Conscripting/Recruiting Pows

[atlantis]

With many immigrants among union Pows was any serious effort may to get them into the confederate army? These men were most likely to be landless men and offering them land and slaves to work it, would seem like a reasonable recruiting tool.

 

[jepridgen]

There was an effort although no incentives were offered. I'm not a total expert, but there were two or three battalions of infantry recruited from prisoners later in the war after the cartel broke down. Most had limited ties to the US or were just desperate not to die in Andersonville. Many if not most deserted when they got close enough to Union forces to do so. They were very unreliable and rarely were employed in combat until desperation made it necessary. I'm sure someone on here can detail the "foreign legion" units. There might have been one or two occasions where small elements of these men performed their "duty" in a combat situation, but it was a rarity.

 

[leftyhunter]

With many immigrants among union Pows was any serious effort may to get them into the confederate army? These men were most likely to be landless men and offering them land and slaves to work it, would seem like a reasonable recruiting tool.

Only the Union Army sucessfully recruited POWs . The 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Union sucessfully recruited POWs from POW camps. The Confederacy had no land or slaves to offer anyone it was hard enough to keep slaves from running away as it was . The Union Army recruited a number of POWs as Galvanized Yankees to serve in cavalry units in the Far West. A few Confedrate POWs deserted but by the time they worked there way to Confedrate lines the war was almost over.
Leftyhunter

 

[danny]

Examples of CS units raised from among prisoners of war were Tucker's Regt (under Col Julius G. Tucker, formerly known as the 1st Foreign Bn), the 8th Bn Confed Infy (formerly known as the 2nd Foreign Bn), & O'Neill's or O'Neal's Regt (Col John G. O'Neill).

A report from Maj John H. Gee, cdg the military prison at Salisbury, dated 2/1/65, shows 1,737 Federal prisoners of war recruited into 3 Bns:
1st Foreign Bn [Tucker's Regt] 653
Maj Andrews' Bn [2nd Foreign Bn or 8th CS Bn] 677
Gen York's Bn 407
Total recruited 1,737

 

[Dan Kohli]

The 1st - 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry were manly recruited from pow camps. It appears that they were mostly sent out west.

 

[Rhea Cole]

As Sherman moved north through the Carolinas, starving Union POW's joined the CSA army. They were assigned to guard mills, etc. Needless to say, the hapless Yanks in gray surrendered without firing a shot.

Captors hardly knew what to do with what were turncoats, after all. The war was obviously winding down. The immediate fate of the gray coated Yankees seems to have depended on how much tolerance for paperwork their captors had. In the end, no matter how indifferent or vindictive their captors were, not starving in a filthy disease ridden POW camp was an improvement.

The CSA "galvanized yankees" who signed up with the proviso that they be sent to the Western Frontier were appalled to discover that they had signed regular 3 year papers. When the war ended, many of them thought they would be free to go home.

Plan 'A' was to hang around with a real chance of contributing your hair to a Lakota Dog Soldier's coupe stick or plan "B" beat feet for parts unknown. It is impossible to exaggerate just how bleak western garrison duty was in the 1860's. At Fort Hartsuff in the Nebraska Sand Hills, the guardhouse had more accommodations than the barracks.

Like their Yankee peers, their fate depended very much on the tolerance for paperwork as much as anything. Desertion rates upwards of 40% were common on the frontier. Men who had been brevet lieutenant colonels were reduced to their permanent rank of sergeant or lieutenant served time to qualify for a pension. Many were so debilitated by war wounds that they couldn't dress without aide. Applying for medical discharges was a constant occupation. The commander of Fort Hartsuff NB wasted away & died of his war wounds still firing off volleys of paperwork in his medical discharge attempt.

Because of the connection with Stones River, I have taken a particular interest in the Fetterman Massacre. At that time, soldiers would run off from what now seem absolutely preposterous places.

Note: Fort Hartsuff Nebraska State Historical Park is in Valley County NB. The fort's structures are in remarkable condition. A dedicated group of living historians portray all aspects of service on the frontier. It was partly maned by US Regular veterans of Stones river.

 

[DBT]

The CSA "galvanized yankees" who signed up with the proviso that they be sent to the Western Frontier were appalled to discover that they had signed regular 3 year papers. When the war ended, many of them thought they would be free to go home.

My ancestor from the 27th Mississippi was one of these "galvanized yankees." He was captured on Lookout Mountain and sent to prison at Rock Island where he was recruited into the Frontier Service. The last record I can find for him is his enlistment. He completely drops off the grid after that … no other historical record of any kind.

Two of his brothers made their way from NW Arkansas to across the border and deep into the Oklahoma Territory right after the war ended. They both fought for the union.

So I wonder if my "galvanized yankee" simply deserted at the first opportunity and made reunion with his brothers. And blended into the scenery to avoid any sort of retribution from the army that was likely always close by.

Dave

 

[Rhea Cole]

My ancestor from the 27th Mississippi was one of these "galvanized yankees." He was captured on Lookout Mountain and sent to prison at Rock Island where he was recruited into the Frontier Service. The last record I can find for him is his enlistment. He completely drops off the grid after that … no other historical record of any kind.

Two of his brothers made their way from NW Arkansas to across the border and deep into the Oklahoma Territory right after the war ended. They both fought for the union.

So I wonder if my "galvanized yankee" simply deserted at the first opportunity and made reunion with his brothers. And blended into the scenery to avoid any sort of retribution from the army that was likely always close by.

Dave

You probably have that right. My impression is that in the immediate post war there wasn't much desire to or money to spend chasing down deserters.

 

[CavRTO]

As Sherman moved north through the Carolinas, starving Union POW's joined the CSA army. They were assigned to guard mills, etc. Needless to say, the hapless Yanks in gray surrendered without firing a shot.

Captors hardly knew what to do with what were turncoats, after all. The war was obviously winding down. The immediate fate of the gray coated Yankees seems to have depended on how much tolerance for paperwork their captors had. In the end, no matter how indifferent or vindictive their captors were, not starving in a filthy disease ridden POW camp was an improvement.

The CSA "galvanized yankees" who signed up with the proviso that they be sent to the Western Frontier were appalled to discover that they had signed regular 3 year papers. When the war ended, many of them thought they would be free to go home.

Plan 'A' was to hang around with a real chance of contributing your hair to a Lakota Dog Soldier's coupe stick or plan "B" beat feet for parts unknown. It is impossible to exaggerate just how bleak western garrison duty was in the 1860's. At Fort Hartsuff in the Nebraska Sand Hills, the guardhouse had more accommodations than the barracks.

Like their Yankee peers, their fate depended very much on the tolerance for paperwork as much as anything. Desertion rates upwards of 40% were common on the frontier. Men who had been brevet lieutenant colonels were reduced to their permanent rank of sergeant or lieutenant served time to qualify for a pension. Many were so debilitated by war wounds that they couldn't dress without aide. Applying for medical discharges was a constant occupation. The commander of Fort Hartsuff NB wasted away & died of his war wounds still firing off volleys of paperwork in his medical discharge attempt.

Because of the connection with Stones River, I have taken a particular interest in the Fetterman Massacre. At that time, soldiers would run off from what now seem absolutely preposterous places.

Note: Fort Hartsuff Nebraska State Historical Park is in Valley County NB. The fort's structures are in remarkable condition. A dedicated group of living historians portray all aspects of service on the frontier. It was partly maned by US Regular veterans of Stones river.

Spot on about the western frontier. From what I've read, the average soldiers assigned to the west were not exactly the crème d la crème of society. Terrain, weather, housing, food, hostiles, monotony, loneliness, poor pay, etc. led to desertion, chronic morale problems, suicide, etc..

 

[leftyhunter]

With many immigrants among union Pows was any serious effort may to get them into the confederate army? These men were most likely to be landless men and offering them land and slaves to work it, would seem like a reasonable recruiting tool.

Only the Union Army sucessfully recruited POWs . The 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Union sucessfully recruited POWs from POW camps. The Confederacy had no land or slaves to offer anyone it was hard enough to keep slaves from running away as it was . The Union Army recruited a number of POWs as Galvanized Yankees to serve in cavalry units in the Far West. A few Confedrate POWs deserted but by the time they worked there way to Confedrate lines the war was almost over.

Examples of CS units raised from among prisoners of war were Tucker's Regt (under Col Julius G. Tucker, formerly known as the 1st Foreign Bn), the 8th Bn Confed Infy (formerly known as the 2nd Foreign Bn), & O'Neill's or O'Neal's Regt (Col John G. O'Neill).

A report from Maj John H. Gee, cdg the military prison at Salisbury, dated 2/1/65, shows 1,737 Federal prisoners of war recruited into 3 Bns:
1st Foreign Bn [Tucker's Regt] 653
Maj Andrews' Bn [2nd Foreign Bn or 8th CS Bn] 677
Gen York's Bn 407
Total recruited 1,737

Which doesn't mean much if they desert at the first available opportunity.
Leftyhunter

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

There was an effort although no incentives were offered. I'm not a total expert, but there were two or three battalions of infantry recruited from prisoners later in the war after the cartel broke down. Most had limited ties to the US or were just desperate not to die in Andersonville. Many if not most deserted when they got close enough to Union forces to do so. They were very unreliable and rarely were employed in combat until desperation made it necessary. I'm sure someone on here can detail the "foreign legion" units. There might have been one or two occasions where small elements of these men performed their "duty" in a combat situation, but it was a rarity.

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

Why does it seem like there were no galvanized Confederates? | Questions? Ask Here! No Stone Left Unturned!

The Union recruited volunteers from Confederates held at Prisoner of War camps. With the man power shortages the Confederacy suffered from, was there any movement to recruit Confederate volunteers from Union prisoners they held?

civilwartalk.com

 

[Rhea Cole]

Only the Union Army sucessfully recruited POWs . The 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Union sucessfully recruited POWs from POW camps. The Confederacy had no land or slaves to offer anyone it was hard enough to keep slaves from running away as it was . The Union Army recruited a number of POWs as Galvanized Yankees to serve in cavalry units in the Far West. A few Confedrate POWs deserted but by the time they worked there way to Confedrate lines the war was almost over.

Which doesn't mean much if they desert at the first available opportunity.
Leftyhunter

You are so right. These guys who had been desperate enough to turn costs to save their lives weren't about to die fighting for a lost cause. I haven't read an account of them firing a single shot at the advancing Yankees.

 

[leftyhunter]

You are so right. These guys who had been desperate enough to turn costs to save their lives weren't about to die fighting for a lost cause. I haven't read a single account of them firing a single shot at the advancing Yankees.

It was a few years ago but someone posted an account of Barksdales regiment recruiting Union POWs from Camp Salisbury and they actually fired a few rounds at Union troops before surrendering. Not known if their shots connected.
Bonus points if anyone knows if the US Army recruited POWs to fight post ACW because indeed they did but PM me because it's quite a bit post ACW.
Leftyhunter

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Foreign-born Union POWs took part on the Confederate side at The Battle of Salisbury during Stoneman's raid into North Carolina & Virginia in April 1865.

Stoneman's 1865 Raid - Essential Civil War Curriculum

 

[leftyhunter]

Foreign-born Union POWs took part on the Confederate side at The Battle of Salisbury during Stoneman's raid into North Carolina & Virginia in April 1865.

https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/stonemans-1865-raid.html[/URL

http://

Foreign-born Union POWs took part on the Confederate side at The Battle of Salisbury during Stoneman's raid into North Carolina & Virginia in April 1865.

Stoneman's 1865 Raid - Essential Civil War Curriculum

Stoneman's Raid: Salisbury and the Yadkin River Bridge

200 Union POWs who most likely quickly ran away is does not an impressive force make . It's going to take effort to find a group of Union POWs who fought with skill and courage for the Confederacy vs just running away when shots are fired.
Lefyyhunter

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

National Archives NextGen Catalog

The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.

catalog.archives.gov

John A. Smedburg Resident of Gloucester, MA. enlisted 8/14/1861 into Company D 17th MA Infantry. He re-enlisted on 12/4/1863. POW 2/1/1864 Batchelder's Creek, NC. He was discharged on 6/17/1865 at Camp Chase, OH. In 1882 John applied for a pension, as did his widow, Mary, in 1897.