Confederates who had served in East Asia

UncleBourbon

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A bit of an obscure subject, but one that catches my interest after studying a combination of 19th century Japanese/East Asian history, US gunboat diplomacy and the Civil War.
I've found five examples, three who fought in China and two who served in Japan, all of whom would go on to serve in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
I would appreciate more examples as well, but here are the ones I've gathered.

China:
William Whedbee Kirkland, 1833 -1915 fought at the Battle of Barrier Forts in Canton, China and was the only former US Marine to serve as a Confederate General. He fought at the First Manassas and participated in Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign, where he was shot through the thighs during the First Battle of Winchester, later serving as Patrick Cleburne's Chief of Staff during the Murfreesboro campaign. He then fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and proceeded to command a brigade at the Battle of Bristoe Station, where a bone in his left arm was fractured by a rifle shot. He fought at various battles of the Overland campaign until wounded in the thigh again during the Battle of Cold Harbor. He fought and surrendered at the Battle of Bentonville under command of Joseph E. Johnston.
John Douglass Simms, 1822 - 1881 having previously fought at the Battle of Mexico City, he was another Marine who fought in the Battle of Barrier Forts and participated in the attack, capture and occupation, later serving in Hong Kong and Formosa as well. He was made Captain in the Confederate States Marine Corps and commanded Company B at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff and was later captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek.
Henry B. Tyler, 1800 - 1879 was again another US Marine who served at the Battle of Barrier Forts in Canton, China and later joined the Confederate States Marine Corps. I have much less information about him than Kirkland or Simms.

Japan:
John Mercer Brooke, 1826 - 1906 surveyed the East Coast of Japan, gave counseling and advice to Officers of the Japanese Navy and served as the technical adviser aboard the Japanese ship Kanrin Maru. He joined the Confederate Navy, converted the USS Merrimack into the ironclad CSS Virginia, invented the Brooke rifle and was instrumental in establishing the Confederate States Naval Academy.
Isaac Newton Brown, 1817 - 1889 served on the USS Niagara's voyage to Japan, carrying the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States. Upon return he and the crew discovered the outbreak of the Civil War. His family being in the South, Brown made "seditious remarks" and was accosted by a Boston mob who searched through his luggage, only finding "Japanese curiosities". He was arrested for less than a day and released, and he then made his way South to join the Confederate Navy, where he took command of the ironclad CSS Arkansas, overseeing the completion of her construction and commanding her breaking of the Federal naval blockade of Vicksburg, Mississippi July 15th, 1862. He was promoted to Commander where he then commanded the ironclad CSS Charleston in defense of Charleston until the end of the war.
As a Massachusetts native with interest in Confederate and Japanese history, Isaac Brown in particular is an interesting case.

I would be very interested in any other similar cases, particularly if there are any examples of Confederate veterans later serving in the US Navy in Asia after the Civil War; the 1871 Korean Expedition and Boxer Rebellion for example, or if any members of the Perry Expedition went on to join the Confederacy. It's an obscure and difficult topic to find information on.

I also have interesting info on two veteran Union Officers who served as advisors in the Imperial Japanese military during the 1874 Japanese Expedition to Formosa. They brought along at least one Winchester rifle (I assume a Model 1866 as the Expedition was in Spring 1874) and wrote in detail about their debate of tactics with the Japanese Commanders. I've filled up a significant portion of the Wikipedia page for the Expedition with the information I've acquired, and have converted word by word a seven page biography for one of the Officers (Douglas R. Cassel, whose grave I visited back in June a few days after dropping by the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield) I tracked down in a military magazine from page to text that I would be willing to post in a separate thread, if there is enough interest.

Sources and more info:
 
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Henry B. Tyler, 1800 - 1879 was again another US Marine who served at the Battle of Barrier Forts in Canton, China and later joined the Confederate States Marine Corps. I have much less information about him than Kirkland or Simms.


I think you have the wrong man. There were two Henry B. Tylers, Senior and his Junior, both serving in both marine corps. The senior (1800-1879) was Adjutant of both the USMC and CSMC, eventualy becoming Lt. Col. of the later. However it was the junior one that had served in China, Siam and Japan on ships like the USS Levant and USS San Jacinto. The Lieutenant was a veteran of 6 years when he was dismissed from the USMC in June 1861 for seditious comments. He became a 1st Lieutenant in the Confederate Marine Corps but was dismissed soon after again, in November for drunkeness and conduct unbecoming, down in Florida by order of Braxton Bragg.
 
There were some future Confederates in Perry's expeditions to Japan. Captain Sidney Smith Lee had commanded Perry's flagship. Richard T. Allison had been a paymaster in the Navy and had been on the expedition as well as along the Chinese coast. He became Major and Paymaster of the CSMC. Another was Cpt. Rober Tansill (1813-1890), later a Confederate Colonel. Likely several more.

Israel Greene (1824-1909) was a Lieutenant in the USMC who had escorted Japanese diplomats back home shortly before the war began. He became Major and Adjutant of the CSMC.

There also were Confederate veterans who had diplomatic or civilian dealings in East-Asia after the war.

With the Formosa Expedition I suppose the other one is James R. Wasson. I´ve rewrote his wikipedia article a while ago and there is a nice essay available over here.
 
I think you have the wrong man. There were two Henry B. Tylers, Senior and his Junior, both serving in both marine corps. The senior (1800-1879) was Adjutant of both the USMC and CSMC, eventualy becoming Lt. Col. of the later. However it was the junior one that had served in China, Siam and Japan on ships like the USS Levant and USS San Jacinto. The Lieutenant was a veteran of 6 years when he was dismissed from the USMC in June 1861 for seditious comments. He became a 1st Lieutenant in the Confederate Marine Corps but was dismissed soon after again, in November for drunkeness and conduct unbecoming, down in Florida by order of Braxton Bragg.

Thank you for the correction. What a coincidence in regards to their name and service!

There were some future Confederates in Perry's expeditions to Japan. Captain Sidney Smith Lee had commanded Perry's flagship. Richard T. Allison had been a paymaster in the Navy and had been on the expedition as well as along the Chinese coast. He became Major and Paymaster of the CSMC. Another was Cpt. Rober Tansill (1813-1890), later a Confederate Colonel. Likely several more.

Israel Greene (1824-1909) was a Lieutenant in the USMC who had escorted Japanese diplomats back home shortly before the war began. He became Major and Adjutant of the CSMC.

There also were Confederate veterans who had diplomatic or civilian dealings in East-Asia after the war.

With the Formosa Expedition I suppose the other one is James R. Wasson. I´ve rewrote his wikipedia article a while ago and there is a nice essay available over here.

Thank you very much for the information on the Perry Expedition, I sincerely appreciate it.

In regards to Israel Greene, was he onboard the USS Niagara with Isaac Newton Brown? As far as I'm aware the USS Niagara escort was the closest escort of Japanese diplomats to the beginning of the war, and newspaper articles of Brown's arrest/mob attack mentioned 11 or so other Southern Navymen alongside Brown who weren't arrested or accosted.

Interesting we've both done some work in regards to the 1874 Expedition!
Very interesting to note Roger D. Cunningham, who wrote the essay on Wassen, also wrote the essay/biography on Cassel I mentioned at the start of the thread, "A Conspicuous Ornament: The Short, Eventful Life of Lt. Cdr. Douglas R. Cassel, U.S.N. (1845-1875) By Roger D. Cunningham"
I'll PM you the full text of that essay. As said I've written down word for word the entire essay from the magazine, but I no longer have the physical magazine for scanning as I gave it as a gift to a graveyard commissioner on the 4th of July.

Thank you again!
 
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You´re welcome. The Taylor's aren´t really a coincidence, I mean they are father and son. The father's position surely formed and helped the son in his way to the corps. Greene seems to have been on the USS Niagara indeed.
 
Future Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan and Captain William L. Maury had ships under Perry as well. There is a list of officers in the expedition, surely several other familiar names of Confederates, and some unfamiliar ones if one is willing to dig, can be found in it.

Thank you again for further info! I've downloaded the PDFs of Volumes I and II and will certainly get to reading them when able.

In regards to the Henry B. Tylers, I was thrown off a bit as the father's Find a Grave didn't list a child with the same first name. However it also didn't mention a spouse.

Interesting. Lot I never knew. You always learn so much on this forum.
Interesting topic! Thanks for initiating this discussion!

It makes me very happy that there is shared interest on this topic. Thank you for the encouraging responses!
 
I, for one, had never given it much thought, so these men and their stories are all new to me! Thanks again!
 
Found another; John Randolph Tucker, 1812 - 1883.
He was an Officer aboard the USS St. Louis during Cushing's mission to China in 1844.
A landing party of marines and sailors from the USS St. Louis were commanded by Lieutenant Edward Gibson Tilton, who was acting commander of the USS Perry, to suppress rioting against American factories.
This was the first ever US military landing on Chinese soil.
Even if Tucker didn't participate in the landing, he definitely served on the mission.
He went on to serve in the Confederacy, commanding the CSS Patrick Henry, supporting the CSS Virginia during the Battle of Hampton Roads, then commanded ironclad CSS Chicora which he engaged the USS Keystone State with. He surrendered during the Battle of Sailor's Creek.
What's particularly interesting is he went on to serve in the Peruvian Navy and fought the Spanish during the Chincha Islands War.
Definitely a very interesting career.
John Randolph Tucker.png

Tucker.jpg
 
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The most famous case I can think of would be when Josiah Tattnall pulled British and French sailors from the Pei Ho River. Though a violation of neutrality. He defended his actions by a phrase that would become famous. "Blood is thicker than water." He was acclaimed by British subjects throughout Asia.
 
Another to add to the thread, Matthew Fontaine Maury traveled to China aboard the USS Vincenes in 1830, and was one of two noteworthy midshipmen to visit Canton, the other being Stephen Clegg Rowan, who would go on to serve in the Union.

During the Civil War Matthew F. Maury was made Chief of the Naval Bureau of Coast, Harbor, and River Defense of the CSN, and in this role helped develop the first electronically controlled naval mines, "torpedoes", of which in an ironic twist of fate would be used to damage the USS New Ironsides while it was under command of Stephen C. Rowan.
 
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