THE WELSH IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by CL1, Jan 9, 2017.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    THE WELSH IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
    • [​IMG]
    • News Report about men from Merthyr Tydfil in the Union Army
    In the four years between April 1861 and April 1865, the United States of America was torn apart by the events of the Civil War. The Welsh in the America very strongly backed Abraham Lincoln and the Union, for a variety of reasons. Over 90% of the Welsh-born immigrants in 1860 lived in the North-East; the Welsh Press in general (and in particular the powerful denominational journals) were emphatically anti-slavery. As a result, whereas it is possible to identify several thousand Union soldiers as being Welsh (either Welsh-born, or Welsh-speaking American-born), but only a dozen or so Welsh soldiers who fought for the Confederacy.

    During the four years of the conflict, the Welsh-language press in both Wales and America is dominated by news of the war. In addition to news reports from official sources, the newspapers contain hundreds of letters written by Welsh soldiers in the front line, and dozens of obituaries of Welsh soldiers who gave their lives for the Union cause. Only one example has come to light of an obituary to a Welsh Confederate soldier in the Welsh-language press.

    • [​IMG]
    • Baner America
    The Welsh-language press in both Wales and America reported the deaths of dozens of Welsh soldiers during the four years of the Civil War. These include obituaries of Welshmen who fell at almost all of the major battles of the conflict : Bull Run; Shiloh; Antietam; Vicksburg; Gettysburg; the Wilderness; Petersburg. Other reports mourn the deaths of Welsh soldiers from their wounds - sometimes several weeks after the actual battle - while many more report deaths from disease. Some died as prisoners of war, including the Confederacy's notorious Andersonville camp.
    Welsh American Index


    Welsh soldiers who fought in the American Civil War
     
    canuck, Puttenham, Deacs and 2 others like this.
  2. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    On the Touristy side of things: Take a vacation to Wales | Visit Wales

    There's a nice little blog here: Paul Robeson, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Coal Miners of Wales : Blog Series : News and Features

    About "Paul Robeson, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Coal Miners of Wales"

    A lot of the Welsh went to the Americas, as well as elsewhere, to mine coal.

    Welsh Americans - Wikipedia

    Has this:

    [​IMG]

    So I assume - for example central Alaska has something someone was after underground, maybe coal, or gold.. :unsure:

    And: American's in Wales in WW2 - Google Search

    ...A while ago I heard some relatives commenting nice things on the American GI's in Wales during WW2 and one of my mum's aunts going out with one... e.g.: Remembering Welsh-based US soldiers' contribution to World War II

    They were the US soldiers from Pennsylvania sent back to the land of their forefathers during World War II.

    The 28th Infantry Division known as the “Keystones” arrived on Welsh shores in October 1943, based along the South Wales coastline from Porthcawl to Pembroke Dock.
    But after settling into their “home from home”, the bloody fighting that followed on Europe’s battlefields tragically meant many would never return to their US homes again.

    Now, 70 years on, their lasting impact on Wales is being remembered.

    Their connection to the Welsh communities dated back to the late 17th century with the large-scale emigration of Welsh Quakers and then, in the 19th century, when Welsh coal miners emigrated to the anthracite and bituminous mines.

    As “citizen soldiers” they were the national guard unit who came from similar working class backgrounds to the inhabitants of South West Wales.

    As I understand it my nan's brother, Les was serving with some - or knew some, when he was in the army in Pembroke and brought some home, to visit his folks.
     
    CL1, Puttenham and Deacs like this.
  3. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Regiments from the coal mining counties of Pennsylvania contained quite a few Welshmen. One of these regiments was the 48th Pennsylvania, a fine outfit which became famous for its distinguished role in the disastrous battle of the Crater in 1864. Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Henry Reese, a Monmouthshire miner, was one of the heroes of that battle: The 48th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: The 48th/150th: "If I Had Known What A Blunder It Would Be, I Never Would Have Gone In To Relight The Fuse:" Sgt. Henry Reese Remembers the Crater
     
    CL1 and canuck like this.

Share This Page