Changing Sides

[Michael C. Hardy]

Fascinating new book (released 2020). My review is below. Confederate POWs who joined the US army are common knowledge. Federal POWs who joined the Confederate army are not well known.

"There are very few unexplored topics concerning the history of the American Civil War," is how Patrick H. Garrow starts Changing Sides: Union Prisoners of War Who Joined the Confederate Army (2020). Yet Garrow has found and explored one of those topics. Garrow makes a conservative estimate of 4,000 Federal soldiers who joined the Confederate ranks. These men were mostly, but not entirely, foreign-born - Irish and German immigrants. While confessing that it is difficult to trace the service of men who filtered into various regiments, Garrow concentrates on four: Brook's Battalion, Tucker's Regiment/1st Foreign Battalion, 2nd Foreign Battalion/8th Confederate Infantry; and the 10th Tennessee Infantry. The first three were recruited as organizations entirely made up of former Federal soldiers. The latter was an early war Confederate regiment whose ranks were depleted and received an influx of these recruits. Garrow examines the war-record of these late war regiments. Brook's Battalion, while stationed near Savannah, had several members arrested and executed for mutiny. The 8th Confederate Infantry fought amazingly well at Salisbury in April 1865. Many members of the 10th Tennessee Infantry were captured at Egypt Station, Mississippi, and instead of being executed as deserters, were given the chance to re-enlist in the Federal army, surviving in the 5th United States Volunteers. Garrow then follows by tracing the lives of a few of the former Federal/Confederate soldiers into the post-war years, showing how many of these men (but not all) disappear from the pages of history. This is followed by an examination of some of the Confederate officers who commanded the members of the various battalions and regiments listed above. Garrow has accomplished what he set out to do: tell the story of an unexplored aspect of not just the war, but American history. This book is highly recommended!

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Fascinating new book (released 2020). My review is below. Confederate POWs who joined the US army are common knowledge. Federal POWs who joined the Confederate army are not well known.

"There are very few unexplored topics concerning the history of the American Civil War," is how Patrick H. Garrow starts Changing Sides: Union Prisoners of War Who Joined the Confederate Army (2020). Yet Garrow has found and explored one of those topics. Garrow makes a conservative estimate of 4,000 Federal soldiers who joined the Confederate ranks. These men were mostly, but not entirely, foreign-born - Irish and German immigrants. While confessing that it is difficult to trace the service of men who filtered into various regiments, Garrow concentrates on four: Brook's Battalion, Tucker's Regiment/1st Foreign Battalion, 2nd Foreign Battalion/8th Confederate Infantry; and the 10th Tennessee Infantry. The first three were recruited as organizations entirely made up of former Federal soldiers. The latter was an early war Confederate regiment whose ranks were depleted and received an influx of these recruits. Garrow examines the war-record of these late war regiments. Brook's Battalion, while stationed near Savannah, had several members arrested and executed for mutiny. The 8th Confederate Infantry fought amazingly well at Salisbury in April 1865. Many members of the 10th Tennessee Infantry were captured at Egypt Station, Mississippi, and instead of being executed as deserters, were given the chance to re-enlist in the Federal army, surviving in the 5th United States Volunteers. Garrow then follows by tracing the lives of a few of the former Federal/Confederate soldiers into the post-war years, showing how many of these men (but not all) disappear from the pages of history. This is followed by an examination of some of the Confederate officers who commanded the members of the various battalions and regiments listed above. Garrow has accomplished what he set out to do: tell the story of an unexplored aspect of not just the war, but American history. This book is highly recommended! View attachment 464593

Northerners who travelled South to enlist in the Confederacy? | Questions? Ask Here! No Stone Left Unturned!

I've been wondering if there are any examples of this for a while. I learned of two individuals from my State who at the very least opposed the Union's role in the war verbally; Lysander Spooner, an abolitionist who compared the Union's effort to stop Southern secession to a master's effort to...

civilwartalk.com

Northerners who travelled South to enlist in the Confederacy? | Questions? Ask Here! No Stone Left Unturned!

I've been wondering if there are any examples of this for a while. I learned of two individuals from my State who at the very least opposed the Union's role in the war verbally; Lysander Spooner, an abolitionist who compared the Union's effort to stop Southern secession to a master's effort to...

civilwartalk.com

 

[bayouace]

I remember reading of "Big Yank" who served with Mosby. Is there a good book that covers the "Galvanized Yankees" who served out in the West during the war?

 

[TerryB]

I once came across an account in Confederate Veteran Magazine of a Federal prisoner who said that during the 1864 election, the prisoners were promised parole if they agreed to vote for McLellan. The guy said very few took them up on the offer. I wish I could remember how I stumbled on it, but that was years ago.

 

[nc native]

On the regimental roster of the 18th Virginia Infantry there was a solider who served with a New York regiment before deserting and joining the 18th Virginia Infantry. His name and the New York regiment he fought with escapes me at the moment. I'll look him up when I get home from work later this evening.

 

[nc native]

I found the solider I was looking for:
Butler, William - Company D 5-3", blue eyes, light complexion. This solider appears to have been William Murdock, a deserter from the 27th New York Infantry. On January 17, 1864 he went on trial for desertion in Washington, D. C.

Now I'm wondering if he deserted the 18th Virginia Infantry and tired to go back to the Union Army.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I remember reading of "Big Yank" who served with Mosby. Is there a good book that covers the "Galvanized Yankees" who served out in the West during the war?

I believe "Big Yankee" was killed in action.

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I remember reading of "Big Yank" who served with Mosby. Is there a good book that covers the "Galvanized Yankees" who served out in the West during the war?

You might want to try The Galvanized Yankees by Dee Brown.

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I found the solider I was looking for:
Butler, William - Company D 5-3", blue eyes, light complexion. This solider appears to have been William Murdock, a deserter from the 27th New York Infantry. On January 17, 1864 he went on trial for desertion in Washington, D. C.

Now I'm wondering if he deserted the 18th Virginia Infantry and tired to go back to the Union Army.

I am interested in Federal soldiers that deserted, joined the Confederate army, and were captured and/or deserted back to the Federals. Garrow makes mention of Frank McElheny, 24th Massachusetts Infantry, who was convicted of a crime, escaped the Federal prison, joined the CS (19th Virginia Battalion), deserted back to the Union, was recognized, arrested, tried again, found guilty, and executed. (19). Robert Alotta, in Civil War Justice: Union Army Executions under Lincoln, list 276 executed. However, there are not a lot of similar stories. I wonder how many of those listed as deserters had joined the Confederate army and were later captured?

 

[bayouace]

You might want to try The Galvanized Yankees by Dee Brown.

Thanks. I like Dee Brown.

 

[Tom Elmore]

The following article appeared in the Daily Intelligencer, December 8, 1864, virginiachronicle.com:
Thursday Morning, December 8. Execution of a Deserter. A letter from Harper's Ferry ... gives an interesting account of the execution of William Loge, alias French Bill, which took place on Friday last. Loge deserted from the 60th New York Volunteer Regiment immediately after the battle of Gettysburg, and joined Company A of the notorious guerrilla band of Capt. White. French Bill has been a terror to the Union people of Loudon and Jefferson counties, Va., for a long time, in company with the noted thief, John Mobley, a member of the same band. He has been prowling within five miles of Harper's Ferry for many months, committing depredations upon citizens and straggling soldiers who fell in his way. He was captured on Wednesday, 30th ult., at Johnston's distillery. Loudon county, where they had cornered him under a feather bed, by Corporals Latham and Tritipo, of Captain Grubb's Loudon County Rangers, but not until he was unburrowed and received a severe stroke on the back of his head with the butt of a revolver. The execution was witnessed by about three thousand soldiers and citizens, and, to their shame be it said, several females were watching the scene with evident gusto. One of these feminines was mounted on horseback, wearing a Major's shoulderstraps and bedizened with copper lace. She was accompanied by an officer, apparently, although he wore no straps - perhaps he had loaned them to his companion. Two priests of the Catholic Church accompanied Loge and engaged with him in devotions; after which he was asked by the Provost Marshal if he had anything to say? He replied in the affirmative. He then, in clear tone, but with a French accent, admitted he was a deserter, but denied his complicity with robberies except in two cases, in both of which he returned the money, but stated he had received his share of company plunder. He further said he would pursue the same course under the same circumstances if he could escape; "although life was sweet to all," he was not afraid to die; that he was twenty years of age and his face was the same as fifteen years since; he died a "Southern soldier, a brave man, and a Christian." Loge was a Frenchman by birth, a square built, muscular man of great physical strength, and fearlessness. Perhaps no man ever met such a death more coolly. A greater scoundrel never lived, and a more just and righteous order, under the circumstances, could not have been issued. Gen. Stevenson is determined to put an end to bushwhacking in his department, and will deal out summary punishment to all of this class of offenders who fall into his hands.

The American Civil War Database shows Private Emile Loge, Company H, 60th New York, enlisted April 2, 1862 at Baltimore, and deserted July 7, 1863 at Littletown, Pennsylvania.

Presumably Loge fought with his regiment on Culp's Hill on July 2 and 3, ironically opposite Virginia troops under Brig. Gen. Jones.

 

[howaybigbren]

James F. "Big Yankee" Ames, deserter from the 5th NY CAV and subsequently a 2LT in Company F, 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry ("Mosby's Rangers) was KIA on October 9, 1864 near Piedmont (today's Delaplane), Virginia.

 

[TnFed]

British explorer Henry Stanley was good at moving around. Joined the Confederate Army, then the Union Army, then the Union Navy. Busy man.