10/10/64 Charleston, Hardee to Gen Cooper-600 of the pows at Florence, foreigners, have enlisted. Perhaps with those at Savannah 2 Regts may be organized. I suggest that suitable officers be selected by the President to organize the command-the Regt at Florence. Maj H Bryan & Capt J H Brooks have not reported.
1/16/65 Mi Div of the West S O #8-Col John O'Neill 10
th Tenn was directed to the Federal prisoner depots in Ga, NC, SC & Virginia to enlist Irish & other foreigners willing to join.
1/16/65 S O #8 Div of the West-Col O'Neal to visit the various prison camps for attempting to recruit the Irish & other foreigners
2/2/65
Montgomery-Col O'Neal [10
th Tenn] reached here with 200 enlisted Irishmen in desperate need of clothing
Ultimately 4 units of foreigners were recruited:
Brooks' Bn-organized 10/10/64 from prisoners held at Florence, SC & served in McLaws' Div until 12/18/64 when it was returned to Florence due to desertions & mutiny.
Tucker's CSA Regt-recruited from pows at Florence, Salisbury, NC & Richmond. Organized 10/16/64 as 1
st Foreign Bn later increase to Regt size & renamed the
1st Foreign Legion & finally renamed Tucker's Confederate Regt on 2/28/65
2/28 Richmond-XXV- The 10 Co's composing the 1st Foreign Bn, P A, C. S., are hereby constituted a Regt, to be known as Tucker's Confederate Regt.
10/28/64 Mary Chestnut diary-10/28 Columbia- Next to our house, which Isabella calls "Tillytudlem," since Mr. Davis's visit, is a common of green grass & very level, beyond which comes a belt of pine-trees. On this open space, within forty paces of us, a Regt of foreign deserters has camped. They have taken the oath of allegiance to our Gov't, & are now being drilled & disciplined into form before being sent to our army. They are mostly Germans, with some Irish, however. Their close proximity keeps me miserable. Traitors once, traitors forever
Tucker's Infy Regt, formerly the 1st Foreign Bn Infy, was organized in Dec 1864, with British nationals. For a time, the unit served in the Dept of SC, Ga, & Fla, then was transferred to the Army of Tenn. It participated in the NC Campaign & was included in the surrender on 4/26/65. The Regt was commanded by Col J. G. Tucker.
8th CS Bn-recruited from prisoners held at Florence, SC & organized 12/26/64 as 2
nd Foreign Bn & later as 2
nd Foreign Legion until renamed the 8
th Confederate Bn 2/13/65
2/13/65 S O #36 the 10 Co's raised by Maj Andrews will be known as the 2
nd Foreign Bn
-following officers elected as shown in the 2
nd Foreign Bn to rank from 12/27/64
Co A-Capt Fouche
Co B-Capt Barrett
C-D-E-F also listed
To be known as the 2
nd Foreign Bn
[Entry is under J B Hoge]
James T. Wallace Diary. Southern Historical Collection, University of NC, Chapel Hill
About two months before the war came to an end, letters show the CS defense
beginning to unravel. In
this letter dated Feb 15, 1865, the mayor of Charlotte wrote to the Sec of War asking that a group of paroled Union soldiers be removed from their city. "We have now deposited here for safety some millions of specie*, the property of the Gov't, & the specie & money of the Banks. A Regt of paroled Yankees called the Foreign Legion has been quartered here & have today pillaged several houses & committed robbery in open day. Will you order them to be removed, or shall they destroy the public property," wrote Mayor S. A. Harris.
3/23/65 Lt Col Garnet Andrews would like to withdraw his application to be Col of 2
nd Foreign Bn & returned to duty as Maj & AG. Says the enemy troops of the Bn can never be trusted & are thus reassigned to the Pioneers. The resumption of pow exchange means they will never be filled up to a Regt. Capt Fourche to be Lt Col in my stead-I have never been in command of them.
3/27/65 S O #23 the 2
nd foreign Bn will hereafter be known as the 8
th Confederate Bn of Infy
3/28/65 S O #73 the 2
nd foreign Bn will hereafter be known as the 8
th Confederate Bn of Infy
10TH TENN REGT was recruited from prisoners in Ga, beginning with about 250 men in Oct & Nov 1864. Initially, recruitment was limited to Irish & other foreign immigrants, but when few agreed, native-born Union soldiers were enlisted. The 10th Tenn recruited about 150 Andersonville prisoners in Jan 1865, & 165 more in March 1865. The recruits were required to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. Organized as Burke's Bn, 10th Tenn, they were part of a force sent by Col William W. Wier toward Tupelo to repel a raid along the Mobile & Ohio RR by Union Cav commanded by Brig Gen Grierson. Burke's Bn & other units blocked the tracks at Egypt Station near Aberdeen, Miss. On the evening of 12/27/64, six men deserted & made their way to Union lines, where they reported the presence of the former prisoners. After a battle the next day, Grierson's forces captured more than 500 prisoners, including 253 former Union soldiers from Burke's Bn.
Grierson's prisoners were shipped by steamer to the Union prison camp at Alton, Ill, where claims that the prisoners desired restoration to their original units were investigated. On March 5, 1865, Gen Grenville Dodge recommended that all the former Union soldiers & some CS troops be enlisted in the U.S. Vols for service in the West. Dodge's recommendation was accepted, & the prisoners were permitted to enlist in the 5th & 6th U.S. Vols.
Expedition from East Tenn into Southwestern Virginia & Western NC
4/19/65 Charlotte, Hqs 8
th Bn CS Infy, Capt Fouch cdg, to Lt Col Falconer, AAG Army of Tenn-In pursuance of order from Brig-Gen Gardner this Bn, commanded by Maj G. Andrews, arrived at Salisbury, 7 o'clock on the morning of the 12th. Before the Bn could be fully armed the troops then defending the place began to give way. Maj Andrews, as soon as four Co's had procured arms & twenty rounds of ammunition, took them & hurried to the front, leaving Capt Napier in command of the two remaining Co's.
Upon getting near the scene of action, it was discovered that the enemy had turned the flank & our troops were met going to the rear in great disorder. Without staff officers or couriers to direct, Maj Andrews threw the Bn into line to receive the Cav which was coming down on us at the charge. The men stood well, & had there been troops enough on the field to contend with the enemy would have distinguished themselves; but being hemmed in on all sides, the most of the Bn was captured.
Capt Fouch, cdg Co A, was sent to the right of the line & succeeded in getting out with a few men. Capt Napier, with the two remaining Co's, met the enemy in the streets, checked them, & then attempted to cover the retreat of four pieces of Arty which had taken the Gads' Hill road, but was unsuccessful. Capt Napier & Lt Leftwich made their escape from the enemy two days after capture & are now present.
This affair leaves the Bn at present with forty men present for duty, &, should we be successful in getting back the wounded now at Salisbury, can reach seventy-five muskets. The men were all foreigners & mercenaries, & it is not probable that any of the captured will ever return. They will serve any Gov't for food & clothing. Maj Andrews was painfully wounded with the saber & pistol in the affair, & I forward this statement & respectfully submit that it would be to the interest of the service to dispose of the men & officers at once.
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