The Civil War

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The Civil War
For minorities, as for other Americans, the Civil War was an
opportunity to prove their valor and loyalty. Among the first mustered
into the Union Army were a De Kalb regiment of German American clerks, the
Garibakdi Guards made up of Italian Americans, a "Polish Legion," and
hundreds of Irish American youths form Boston and New York. But in Ohio
and Washington, D.C., African American volunteers were turned away from
recruiting stations and told, "This is a white man's war." Some citizens
questioned the loyalty of immigrants who lived in crowded city tenements
until an Italian American from Brooklyn turned that around. In the New
York Senate, Democrat Francis Spinola had been a vigorous foe of Republican
policies and Lincoln. But now he swore his loyalty with stirring words,
"This is my flag, which I will follow and defend." This speech gave great
assurance that the masses in the great cities were devoted to the Union and
ready to enlist for its defense.
More than 400,000 European immigrants fought for the Union,
including more than 170,00 Germans and more than 150,00 Irish. Many saw
their services as a proud sacrifice. The first officer to die for the
Union was Captain Constatin Blandowski, one of many immigrants who earlier
had fought for freedom in Europe and then joined Lincoln's army. Born in
Upper Silesia and trained at Dresden, Germany, he was a veteran of
democratic struggles - a Polish revolt at Krakow, the Polish Legion's
battl...

Submitted by: digitalessays
Date Submitted: 01-02-07 9:23pm
Category: History
Words: 581
Pages: 2.32