The Skedaddle Gaurd

[major bill]

Americans dodging the draft during the Vietnam War were not the first Americans to go to Canada.

" The number of "skedaddlers" as the are familiarly called - men who run away from the United States to escape the draft - is daily increasing in Windsor, though for the honor of Michigan, we are happy to say, are by no means all from the State, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and even Iowa present their fair share. It is estimated there are now in Windsor over four hundred of the scape graces."

The article goes on and states that there may be up to 1000 in Windsor and large numbers in Amherstburg, Sandwich and Chatham.

 

[Don Dixon]

Then, there were the Canadians who came across the border to fight for freedom. Among the solders of the 4th Rhode Island Infantry, for example, was Lieutenant Calixa Lavallée, who had been born in Verchéres, Quebec. In 1880 he composed the Canadian national anthem, O Canada.

Regards,
Don Dixon

 

[major bill]

I would have to look up the source, but it has been estimated that 10,000 men out of the 90,000 men Michigan's sent to war were from Canada.

 

[jackt62]

I would have to look up the source, but it has been estimated that 10,000 men out of the 90,000 men Michigan's sent to war were from Canada.

If so, many thanks to Canada!

 

[major bill]

The problem with the Michigan numbers is that Canadians wanted to join the U.S. Army but were not legally able to do so. The recruiting officers in Michigan were having trouble getting enough recruits and at times the recruiters bent the rules. For example some recruiters had already filled out enlistment papers to show the recruit came from Wisconsin or some other state and all the recruit had to do was give the recruiter a name and sign the enlistment papers. It would be very difficult for Michiagn officials to check to see if the man was really from a small town in Wisconsin or if the man was from Canada.

 

[KansasFreestater]

Then, there were the Canadians who came across the border to fight for freedom. Among the solders of the 4th Rhode Island Infantry, for example, was Lieutenant Calixa Lavallée, who had been born in Verchéres, Quebec. In 1880 he composed the Canadian national anthem, O Canada.

Regards,
Don Dixon

That is SOOO cool! I'd love to see a whole thread about that guy -- and about the whole topic of Canadians who fought in the ACW in general. Would love to know their reasons. I suspect some were just mercenaries -- but I imagine others were, like so many German immigrants, idealists who wanted to fight for freedom and justice.

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

Wiki <spit> he say (after pointing out that "Canada" by that name did not exist until 1867):

The best recent estimates are that between 33,000 and 55,000 men from British North America (BNA) served in the Union army, and a few hundred in the Confederate army. Many of these men already lived in the United States; they were joined by volunteers signed up in Canada by Union recruiters.

Canada refused to return approximately 15,000 American deserters and draft dodgers.

29 Canadian-born men were awarded the Medal of Honor

 

[Tom Elmore]

Some soldiers of Canadian birth who served at Gettysburg:

CSA
1Lt Archibald D. McInnis, 4th Alabama
Pvt Henry Quintin, 15th Alabama
Sgt James McLaughlin, 21st Mississippi (killed)
Pvt James Lewis, 5th Louisiana (wounded, captured)
Capt Frederick Richardson, 5th Louisiana, born Montreal (killed)
Pvt Thomas Jones, 7th Louisiana (captured at Falling Waters)
Pvt William E. Mills, 7th Louisiana (went awol after the battle)
Pvt John Stokes, 7th Louisiana (captured)
Pvt F. R. Cunningham, 8th Louisiana (captured)
Pvt Moses Lefave, 8th Louisiana (captured at Williamsport)
Pvt Henri Marceille, 8th Louisiana
Pvt Charles J. Holmes, 10th Louisiana (captured)

USA
Cpl Alexander Clark, 2nd Wisconsin (wounded)
Sgt William Murray, 24th Michigan, born 1840, Kingston, Ontario (wounded)
Capt George C. Gordon, 24th Michigan (wounded)
Assistant Surgeon James William Sibley, 95th New York, born Nova Scotia
Pvt James S. Hawkins, 97th New York, born Trafalgar, near Oakville, Ontario 24 Dec 1822 (wounded)
Pvt Adolphus Guinnetts, 13th Vermont (wounded)
Pvt Augustus Shontell, 13th Vermont, born North Hlaty 12 Jan 1841
Pvt Joseph Simmons, 13th Vermont, born Quebec (mortally wounded)
Pvt William J. March, 13th Vermont (mortally wounded)
Pvt Loomis M. Bentley, 13th Vermont (wounded)
Cpl James L. Martin, 13th Vermont (mortally wounded)
Pvt Ezra Keyes, 13th Vermont, born Potten (wounded)
Pvt James Halloway, 13th Vermont (wounded)
Pvt Oliver Parazon, 13th Vermont (wounded)
Pvt John Brunelle, 14th Vermont (killed)
Pvt Antoine Dachno, 14th Vermont, born St. Johns (wounded)
Pvt William H. Gee, 16th Vermont (wounded)
Pvt Joseph Ashley, 16th Vermont, born Quebec (killed)
Pvt John Butcher, 5th New Hampshire (wounded)
Pvt Joseph Gravelle, 5th New Hampshire (wounded)
Pvt Charles F. Pope, 15th Massachusetts (captured)
Sgt Amable Beaudry, 15th Massachusetts, born Quebec (missing)
Pvt Joseph Pecot, 15th Massachusetts, (wounded)
Pvt Thomas Horn, 15th Massachusetts, born New Brunswick (killed)
Pvt Francis Santom, 15th Massachusetts (killed)
Pvt Charles Murray, 15th Massachusetts, born Montreal (wounded)
2nd Lt Samuel E. Bucknam, 19th Maine, born Penfield, New Brunswick (wounded)
1st Sgt David Lord, 1st Minnesota, born 1835 (wounded)
Pvt John D. Densmore, 1st Minnesota, born Magudadic, New Brunswick 1841 (wounded)
Pvt John E. Ellsworth, 1st Minnesota, born Montreal 4 Jun 1841 (mortally wounded)
Pvt Daniel Clancy, 1st Minnesota, born Prince Edward Island 1834 (wounded)
Cpl Mathew F. Taylor, 1st Minnesota, born New Brunswick 2 Jan 1837 (wounded)
Pvt Benjamin Fenton, 1st Minnesota, born New Brunswick 1839 (wounded)
Pvt Jonas R. Hill, 1st Minnesota, born New Brunswick 4 Jan 1831 (wounded)
Pvt Elijah Weaver, 1st Minnesota, born New Brunswick 19 Mar 1829 (wounded)
2nd Lt James DeGray, 1st Minnesota, born Huntington County, East Canada 12 Mar 1840 (wounded)
Pvt George Magee, 1st Minnesota, born Prescott, western Canada 26 Dec 1839 (wounded)
1st Lt George Boyd, 1st Minnesota, born New Brunswick 1831 (wounded)
Pvt Alonzo H. Pickle, 1st Minnesota, born Farnham, Quebec 2 Jul 1843 (wounded)
Cpl Luke Kelly, 7th West Virginia (killed)
Pvt Patrick Kelly, 7th West Virginia (wounded)
1st Lt Henry Sloane, 7th West Virginia (wounded)
Pvt Francis Belflow, 69th Pennsylvania, born Montreal (wounded)
Sgt John W. Hayes, 19th Massachusetts, born St. John's, Newfoundland (wounded)
Sgt Patrick Nolan, 19th Massachusetts, born Halifax, Nova Scotia (wounded)
Pvt Exor Oliver, 19th Massachusetts, born Compton (wounded)
2nd Lt John Kelliher, 20th Massachusetts, born New Brunswick (wounded)
Sgt William Jameson, 42nd New York, born Montreal (wounded)
Pvt Robert McVety, 108th New York, born Kingston 1844 (wounded)
Cpl William Box, 108th New York, born Ontario 1844 (wounded)
Cpl Henry Bufton, 108th New York, born Three Rivers 26 Dec 1844 (wounded)
Surgeon Francis M. Wafer, 108th New York, born near Kingston, studied at Queen's Medical College, Kingston, Ontario
Archibald Campbell, Battery B, 1st New York Artillery (wounded)
Pvt Reuben Atkins, 16th Massachusetts, born Nova Scotia (wounded)
Pvt Abner C. Jones, 12th New Hamphire, born Stanstead (missing)
Cpl James Hagan, 2nd New Hampshire, born St. Sylvester (wounded)
Pvt George Burt, 2nd New Hampshire, born Quebec (wounded)
Sgt Martin Lavall, 7th Michigan, born Hastings Co., Ontario (wounded)
Cpl John Donnally, 7th Michigan (wounded)
2nd Lt Albert Slafter, 7th Michigan, born Bolton (killed)
Pvt William D. Hammonds, 14th U.S., born East Hamburg (mortally wounded)
Pvt Thomas Lawlave, 7th U.S., born East Canada (mortally wounded)
Pvt Albert Mattice, 11th U.S., born Russell (mortally wounded)
Pvt Napoleon Dubue, 11th U.S. (mortally wounded)
Pvt Allen V. Blissville, 6th Maine, born New Brunswick, Canada
Pvt Robinson Kitching, 6th Maine, born Fred'ick'n, New Brunswick
Pvt Cornelius McCaffrey, 2nd Massachusetts (wounded)
Pvt Charles Santaus, 60th New York (wounded)
Capt Jesse Henry Jones, 60th New York, born Belleville, Ontario 29 Mar 1836
Pvt Peter Michaud, Battery K, 4th U.S. (detached from 10th Maine Battalion), born Canada East
Pvt Samuel W. Reynolds, 5th Michigan Cavalry, born London, Ontario (wounded)
Pvt William R. Frazier, 5th Michigan Cavalry, born La Riviere aux Ecorses