Foreign fighters at Gettysburg?

[Samuel.Sohm]

Looks like the polish have invaded Gettysburg for the re-enactment. Interesting story:
http://news.yahoo.com/remembering-gettysburg-non-americans-join-fray-154507289.html

 

[AndyHall]

And the Japanese, too:

Expired Image Removed
Satomi Okada, 52, pulls her hair back as she transfers chicken thighs from a cast iron skillet to a soup pot under the guidance of re-enactor Candy Girard, 62 of Omaha, Neb., at the Blue Gray Alliance's re-enactment camp outside Gettysburg, Pa., on Friday, June 28, 2013. Okada, who is from Kobe, Japan, has a three-month tourist visa and is trying to learn what she can about the Civil War, which in Japan is called "the North-South War." A Minnesota friend of hers is re-enacting, and brought her along for the ride. Okada will be a "powder monkey" -- assisting with the cannons -- with Terry's Texas Rangers Company H during the re-enactments. Some women did go to war -- incognito -- with their brothers, fathers or husbands during the Civil War, and more than a few female re-enactors today are portraying that by abandoning the hoop skirts and petticoats in favor of men's wear and artillery. Daily Record/Sunday News -- Chris Dunn.

[I think the caption got garbled, as Terry's Rangers did not have artillery, and were nowhere near Gettysburg.]

 

[Samuel.Sohm]

Interesting!

 

[leftyhunter]

I didn't know that foreigners( at least a handful) were interested in our CW. I didn't know that there was a CSA Polish brigade I knew some Poles fought for the Union. I don't know how many men the Polish brigade had thus was it really a brigade? I do know quite a few Union soldiers and some from the CSA were non citizens.
Leftyhunter

 

[ole]

We have or had CWT members from Poland.

 

[Samuel.Sohm]

CW re-enacting seems really popular in the UK. I have seen at least a dozen videos on youtube about Englishmen re-enacting our CW over there.

 

[Union_Buff]

I'm probably the only New Zealander who does American Civil War reenacting

 

[godofredus]

I am trying to trace the info from above - no luck yet. Being from Chicago which has more Poles than Warsaw, I am particularly sensitive to Polish claims. Few folk know that American Poles enlisted in the French Army in WW I before we declared war.
The first units were formed after the signing of a 1917 alliance by French President Raymond Poincaré and the Polish statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. A majority of recruits were either Poles serving in the French army, or former prisoners of war from the German and Austro-Hungarian imperial armies (approximately 35,000 men). An additional 23,000 were Polish Americans. Other Poles flocked to the army from all over the world as well — these units included recruits from the former Russian Expeditionary Force in France and the Polish diaspora in Brazil (more than 300 men).
(Wiki / polish legions)
There seems to have been a Polish legion recruited in New York for the War of the Rebellion as the 58th New York. There is a little info on that unit, which seems to have been a sort of United Nations of men - Danes, Germans, Poles, Germans, etc. but it is not clear who was there. There is a monument to the 58th New York at Gettysburg
The monument of Col. W. Krzyzanowski Brigade stands near the 26th Wisconsin monument. It inscribed the events that took place with within the four days of the Battles at Gettysburg. The inscriptions read: Army of the Potomac, Eleventh Corps, Third Division, Second Brigade, Col. W. Krzyzanowski, 58th New York, 119th New York, (many others).
Pictures of the monuments should belong in the Monuments section but can be seen at Gettysburg Monuments.

 

[godofredus]

Still more on the 14th Louisiana:

HISTORY OF THE REAL 14th LOUISIANA INFANTRY
Raised initially on June 1861 and under the command of Col. Valery Sulakowski who had received the task to form a regiment of all polish soldiers, by this a first nickname of "1st Polish Brigade" ( "2nd Polish Brigade" was 15th Louisiana ). Sulakowski failed in his task and the regiment was composed by companies formed by men of different nationalities among which: Italians, Irish, Germans, French, Polish and others.

​

( Col. V. Sulakowski )​

14th Louisiana was formed on August 24th 1861 at Camp Pulaski, near Amite (La.), with the numeration of "13th Louisiana Volunteers". Among the various companies of volunteers that formed the regiment there were also the "Avegno Rifles" which after will be part of company G.
The regiment was soon sent to the front of the Virginia and it reached Yorktown on September 1861. Here the not so popular Col Sulakowski resigned angry for not being promoted to Brigade General and at his place was appointed commanding officer Col. Zebulon York ( in the picture below ) that would lead the regiment for the next two years winning the respect of his soldiers.
On September 21st 1861 the department of the war changed the numeration of the regiment that became the 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment and so entered in effective service in the Northern Virginia Army.
The regiment fought in the defense of Yorktown (April 1862), taking part to the battle of Williamsburg (5 May) and limitedly also to the battle of Seven Pines (just on June 1st).
In the following days, during the seven days campaign, the 14th was also participating to the battles of Mechanicsville (26 June), Gaines ' Mill (27 June), Frayser's farm (30 June). During this campaign the regiment suffered 243 losses among dead, wounded and prisoners.
On July 26 the 14th was inserted in the first brigade of Louisiana together with 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th regiment.
During the battle of Cedar Mountain (9 August) it had only a brief skirmish.
In the campaign of 2dn Manassas the 14thLouisiana fought in the battle of Bristoe Station (26 August), Kattle Run (27 August) and 2nd Manassas (29-30 August); the casualties were 49 and also Col. York was seriously wounded while driving the charge of the regiment at 2nd Manassas, Lt.Col. David Zable will command the regiment until march 1863.

​

( Col. Zebulon York )​

At Antietam (17 September) the regiment suffered 53 losses.
On October 1862 the 14th joined the second brigade of Louisiana with 1st, 2nd, 10th, 15th regiments and from that moment on it served always framed in this unit.
At the battle in Fredericksburg (13 December) the regiment was in reserve having just a brief skirmish the next day.
During the battle of Chancerrolsville (May 2-3, 1863) the second brigade of Louisiana participated at the attack of the Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson toward the side of the Union army. In the battle of Winchester (15 June) the regiment captured over 300 men of the 67th Pennsylvania.
During the battle of Gettysburg (1-3 July) the 14th participated in the assault of Culp's Hill (2-3 July) where it brought 65 losses. ---

This what comes from googling 14th Louisiana Volunteer Infantry. Probably more than you really want to know. I did find it interesting that the large number of "foreign fighters" came from New Orleans area.

 

[Davidkmendel]

I

I'm probably the only New Zealander who does American Civil War reenacting

have to reenact on my own in Tasmania. I have been marching around but yet to see any sign of enemy movements.

 

[Union_Buff]

I have to reenact on my own in Tasmania. I have been marching around but yet to see any sign of enemy movements.

What unit are you with David?

 

[Davidkmendel]

What unit are you with David?

I am reenacting as a crew member of the CSS Shenandoah who jumped ship in Victoria then made his way to Tasmania.

 

[Union_Buff]

I am reenacting as a crew member of the CSS Shenandoah who jumped ship in Victoria then made his way to Tasmania.

I reenact as a New Zealand-born American who joins the Confederate Army and ends up serving as an artilleryman who, by the grace of God, survives all the way from First Manassas to Appomattox.

 

[TinCan]

Dave,
keep up the good work, your giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, "doing picket duty".