A regiment consisted principally of frenchmen during the Maryland campaign ?

[David B. Monrency]

Hello, I'm looking for a regiment that served during the Maryland campaign (Union or CSA), consisted principally of French-Americans soldiers. I would like to create my company to regroup french players and I think that if there was a regiment like the 55th New York ("Lafayette Guard", mainly made of Franco-American), it could be nice to play. Unfortunately, my research has given nothing, so I appeal to your historical knowledge on this period. Thank you in advance, hoping not to waste your time and sorry for this broken English.

[Lake]

Remember that whilst it's always nice to have a historically accurate regiment, it'seems entirely possible to make something up.

[Legion]

Hello, I'm looking for a regiment that served during the Maryland campaign (Union or CSA), consisted principally of French-Americans soldiers. I would like to create my company to regroup french players and I think that if there was a regiment like the 55th New York ("Lafayette Guard", mainly made of Franco-American), it could be nice to play. Unfortunately, my research has given nothing, so I appeal to your historical knowledge on this period. Thank you in advance, hoping not to waste your time and sorry for this broken English.

If your looking for French/Cajun I would recommend Louisiana regiments. They weren't made up entirely of French/Cajun soldiers though, they had alot of nationalities.

[Wildcat]

You could create a new company of Coppens Zouaves: All Officers were French or spoke French, The commands were all given in French, They were designed after French Zouaves, The Regiment was mainly filled with French and Swiss immigrants with some Irish, German and Englishmen too. Its about the most French unit of the Maryland Campaign from what I know. You can read about them here http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion2/coppenszouaves/history.htm

the Battle of 2nd Bull Run they with the rest of Starkes Brigade resorted to throwing rocks at the Eastern Iron Brigade as they were low on ammunition.
And at Antietam they went up against the Iron Brigade nearly point blank, They were the last to retreat and by the time they regrouped only 12 men showed up as the rest were Wounded, Killed or looting.
Battle of Seven Pines they charged and routed two Pennsylvanian regiments with the rest of the Brigade, And they held their ground for a long time when the Pennsylvanian regiment realised that the Louisianans were outnumbered.
Battle of Williamsburg they engaged in the fiercest fighting and after one of the Zouaves went up to a wounded Yankee pleading to be put out of his misery and killed him with his Rifle But, This was said about them "the most rakish and devilish looking beings I ever saw"
Oh also they stole a train.. Twice.

Best unit CSA and mainly French. Already a company B and C but A needs filling in ;)

After the Maryland Campaign they practically retired, They whitnessed a few major battles and acted as reserves but the most fighting they got into was a few Skirmishes. They were also reformed as the Confederate States Zouave Battalion.

[Lance Rawlings]

Yeah I think the Zouves are a pretty safe bet. You would really need to dig into specific companies to know what nationalities consisted of in each. Each company would be formed from a specific area, usually counties. If you look up the roster of each company, you can see French names and even look up individuals. That's the most in depth way I know. Once this crazy weekend is over I'll try to help you find some.

And on a biased note: Join the CSA, we're WAY more fun! ;)

Best of luck!

[yoyo8346]

Here is a link to a thread for the 55th New York Lafayette guys. Not sure if the guy is following through though.

http://www.warofrightsforum.com/showthread.php?2732-55th-New-York-Volunteer-Infantry-Compagny-A-quot-Gardes-de-Lafayette-quot&highlight=55th+York

[michaelsmithern]

Like the others have said, either a Zouave unit or the Louisiana companies would be best. either way i hope you find something your looking for

[JaegerCoyote]

the 39th NY had a French company.

[Wildcat]

the 39th NY had a French company.

wasn't in the Maryland Campaign

[David B. Monrency]

Hello everyone, thank you for all your answers. Your help and guidance have guided my research, and I am thinking starting a regiment soon. See you ! And again thank you. :D

[Hinkel]

wasn't in the Maryland Campaign

They were.
They were part of the Harpers Ferry guard and got captured :)

[JaegerCoyote]

They were.
They were part of the Harpers Ferry guard and got captured :)

I was going to say that, but yeah they were at Harper's Ferry.

[A. P. Hill]

And they are in the link that was provided.

In the Harpers Ferry Garrison segment. ;)

[FrisDrim]

A little article about french in the Civil War :


French in the North and in the South

In the same way as the Germans or the Irish, the French regroup in units whose names recall their origin. In Louisiana the volunteers of New Orleans raise the French legion then the French brigade. In New York, three regiments, where many French-speakers will be able to meet, are set up: "LaFayette guards", "Les zouaves d'Epineuil" and "Enfant Perdus" 14th, 39th and 62nd regiments of New York. Among the crowd of volunteers are representatives of the French elite as the two princes of the Orleans family exiled by the foundation of the second empire in France. The Count of Paris and the Duke of Chartres will serve in the staff of McCLellan. With their uncle, Prince de Joinville, the two princes went to Washington where they were received by Lincoln. At 23, Phillipe d'Orléans, Count of Paris, will actively participate in the fight against the Confederates alongside McClellan. From this experience he will write a newspaper entitled "Voyage en Amérique 1861-1862". Several French will also obtain the rank of general like Gustave Cluseret, Regis of Trobriand, Felix Agnus

In the southern camp there is also claimed the presence of a Prince, Camille de Polignac, son of a minister of Charles X, who will become general of the Confederate army and nicknamed "Lafayette du Sud". He fought at Shilo, Corinth, Mansfield, commanded a Texas brigade, and obtained the rank of Major General, and even demanded an audience before Napoleon III to plead the cause of the south, but without success.


The most famous French-speaking units in the North

Again New York, the largest port of immigration for Europe, has the largest number of Francophone units. The 55th Volunteer Regiment of New York commonly called the Lafayette Guards, existed since 1824 and owned 6 French and 4 American companies; But at Lincoln's call to arms, the regiment took too long to be "operational" through the fault of his colonel. The French already present went to join other companies more eager to go to battle. Thus the 14th regiment of Brooklyn and the 62nd regiment of volunteers of New York received a reinforcing company coming from the 55th and therefore francophones. Finally the 55th also left but to compensate the defections, one had to appeal to a recruitment that was not exclusively French. Régis de Trobriand, a French aristocrat, was elected Colonel of the 55th on the day of the battle of Bull Run. Under his impetus, the regiment gained in strength and recovered part of its first volunteers left in other units. Supported financially by the francophone minority for his clothing, the regiment finally passed on August 28, 1861 under federal service for a duration of three years.

Still in New York in the multicultural unit: the 39th regiment of volunteers or the guards of Garibaldi, there was a French company that was equipped, like the rest of the regiment, with the beautiful outfit of the Italian Bersaglieri. The 53rd regiment of the Zouaves, better known under the name of Zouaves d'Epineuil, was formed at Brooklyn in August 1861 by Colonel Lionel D'Epineuil. This last former officer of the French army gave to his unit a reply of the holding of the 6th regiment of French Zouave. Attracted by this French specificity, the regiment attracted other cadres from the French army giving a not inconsiderable experience to unity. Another peculiarity, in addition to its members, francophones, or of French origin, the regiment welcomed a company of Indians of the reserve of Tusca Rora. Although initially recruited for a three-year service, the regiment suffered internal disturbances and was dissolved in 1862, its members repatriated to different units such as the 132nd or 162nd regiments of New York.

The unit of the "Lost Children" was an independent battalion of New York raised by Colonel Felix Confort, former captain of the French army. The name "Lost Children" refers to small detachments used in perilous missions for the assault of the breaches of the besieged towns and certainly stems from the experience of the Crimean War of its colonel. The unit was assigned to the 18th Corps and participated in operations at Charleston near Morris Island. The unit consisted of 6 companies was mainly Franco-Germanic. Their outfit was that of French dark blue hunters with yellow daffodil cladding. A shako resembling the French model and wide pants. A beautiful outfit made clear the French influence of unity and that changed the eternal uniforms of Zouaves.



The French of the South

Louisiana's old French-speaking colony sold to the United States in 1803 by Napoleon contained the largest French-speaking minority in the South of about 15,000 people. Louisiana and the city of New Orleans saw several units of volunteers recruiting mainly French and totaling almost 3,000 men. It is well to remember that the engagement of the French of Louisiana did not necessarily correspond to a pure and harsh adherence to the principles of confederation, and was unfortunately tainted with constraint. The officers and soldiers of these detachments were sometimes forced to integrate their units under penalty of having to leave the state thus breaking their right to neutrality as demanded by their sovereign Napoleon III. If the French of Louisiana wished to help their adopted country this did not necessarily mean that they were ready to fight against the Union.

Among the French units of the city are the French legion of 6 companies and 1,200 men, the guard of Orleans, the French volunteers or 800 men and the independent volunteers. Financed and equipped at the expense of the notables and the francophone minority in the city, these men wore an outfit close to that of the French soldier of the Imperial army, ie a gray coat of blue iron (not horizon blue) trousers Red madder and a soft red and blue kepi.

These units were amalgamated with other detachments of volunteers and foreign militias such as the Belgians, the Swiss, the Spaniards, the Germans and the Italians and formed a European brigade. French officers refusing to join this multicultural recruitment grouped themselves within the "French Brigade" whose members were exclusively French or of French origin. These foreign units, and particularly the French, will behave admirably in the maintenance of the order of the city during the attack of the northern fleet and the retreat of the Confederate troops of New Orleans by preventing the rioters from putting the town on fire And bloodstained by ransacking and pillaging food supplies. Faced with the effectiveness of these militias, the federal troops commanded by General Butler insisted that they should remain active and continue to maintain law and order. But the foreign volunteers refused and were dissolved. Still in Louisiana regiments such as the 10th or 18th Louisiana, nicknamed the Creole regiment, included a significant number of French and francophones. The 10th regiment was also commanded by Colonel Antoine Jaques Philippe de Mandeville de Marigny, a former officer of the French army, and seconded by numerous French or French officers. Although the majority of the men in the regiment were not French, training was based on French regulations and orders were given in French.

But Louisiana remains the only example where constituted units with a French-speaking majority were able to materialize. Most of the time the French of the South who joined the Confederate cause did so in isolation in any unity. Attempts to set up other French units could not succeed due to lack of sufficient volunteers or too much dissension in the management. Frenchmen were also noticed as officers by commanding regiments such as Colonel Felix Dumonteil of the Greze of the 14th Cavalry Regiment or in Texas where a French immigrant Xavier Blanchard Debray raised the 26th Cavalry Regiment of Texas better known as Lancer of Debray with his men equipped and trained in the French.


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It is likely that nearly 15,000 Frenchmen fought in the American Civil War, an almost negligible contribution to the three million men who participated in the conflict. But this symbolic participation, which represented a much less anecdotal share of the French-speaking population present in the United States, confirmed the attachment of the French to American values, initiated with the intervention of La Fayette in his time for the independence of 13 American colonies. Moreover, the price of blood certainly played in favor of the Francophone minority for a better future integration within the American nation, making them deserve their place as well as the Germans or the Irish by the sacrifice granted on the fields of Battle and in both camps. Even if the intervention of these men did not decide the outcome of the fight, it appears as a need felt by this small minority to prove something. A goal that lies between the perpetuation of the military exploits of France abroad and the affirmation of its small presence in America by a war contribution.

Battles and victims of these New York regiments :


62nd NY (VA, PA, MD...)
4952


132nd NY (principaly fought in NC)

4953


162nd NY (principaly fought in Louisiana and VA)

4954


55thNY (principaly VA )

4955

10th Louisiana Infantry or Lee's Foreign legion :

1861

June-July Organized at Camp Moore by the addition of five companies to the 2nd Special Infantry Battalion.
July 22 Mustered 796 men into service for the duration of the war under Colonel Antoine Jaques Philippe de Mandeville De Marigny, Lieutenant Colonel Jules Charles Denis and Major Felix Dumonteil.
December Lt. Colonel Denis resigned.

1862

January 4 Major Dumonteil resigned.
January 16 Captain Eugene Waggaman of Company I was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain William H. Spencer of Company K was promoted to major.
May Assigned to Semmes’ Brigade of McLaw’s Division
July 1
Battle of Malvern Hill
Lieutenant Colonel Waggaman led a bayonet charge by the 10th Louisiana that broke through Union infantry to the artillery line before being thrown back. The regiment lost 18 men killed, 35 wounded and 18 captured out of 272 men engaged. Lieutenant Colonel Waggaman was wounded and captured, and Captain I.L. Lyons was also captured.
July 26 The regiment was transferred to the newly-formed 2nd Louisiana Brigade with the 1st, 2nd and 15th Louisiana Infantry under Brigadier General William E. Starke, which was briefly attached to A.P. Hill’s Division.
July 28 Colonel DeMarigny resigned. Lt. Colonel Waggaman (still a prisoner) was promoted to colonel, Major Spencer was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John M. Legett of Company F was promoted to major.
Early August The regiment, with Starke’s Louisiana Brigade, was transferred to Jackson’s Division
August 5 Colonel Waggaman was exchanged.
August 28-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
Lieutenant Colonel Spencer was killed. Major Legett was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

Commanded by Captian Henry D. Monier
December Captain Henry D. Monier of Comany I was promoted to major.

1863

May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville
The regiment suffered 94 casualties in Jackson’s attack on the Federal right flank. Lt. Colonel Legett was killed and Major Monier was wounded. Monier would be promoted to lieutenant colonel while convalescing. Captain A. Perrodin took over the regiment.
June Captain Thomas N. Powell of Company C was promoted to major.
June 14-15
Battle of Stephenson’s Depot
The brigade helped cut off the retreat of Union General Milroy’s army from Winchester, turning it into a rout and destroying his army. The 10th Louisiana and the 2nd Louisiana captured over 1,000 men.
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg
The regiment was commanded by Major Thomas N. Powell and brought 226 men to the field. It lost 22 men killed, 69 wounded and 19 missing or captured. First Lieutenant Samuel M. May was wounded and left behind to be captured when the army retreated.
July 17 The regiment mustered 109 officers and enlisted men presernt for duty.

1864

May 5-6
Battle of the WIlderness
May 12
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The regiment was overrun in the Federal attack on the Muleshoe. Major Powell was wounded and 56 men were captured.
June 1-3
Battle of Cold Harbor
The regiment’s colors were captured.
June 1864
Early’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Assigned to Stafford’s Brigade (Colonel Eugene Waggaman commanding) of Brigadier General Zebulon York’s Consolidated Louisiana Brigade in Gordon’s Division of the Army of the Valley
July 9
Battle of Monocacy
Commanded by Lt. Colonel Henry D. Monier
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester
Colonel Waggaman was wounded.
September 21-22
Battle of Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
The regiment had 1 man killed, 3 wounded and 9 men missing.
October The ten regiments of the Louisiana brigade were reorganized as a battalion of six companies with less than 500 men, although it would continue to be referred to as a brigade. The 10th Louisiana consolidated with the 15th Louisiana into one of the companies. Colonel Raine Peck (at 6’3″ and 300 pounds known as “Big Peck”) was given command of the brigade.
December The regiment left the Army of the Valley and returned to the Petersburg defences with the remnants of the Second Corps

1865

January-March Siege of Petersburg
February 5-7
Battle of Hatcher’s Run
February 18 Colonel Peck was promoted to brigadier general and transferred to the Western Theater. Colonel Eugene Waggaman of the 10th Louisiana was given command of the brigade of 400 men
April 2 Major Powell was killed at Petersburg.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The 10th Louisiana surrendered 4 officers and 13 enlisted men. The entire brigade ony had 373 men.

[Bravescot]

FrisDrim I've merged your posts into one. Please refrain from triple posting in the future.

Thanks

[Colum O'Brien]

The great rhing about the civil war from a gamers perspective is that almost every nation got involved in some way due to immigration. My regiment is from Pennsylvania which had a large number of immigrants so as an eu based regiment a lot of my members are role playing as British immigrants to stop hurting their voices with a fake American accent XD

[Wildcat]

The great rhing about the civil war from a gamers perspective is that almost every nation got involved in some way due to immigration. My regiment is from Pennsylvania which had a large number of immigrants so as an eu based regiment a lot of my members are role playing as British immigrants to stop hurting their voices with a fake American accent XD

Thats the main reason why I joined my Company :p Saw that it had Englishmen and I just had to join lol. Although im now an Officer so I might have to put on a french accent :( but im an officer so :).

[Colum O'Brien]

Thats the main reason why I joined my Company :p Saw that it had Englishmen and I just had to join lol. Although im now an Officer so I might have to put on a french accent :( but im an officer so :).

Well some British officers from the Crimean got involved in the civil war.

[JaegerCoyote]

The guy who composed the music for "Oh Canada" served as a musican in 4th Rhode Island Inf.