Lynn, Only one in ten Union soldiers enlisted because of a strong desire to see the slaves freed. Most of them if asked would have said that they were fighting to preserve the Union. Some of them at least thought about deserting after Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation- they didn't care to risk their lives in a crusade to free the slaves. Some of them changed their minds after actually seeing conditions in the South, but initially few would have fought to free the slaves. The ironic thing in light of your question is that German-Americans were more, not less likely than native-born Americans to feel an obligation to help fight to free the slaves. Many German-Americans were ex-revolutionaries who had fled Germany after their own bid to win their freedom from German princes had failed in 1848-1849. An individual's attitude about slavery wasn't the point, however. There was a draft on both sides during the Civil War, and men were indeed compelled to serve. While there was prejudice against German-Americans in the ranks, and some Union soldiers could in fact speak no English, requiring American citizens or those who had begun the naturalization process to serve in the army was not a prejudicial action, not when every man was subject to the draft. It's true certainly that wealthy men could buy their way out of serving by the substitution or commutation processes, but poor men whether American or foreign-born could still have been compelled to serve. Family men, too, could be compelled to serve- able-bodied men 18-45 years of age were subject to the draft in the North- by the end of war, it was able-bodied men 17-50 in the South. I suppose it's possible that Ludwig was allowed to avoid service- although I have found that "family stories" need to be verified with documentation, as they aren't always true. The authorities may have decided because of his reactions to the induction process that he was not fit mentally to serve in the army. But the real point is that they could have compelled him to serve- and jailed or even shot him for refusing to do so. Tom > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <HTHS57@aol.com> > To: <ILSTCLAI-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 11:08 AM > Subject: [ILSTCLAI] German immigrants in the Civil War > > > We have a family story about our immigrant ancestor, Ludwig Louis Engel > who came to St Clair county as a teenager by himself before 1850. He was > born > in 1833 and his parents had both died when he was six. He married happily > in > 1855 and had several children by the time of the Civil War. The story is > that > he was literally taken from his family and ordered to fight. He cried so > long and hard, he was dismissed and sent home by foot. > > Are their any other such stories? Was this a sign of prejudice by those > born in America? He would not have been interested in the issue of slavery > whatsoever. It would have been years before his politcal interests took > hold. Before 1860 his father-in-law had suffered through some illegal > actions > against the property he owned. > > Are these things part of a pattern? There were so many soldiers from St > Clair County. Was there a local dynamic against those who did not and > would not serve. A thirty year old father from German would not have wanted > to > leave his family unless they were in danger directly and physically. How > good was > his English at that point? Did he even have interactions with English > speaking > people at that time? Did he care whether the South seceded? Did his > friends > and neighbors care? > > Thanks so much for any thoughts or data about this slant. > Lynn Phifer

Tom, nice reply, and quite correct. I had four g grandfathers serve in the Civil War and I have numerous awards and medals that they received. One award received from the state of Maine states IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNION. No where does any award state anything about freeing the slaves. However when I studied American history in Massachusetts they emphasized it was a war to free the slaves. My theory on this is that after the war when historians looked at the horrendous death toll and the complete destruction of the south the war could not be justified by saying it was done to preserve the union, but it could be justified if we were to say it was fought to free an enslaved people. In any event our conscience was catching up with us and with or without the war slavery would have soon been abolished. Brazil had the largest slave population and those slaves were freed without going to war. Herbert A Rideout Fallbrook, CA ----- Original Message ----- From: <PEAR1236@cs.com> To: <ILSTCLAI-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 5:17 AM Subject: Re: Fw: [ILSTCLAI] German immigrants in the Civil War > Lynn, > > Only one in ten Union soldiers enlisted because of a strong desire to see > the > slaves freed. Most of them if asked would have said that they were > fighting > to preserve the Union. Some of them at least thought about deserting > after > Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation- they didn't care > to > risk their lives in a crusade to free the slaves. Some of them changed > their > minds after actually seeing conditions in the South, but initially few > would > have fought to free the slaves. The ironic thing in light of your question > is > that German-Americans were more, not less likely than native-born > Americans to > feel an obligation to help fight to free the slaves. Many > German-Americans were > ex-revolutionaries who had fled Germany after their own bid to win their > freedom from German princes had failed in 1848-1849. > > An individual's attitude about slavery wasn't the point, however. There > was > a draft on both sides during the Civil War, and men were indeed compelled > to > serve. While there was prejudice against German-Americans in the ranks, > and > some Union soldiers could in fact speak no English, requiring American > citizens > or those who had begun the naturalization process to serve in the army was > not > a prejudicial action, not when every man was subject to the draft. It's > true > certainly that wealthy men could buy their way out of serving by the > substitution or commutation processes, but poor men whether American or > foreign-born > could still have been compelled to serve. Family men, too, could be > compelled > to serve- able-bodied men 18-45 years of age were subject to the draft in > the > North- by the end of war, it was able-bodied men 17-50 in the South. > > I suppose it's possible that Ludwig was allowed to avoid service- although > I > have found that "family stories" need to be verified with documentation, > as > they aren't always true. The authorities may have decided because of his > reactions to the induction process that he was not fit mentally to serve > in the > army. But the real point is that they could have compelled him to serve- > and > jailed or even shot him for refusing to do so. > > Tom > > >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <HTHS57@aol.com> >> To: <ILSTCLAI-L@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 11:08 AM >> Subject: [ILSTCLAI] German immigrants in the Civil War >> >> >> We have a family story about our immigrant ancestor, Ludwig Louis Engel >> who came to St Clair county as a teenager by himself before 1850. He was >> born >> in 1833 and his parents had both died when he was six. He married >> happily >> in >> 1855 and had several children by the time of the Civil War. The story is >> that >> he was literally taken from his family and ordered to fight. He cried >> so >> long and hard, he was dismissed and sent home by foot. >> >> Are their any other such stories? Was this a sign of prejudice by those >> born in America? He would not have been interested in the issue of >> slavery >> whatsoever. It would have been years before his politcal interests took >> hold. Before 1860 his father-in-law had suffered through some illegal >> actions >> against the property he owned. >> >> Are these things part of a pattern? There were so many soldiers from St >> Clair County. Was there a local dynamic against those who did not and >> would not serve. A thirty year old father from German would not have >> wanted >> to >> leave his family unless they were in danger directly and physically. How >> good was >> his English at that point? Did he even have interactions with English >> speaking >> people at that time? Did he care whether the South seceded? Did his >> friends >> and neighbors care? >> >> Thanks so much for any thoughts or data about this slant. >> Lynn Phifer > >