 35 of the 275 men ordered to Utah deserted before their arrival October 9. 1980 2000 1961 1963". General Grant was opposed to their continued use in the East, saying that it is not right to expose them where, to be taken prisoners, they might surely suffer as deserters. The 1st U.S. Related to me: 3rd cousin 4 x removed. By its nature Brown's account is a bit disjointed, but he manages to cover each of the regiments of "Galvanized Yankees" with anecdotes highlighting their uniqueness. Efforts were made at first to recruit Irish immigrants in compliance with Seddon's original instructions, but when few complied, native-born Union soldiers were enlisted. Save up to 80% versus print by going digital with VitalSource. After spending a harsh winter on the prairries, in July of 1865, the 1st USVI repelled an attack on Fort Rice by Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux led by Sitting Bull himself. Condition Used Edition First Edition Thus (1963); unstated. XLVIII, p. 264) He had been commissioned from the ranks while in Company A, 25th Massachusetts Volunteers. It was the 3rds first taste of combat as a unit. However, two important incidents gave settlers in the West reason to be concerned for their safety, especially since most of the able-bodied men had left the frontier to fight on eastern battlefields. y. [5][n 2] Gen. Gilman Marston, commandant of the huge prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland, recommended that Confederate prisoners be enlisted in the U.S. Navy, which Secretary of War Edwin Stanton approved December 21. [21] Companies C and D, consisting mostly of former Union soldiers who had been captured after enlisting in the Confederate 10th Tennessee, escorted the Sawyers expedition to build a road to Montana and garrisoned Fort Reno for nearly a year. [23][n 16], The 6th U.S.V.I. Companies I and K were sent to Fort Laramie, and on May 15, 1865, were parceled out in small detachments along 300 miles of the Pacific Telegraph Company line from Laramie to South Pass, Territory of Idaho (now Wyoming). Those Confederates that took the oath and enlisted in the Union service were labeled "galvanized Yankees," by their former comrades. At the same time the 3rd USVI was being recruited at Rock Island, the US Navy enlisted a substantial number of POWs from Rock Island and Camp Douglas. They arrived at Fort Rice on October 17. Afterward, Galvanized soldiers were shunned in the South and neglected by the Grand Army of the Republic. They surrendered to Union forces in December 1864 and were held by the United States as deserters, but were saved from prosecution by being enlisted in the 5th and 6th U.S. My great-great grandfather went from rock island to camp Douglas to the USS Princeton in late January 1864. **Simply Brit** Shipped with Premium postal service within 24 hours from the UK with impressive delivery time. 30 December 1871, USS Pensacola. As a result, settlers and missionaries fled from the Minnesota frontier, seeking safety in New Ulm and St. Paul. All that stood between the raiders and the vital 1,000-foot long river crossing that connected the territories of Oregon and Montana was a detachment of 120 lightly armed troops. By the end of the day, more than 39 of the bluecoats were casualties; 60 native warriors lay dead. The trip was extremely arduous, as the regiment lacked tents to protect themselves from pelting rain and hail and initially had no wagons to carry what meager supplies they had been issued. Much appreciated. Considered traitors by their Southern comrades, these reluctant Union-men became known as white-washed rebels or even galvanized Yankees a reference to the process in which steel is surface-treated to prevent corrosion. The regiment remained in garrison at Camp Schenck in Baltimore, seeking to raise more troops, assigned to the Cavalry Reserve of the Eighth Corps until officially organized on January 9, 1864. Companies A, F, G, and I were commanded by Lt.Col. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th United States Volunteer Regiments made up mostly of men from non-slaveholding areas of Tennessee & North Carolina. The 1st U.S.V.I. In the process the surface color of the metal is altered, but underneath the coating the steel is unchanged. The quality of recruit was not as high as that of the earlier 1st U.S.V.I. by: Leckie, William H. Published: (1963) Crimsoned prairie; the wars between the United States and the Plains Indians during the winning . Companies A and B were stationed at Fort Kearney; C and D at Cottonwood, Colorado; E and F at Fort Rankin; and G and H at Julesburg, Colorado, protecting overland mail routes from Indian attacks. A Galvanized Yankee On May 19, 1862, John Henry Smith of Catawba County was mustered into the Confederate army. The acclaimed historian of the American West turns The battery moved to Fortress Monroe to train, where some members were induced to join the newly created 188th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. It was apparently over-recruited in numbers. After suffering a number of casualties, the 2nd New Jersey Cavalry responded with a charge in which it took severe casualties, including 22 dead, and lost 80 horses but captured more than 500 prisoners, among whom were Burke and 254 former Union soldiers from Burke's Battalion of the 10th Tennessee. [32], Company C of the 4th Regiment Infantry, Delaware Volunteers is claimed to have been recruited in 1862 or 1863 from prisoners at Fort Delaware, but claims have not been substantiated through checks of muster rolls. About 200 agreed before top Union commanders ordered a halt to the practice. Still, they were saved from individual trials by General Grenville Dodge, who recruited them into the 5th and 6th U.S. IT WASJULY26, 1865 when a force of 3,000 Sioux and Cheyenne descended onto the U.S. Army outpost at Platte Bridge in Wyoming. [34][35], Confederate recruitment of Union prisoners of war was authorized by Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon on September 30, 1864, after inquires from Gen. Braxton Bragg to recruit foreign-born prisoners. I had never heard of the Galvanized Yankees before, so most of it was interesting reading. (Brown 1963, pp. The book appeared to be merely repeating material found in research with no cohesive glue or connections to Galvanized Yankees. The following units were recruited from the prison pen at Fort Delaware: Follow us and keep up to date on events and the latest happening with the Galvanized Yankees. The Galvanized Yankees is an interesting book about US Civil War Confederate soldiers who were offered a chance to take an oath of loyalty to the Union if they would enlist in the army and serve on the western frontier. The Galvanized Yankees by Dee Alexander Brown, 1986, University of Nebraska Press edition, in English. Despite the varied origins of the 6,000 men who were Galvanized during the war, each had the chance to prove his loyalty to the United States. Historian Dee Brown uncovers an exciting episode in American history: During the Civil War, a group of Confederate soldiers opted to assist the Union Army rather than endure the grim conditions of POW camps. Company D became part of Company E, and Company G part of Company F, participating in the campaign to capture Mobile, Alabama in March and April 1865. Died 1911. Among them was a contingent from the 3rd United States Volunteer Infantry (USVI). Great research and interesting story, but sometimes I felt the story got bogged down in just following army units all over the place. From Fort Leavenworth the unit marched to Fort Riley, and stationed companies there and at Salem, Fort Ellsworth, Fort Larned, Fort Zarah and Fort Scott, Kansas. I presented my research at a recent family reunion and was pleased with its reception. A homelike atmosphere was created by 21-year-old Elizabeth Cardwell, the wife of Private Patrick Cardwell. Welcome to The Galvanized Yankees facebook page. The lack of a western frontier with Indian problems didn't give the Confederacy the place to employ such troops as the Union did in Utah and elsewhere in the west. The little-known true Civil War story of the Confederate soldiers who served in the Union Army by a #1 New York Timesbestselling author. The Galvanized Yankees by Brown, Dee. Provisions and treaty goods were often shoddy or were stolen by traders. While awaiting supplies, the battalion joined in pursuit of Quantrill's Raiders following the Lawrence Massacre. O'Neill returned to Andersonville and recruited 150 more prisoners for the 10th Tennessee in January 1865, and approximately 165 more in March. They were Confederate soldiers who were recruited from Union prison camps in the North to serve in the West. The little-known true Civil War story of the Confederate soldiers who served in the Union Army by a #1 New York Times-bestselling author. [3] The practice of recruiting from prisoners of war began in 1862 at Camp Douglas at Chicago, Illinois, with attempts to enlist Confederate prisoners who expressed reluctance to exchange following their capture at Fort Donelson. Photos: Rays thump Yankees at Disney Yesterday Sports Guide to Plant City's Strawberry Festival, one of the largest festivals in the nation Yesterday Life & Culture Advertisement The Digital and eTextbook ISBNs for The Galvanized Yankees are 9781453274170, 1453274170 and the print ISBNs are 9780803260757, 080326075X. Despite pressure to try the prisoners for desertion or even treason, eventually those taken in rebel uniform were eventually allowed to enlist in the USVI regiments as galvanized Yankees. James R. Straut. [38], Held under strict camp guard, they were sent to Mobile, Alabama while the 10th Tennessee itself advanced to the Battle of Franklin. in guarding the Santa Fe Trail. She was held in the highest esteem by the men and became the mother figure of the Regiment. Approximately 5,600 former Confederate soldiers enlisted in the "United States Volunteers", organised into six regiments of infantry between January 1864 and November 1866. The first commander after the transfer was 1st Lt. Cyrus L. Hutchins, Worcester, Massachusetts, of the 1st U.S.V.I. Company B marched across Kansas to Fort Leavenworth and mustered out on November 3. 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They were Confederate soldiers who were recruited from Union prison camps in the North to serve in the West. Introduction Galvanized Yankees was a term from the American Civil War denoting former Confederate prisoners of war who swore allegiance to the United States and joined the Union Army. One thing these regiments had to deal with was Cheyenne reaction to the horrendous Sand Creek Massacre, and it's possible that Brown's research of that event inspired his later and more well known book. The show tells the true story of a Jewish man . Companies A, F, G, and I of the 1st U.S.V.I. This is the only book I ever stole from a library. Also, a must read is, The Galvanized Yankees by Dee Brown. The regiment would continue to serve on the frontier until November when its surviving members were honourably discharged. Love a scan or a digital pic to post. Despite the mixed results of the scheme, the Confederates also attempted to draw volunteers from its own prisoner of war camps. [20] In August three companies were sent to Fort Halleck, Idaho Territory (now Wyoming); two companies to Camp Wardwell, Colorado; two companies to Fort Lyon, and Company B to Denver for quartermaster duty. Two companies were stationed at Fort Rice, then at Fort Sully; one at Fort Berthold; and three at Fort Randall until June 1866, when the six companies were recalled to Leavenworth, mustering out as they arrived between June 18 and July 2. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Dee Brown including rare photos from the authors personal collection. "[15], Authorized in October 1864 at the Rock Island prisoner camp in Illinois as a one-year regiment, the 2nd U.S.V.I. Galvanized Yankees were Confederate prisoners of war who joined the Union Army and went west to fight Indians. However, he was of a line of the family that I felt it best to leave him be. The galvanized Yankees by Brown, Dee Alexander Publication date 1986 Topics United States, Indians of North America, Indians of North America Publisher Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; china Digitizing sponsor Kahle/Austin Foundation Contributor Internet Archive Language English "[2], Concise histories of all units of U.S. Volunteer Infantry are at Frederick H. Dyer's Compendium, p.1717, The 1st U.S.V.I. University of Nebraska Press. The next morning Grierson's 1st Brigade advanced and came under fire from Confederate skirmishers, including Burke's Battalion, which was ensconced in a stockade east of the rail line. I havent seen any accounts of their subsequent service, if any. Unlike the galvanized Yankees who served almost entirely in the far-flung corners of the continent, the Confederates threw their POW recruits right into action against their former comrades. [38], On the evening of December 27, 1864, six members of Burke's Battalion deserted and made their way into the Union lines, where they reported the presence of the former prisoners and the likelihood that they would not resist any Union attack. She has authored several articles and has contributed to both As early as 1862, the commander of an Illinois regiment lobbied rebels held at Camp Douglas near Chicago to renounce their allegiance to the Confederacy and join his outfit. Four companies continued to Milwaukee, while six companies (B, C, D, E, H, and K) were sent to St. Louis, Missouri, arriving there August 22. Galvanized Yankees in the Civil War Confederate prisoners captured at Fishers Hill, Virginia Galvanized Yankees were Confederate soldiers imprisoned during the Civil War, who won their freedom by swearing their allegiance to the Union and enlisting in the Union Army. 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Emancipation Proclamation, the Galvanized Yankees by 21-year-old Elizabeth Cardwell, the United States began to actively recruit soldiers! 3 1/2 stars, but I 'll round up began to actively recruit black soldiers Dee Brown B! Were shunned in the process the surface color of the 1st U.S.V.I scan or a digital pic post! Were posted to Camp Douglas ; Company H, 5th U.S.V.I save up to 80 versus. From fighting their old comrades desertion rate a unit the place May 19, 1862 John... Of the day, more than 39 of the Republic had enough and to... A scan or a digital pic to post a, F, G the galvanized yankees approximately! The loyalty and reliability of these ex-Confederates were alleviated since frontier duty would prevent them from their...