Hispanics in the Civil War

My thanks to author Ted Alexander, Historian and Ranger of the Antietam National Battlefield for permission to use this article.

Date Article Posted 03/15/2007 Although the Civil War is viewed generally as a conflict between white Anglo-Saxon Protestants from two separate regions of the country, people from many diverse religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds participated also. Among them were a considerable number of Hispanic Americans. This brochure is designed to present an overview of the contributions of Hispanic Americans in the Civil War. The Spanish Influence in America The first major European influence in America was Spanish. At one time Spain laid claim to much of the land that today comprises the area from Florida west to California. Indeed a number of Confederate soldiers from the deep south states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas were of Spanish descent. The Mexican War and the resulting land acquisitions from it, along with the California Gold Rush, further increased Anglo-American contact with Spanish-American culture. Although much of Protestant America rejected this culture as too "Romish", many manifestations of it became part of everyday culture in the United States. For example, many towns were given the names of places associated with the Mexican War. Thus, you can find east of the Mississippi, places with names such as Buena Vista, Monterrey and Saltillo. Some communities were inspired by the struggles for independence in Latin America and their leaders. Thus, one community in Virginia (now West Virginia) was named Bolivar in honor of the great revolutionary leader, Simon Bolivar. Of the original thirteen colonies, Hispanic influence was perhaps most pronounced in South Carolina. There, Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal had settled as early as 1695. These people played a prominent role in the commerce of the region. Confederate Secretary of War and later Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin, was a Sephardic Jew. His maternal

ancestors, the Mendes family had been one of the most prominent Jewish families in Spain prior to being expelled in 1492. In addition, port cities such as New York, Boston and Philadelphia would contain a sprinkling of people of Spanish descent. Parts of the deep south that were former Spanish colonies retained some of their Spanish heritage up to the time of the Civil War. This was true especially in the Gulf states. Louisiana in particular had a culture that was a mixture of French, Spanish and Anglo influences. The Creoles of Louisiana were the aristocracy that traced its lineage either to the original Spanish or French colonists. Many units from that state contained men with Spanish surnames on their muster rolls. The major Spanish influence was in the southwest. Many areas in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas were predominantly Spanish. Hispanics and the War It is difficult to determine exactly how many Hispanics fought in the Civil War. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 Mexican-Americans, mostly from New Mexico, Texas, and California served. About half of these served in New Mexico units (mostly territorial militia). Many of the rest came from Texas. Although most of these men were Union Soldiers, approximately 2,550 Mexican-Americans from Texas-"Tejanos", served in the Confederate army. Because of the Spanish heritage of many areas of the deep south, a number of Confederate regiments from states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi contained men with Spanish surnames. This was particularly true with units raised in the coastal areas of these states. In the North, Hispanic influence was minimal. However, units from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts and other eastern seaboard states contained some Hispanics on their rolls. Confederate and Union Units Containing Hispanics CONFEDERATE Alabama Spanish Guards: This company of 81 men was almost exclusively Spanish surnamed. It served as a home guard in the Mobile area during the latter part of the war.

55th Infantry: saw service in the western theater of the war in the Vicksburg, Atlanta and Nashville Campaigns. Florida This states early colonization by Spain and its connection to Cuba resulted in many in its population being of Spanish descent. The following units as well as others from Florida contained Hispanic surnamed soldiers on its muster rolls. 1st Florida Cavalry: saw service in Florida and the Western Theater of the War. In December 1863 it was consolidated into the 4th Florida Infantry and served with the Army of Tennessee until the end of the war. 2nd Infantry: saw service in the Army of Northern Virginia in battles such as Antietam and Gettysburg. Louisiana Because of a significant number of people in this state of Hispanic descent it is hard to determine how many served in Confederate units. Surely several thousand would not be an inaccurate estimate. Representative units with Hispanics on their rolls include: Hay's Brigade: composed of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 14th Regiments. Starke's Brigade: Composed of the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, 15th and 1st Louisiana Battalion. These troops have often been popularly referred to as the "Louisiana Tigers, after one company of the 1st Battalion that originally bore that name. At the beginning of the war a number of the units in this brigade wore Zouave style outfits. The ethnicity of the brigades was mixed with native Louisianans of Anglo and Creole descent; and Irish predominating. A few men from Spain, Cuba, Mexico and other Latin American countries also served. Both brigades served with the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern Theater of the war. At Antietam, Hay's Brigade saw action in the Cornfield and Stark's in the East Woods. European Brigade: This command was formed in February 1862 in response to the threat posed by Federal attempts to capture the city of New Orleans. It's duty was to keep order and defend the city if necessary. It numbered about 4,500 and was composed largely of un-naturalized European residents of New Orleans. Among them: 2,500 Frenchmen, 800 Spaniards and hundreds of others from various European nationalities such as Italian, Swiss and German. Later two other "European Brigades" were formed which also contained large numbers of Spanish. Texas

1st (Buchel's) Cavalry Regiment: Organized in early spring 1862 at Carreicetas Lake on the Rio Grande. The regiment served in Louisiana including the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Company C was composed entirely of Mexicans and Tejanos. Hoods Texas Brigade: (1st, 2nd and 5th Texas) fought at Antietam, suffering heavy casualties in the morning phase. Although most the men were Anglos, a few Mexican-Americans served in its ranks. The most unique name in the brigade was undoubtedly Captain Decimus Et Ultimus Barziza of the Company C. 4th Texas. His name in Latin means "Tenth and Last". As it turned out he was the tenth and last child in his family. 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles: Organized in May 1861 in south Texas, company B from Bexar County contained 31 Mexican, Americans or "Tejanos." The unit saw service in Sibley's invasion of New Mexico and various other military operations in Texas and Louisiana. Thirty Tejanos also served with an artillery battery attached to this unit during the New Mexico Campaign. 6th Texas Infantry: Tejanos from the San Antonio area served with this unit at battles such as Chickamauga, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville. 8th Texas Infantry: Served in the Trans__Mississippi in Texas and Louisiana. Several hundred Tejanos were in this regiment. 8th Texas Cavalry (Terry's Texas Rangers): This regiment was known as one of the hardest fighting cavalry regiments in the western theater. It saw action at Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Knoxville and Atlanta. Most of the men in Company C were natives of Mexico. Benevides Cavalry: The largest and most effective Confederate Tejano unit was commanded by Colonel Santos Benevides of Laredo. His Command saw active service along the Rio Grande against Union regulars and guerrillas. His brothers, Cristobal and Refugio, were company commanders in this unit. One of the major duties they had was to keep the Confederate cotton trade into Mexico free from Union interference. On March 19, 1864 the unit repulsed a Union attempt to capture Laredo and 5,000 bales of cotton that were stored there. A few days later the unit assisted in driving back a Federal force at Brownsville. Benevide's cavalry was one of the last Confederate commands to surrender at the end of the war. Waul's Legion Infantry: Served in Mississippi and Louisiana. It served at Vicksburg where it was captured. Later the regiment was stationed in Galveston. One company was composed of Mexicans and Tejanos. UNION

California Several thousand Mexican Americans served in the California Militia during the Civil War, but did not leave the state, so saw no action. Their main duty was to guard against Indians and bandits. Research suggests that many of these troops wore vaquero clothing or Mexican style uniforms. All of the California volunteer cavalry were issued "California style" saddles that very much like the Mexican saddle of the period. New Mexico Nearly 5,000 Mexican-Americans from here served in the Union Army, mostly in New Mexico volunteer militia units raised during the Confederate invasion of the territory in March 1862. Some of these units, such as the 2nd and 3rd New Mexico Volunteers participated in the Battle of Valverde. New York A number of New York regiments, particularly from New York City, contained Hispanics. One of soldier, Don Pedro H. Alvarez, was discharged from the 5th New York Zouaves for failure to understand the English language. Other Hispanics fared better in regiments such as the 9th New York (Hawkin's Zouaves) which fought at Antietam. 39th New York Infantry-The Garibaldi Guard: One company of this multiethnic regiment was composed of Spaniards and Portuguese. Other companies contained Italians, Germans, Swiss and Frenchmen. At the beginning of the war, the regiment wore a style of uniform similar to the Italian Bersagleri. The regiment was captured at Harpers ferry in September 1862 and was back in action in time for the Battle of Gettysburg and the rest of the major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac through to the end of the war. Texas Nearly 1,000 Tejanos fought for the Union. Most of them were from the lower classes which shared little empathy with what they perceived as a white Anglo slave holding aristocracy. 2nd Texas Cavalry: This unit was formed in Brownsville in 1863 and was composed almost entirely of Mexicans. Indeed 75% of the men in the 2nd were born in Mexico and much of the regiment was recruited on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. A sprinkling of other nationalities could be found in its ranks including men from Cuba, Nicaragua, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. Most of the men were laborers, herdsmen, farmers and ranch hands prior to enlistment and only about 10% were literate and many of them could not speak English. Many of the soldiers in this regiment wore

wide brimmed "sombrero" style hats rather than the regulation issue. The regiment served in Texas and Louisiana. In March 1865 it was merged with the 1st Texas Cavalry. Vidal's Cavalry Company: This outfit of approximately 60 men was organized by Captain Adrian J. Vidal near Brownsville in October 1863. It was made up entirely of Mexicans or Tejanos. The company was in Confederate service for a few weeks and then defected to the Union side. In June 1884, Vidal and some of his men deserted and fled to Mexico. There, Vidal joined the revolutionary forces of President Benito Juarez, but was captured and executed by the imperialist forces of Emperor Maximilian. Union Guerrillas Units: Throughout the war the Confederate supply lines and the cotton trade with Mexico were harassed by bands of Mexicans or Tejanos that normally would have been referred to as outlaws. However, Union authorities took advantage of this situation and provided these forces with aid in the form of money, supplies and weapons. Guerilla leaders such as Caciano Cavantes, Antonio Ochoa, Cecilio Valerio and Antonio Zapata, operating out of Mexico, were a constant thorn in the side of the Confederates. Noted Hispanics in the war. UNION Admiral David Glasgow Farragut: The most famous Civil War personality of Spanish descent, his father was a Spaniard, born in Minorca and served in the Russian Navy prior to coming to America and fighting in the American War for Independence. Born in Tennessee, David began his naval career at age nine and went on to serve in the War of 1812 and Mexican War. Farragut was sixty when the Civil War broke out and in February 1862 he sailed for New Orleans in command of the expedition that captured that important southern port and opened the Mississippi to Vicksburg. He was promoted to Rear Admiral for his success and spent part of 1863 in operations against Port Hudson. He is perhaps most known for his capture of Mobile Bay in August 1864 and his famous command "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead". In December 1864 he was promoted to the newly created rank of Vice Admiral. In July 1866 he was promoted to Admiral, the first person to hold that rank in the U.S. Navy. From 1867-1868 Farragut commanded the European Squadron. He died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on August 14, 1870, and remains one of the most noted naval commanders in American history. Lt. Colonel Frederico Fernandez Cayada: Born in Cuba to a Spanish father and American mother, Lt. Colonel Cavada

served in the 114th Pennsylvania (Collis Zouaves). At Gettysburg he commanded the regiment and was captured while leading it on the second day of the battle. He was taken to Libby Prison and after the war wrote a book about his experiences there. He returned to Cuba where he became a prominent leader in the revolutionary movement for Cuban independence from Spain. He was eventually captured and executed by the Spanish. Lt. Colonel Manuel Chaves: A member of an old and distinguished family, Chaves was descended from a Spanish soldier who had arrived in the Southwest in 1600. During the Mexican War he fought against the United States but when New Mexico became a territory he became a loyal citizen. From 1855-1863, he became well known as an Indian fighter. During the Confederate invasion of New Mexico he served as an officer in the territorial volunteers. At the Battle of Glorietta Pass he served as a guide for Colonel Chivington in the movement that resulted in the destruction of the Confederate supply train. Colonel Miguel E. Pino: He raised and commanded the 2nd New Mexico Volunteers. He led them at the battle of Valverde in March 1882. Lt. Colonel Jose M. Valdez: He commanded the 3rd New Mexico volunteers at Valverde. Both he and Colonel Pino were cited by Union General Canby in his official report for their efforts in this action. CONFEDERATES Colonel Santos Benevides: He was born November 1, 1823 in Laredo, to an old Texas family (His greatgreat grandfather Tomas Sanchez founded Laredo in 1755). Benenvides served under five flags-Republic of Mexico, Republic of the Rio Grande, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and United States. In 1856 he served as mayor of Laredo and was a prominent political and financial leader in the area. When the war broke out he and his family sided with the Confederacy. He rose quickly from Captain to Colonel in command of his own regiment of cavalry composed primarily of Tejanos. His brother Refugio and half brother Cristobal were captains in the regiment. Benevides is credited with repulsing major Union attempts to capture Laredo and Brownsville. In a joint resolution of the Texas Legislature, he was commended for his efforts against Union sponsored guerilla raids along the Rio Grande. The highest ranking Mexican American in the Civil War, he was one of the last Confederate officers to surrender July 1865.

Loretta Janet Velesquez: A legendary Civil War figure, she masqueraded as a soldier in order to be with her husband and fought at 1st Manassas. Balls Bluff and Fort Donelson. She was discharged when her identity was discovered, yet re-enlisted in another regiment in time to fight at Shiloh. Later, she is said to have served as a spy, using both male and female guises. Whether her exploits are fact or fiction, she is certainly one of the most interesting characters of the Civil War. Col. A. J. Gonzales: He was born in Cuba, had participated in a revolt against Spain in 1848 and went into exile in the U.S. where he supported the Lopez filibustering expedition. Attended school in New York and was classmate of General P.G.T. Beauregard. Became U.S. Citizen in 1849. In 1856 he settled in Beaufort, South Carolina and married into prominent local family. Served briefly as inspector general on Beauregard's staff, and was commended by his old classmate for his conspicuous service at the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Then appointed Lt. Colonel of artillery and assigned to duty as Chief of Artillery in the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. His most notable contribution to the Confederate war effort was as a special aide to the governor of South Carolina, he surveyed and studied a large part of that states coast to pinpoint appropriate locations for coastal defenses. He then submitted plans for the efficient use of barbette and siege guns, with special emphasis on the ability to move batteries quickly to other locations and concentrate fire on a given target. By placing his heavy artillery on special carriages for increased mobility, he was able to fend off Union gunboat attempts to destroy railroads and other important points on the Carolina coast. Hispanic Medal of Honor Winners Philip Bazaar: Born in Chile, he apparently enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Massachusetts. He won the Medal of Honor for bravery at the Battle of Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865. John Ortega: Born in Spain, he joined the U.S. Navy from Pennsylvania. He served as a seaman on the U.S.S. Saratoga. Was promoted to acting master's mate and awarded the medal for courageous service during two actions on this ship. The Civil War in the American Southwest Most people think of Virginia, and other states east of the Mississippi River

as the major battleground of the war. However, a number of important Civil War campaigns and battles took place in what was known as the TransMississippi Theater, west of the river. Ninety Civil war actions took place in Texas and seventy five in New Mexico. Many of the participants in these were Mexican-Americans. In Texas, a civil war within a civil war took place as "Tejano" fought "Tejano". Many of the poor class of Mexican-Americans were ambivalent toward the conflict and looked upon it as a plague upon both "Anglo" house north and south. Many of these people were against slavery. Indeed, in 1860 only sixty slaves were owned by "Tejanos" and this was mostly in Bexar and other nearby counties. Feeling ran so strong against secession in Zapata County, that a group of 40 "Tejanos" led by Antonio Ochoa, marched on the county seat on April 12, 1861 to prevent the county officials from taking the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. Later, Ochoa fled across the border into Mexico. From there, Ochoa and others led raids into Texas. Although called bandits by Confederate authorities, Union agents supported their activities in order to tie down Confederate troops and disrupt the lucrative cotton trade between the Confederacy and Mexico. In one brutal raid, pro-Union raiders commanded by Octaviano Zapata rode to the ranch of Zapata county judge, Isidro Vela, and hanged this Confederate official in front of his wife and children. Confederate retaliation was swift. Captain Refugio Benevides led a company of cavalry into Mexico in pursuit of Zapata. In the ensuing action, the Confederates killed 18 and wounded 14. Zapata escaped however, but was ambushed and killed by confederate troops led by Major Santos Benevides on September 2, 1863. Fighting continued in Texas and along the Mexican border, throughout the war. Many Tejanos, particularly the more well to do, served in the Confederate army. The Benevides Cavalry remained active in Texas throughout the war. The last battle of the Civil War was fought at Palmetto Ranch, near Brownsville on May 13, 1865. A number of Tejanos participated in this fight onboth sides. In 1861, the territory of New Mexico (which also included much of what is now Arizona) had a population of 80,567. Most of these were Mexicans. The territory had strong ties to Missouri because of trade on the Santa fe Trail. In 1855 the influence of the South was strengthened with the election of Miguel Otero as territorial delegate. He had married a South Carolina girl and was a Southern sympathizer. Because of this Southern connection, many people

thought that New Mexico would go Confederate. Many of the native population of the territory turned out to be neutral when the war broke out. However, many Hispanics became pro-Union, especially after Confederate abuses of the civilian population when they invaded New Mexico. In July and August 1861, Lt. Colonel John R. Baylor led the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles up the Rio Grande Valley into New Mexico. On August 1, he proclaimed the creation of the Confederate territory of Arizona, (comprising what is today Arizona and New Mexico below the 34th parallel) with himself as governor. In mid December, 1861 Brigadier General Henry Sibley marched into the territory with a Confederate Army of 2,600. On February 21, 1862 he defeated a numerically stronger force of Federals under Colonel Edward Canby at Valverde. Sibley next occupied Santa Fe, which had been evacuated by the Federals, who destroyed all the supplies they were not able to carry rather than have them fall into Confederate hands. Events took a turn for the worse for the Confederates when most of their supply train was destroyed by the 1st Colorado Volunteers near Glorietta Pass on March 28, 1862. Lack of supplies, a hostile population and news that Major James H. Carlton's 2,000 man "California Column" was coming to Canby's rescue, check mated Confederate designs on New Mexico and Arizona. Sibley withdrew to San Antonio and the Union army in New Mexico spent the rest of the war guarding the territory against Indian raids. Conclusion Hispanic-Americans fought in every major theater of the Civil War. Some were immigrants to America. For many, their families had lived for generations in places such as Florida, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. Some had aristocratic ties but most were of the laboring class like the majority of other Americans who joined the Union and Confederate Armies. Like their brothers in arms of other ethnic backgrounds they knew hardships, fear, excitement, death, destruction and finally peace in America's greatest struggle in the Civil War. For Further Reading: Booth, Andrew B. compiler, Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands New Orleans 1920. Hall, Martin H. Sibley's New Mexico Campaign Austin. U. of Texas Press 1960.

Hispanics in America's Defense U.S. Department of Defense Publication. Jones, Terry L. Lee's Tigers: The Louisiana Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia Baton Rouge University of Louisiana Press 1987. Lonn, Ella Foreigners in the Confederacy UNC Press 1940. Lonn, Ella Foreigners in the Union Army and Navy Baton Rouge. LSU Press 1951. Simpson, Harold B. Hoods Texas Brigade: A Compendium Hillsboro, Texas Hill Junior College Press 1977. Thompson, Jerry Don Mexican Texans in the Union Army El Paso, Texas Western Press 1986. Thompson, Jerry Don Vaqueros in Blue and Gray Austin. Presidial Press. 1976. Todd, Frederick P. American Military Equipage Chatham Square press, Inc. 1983. Wiley, Bell I. The Life of Billy Yank Baton Rouge, LSU Press 1952. Wiley, Bell I. The Life of Johnny Reb New York. Bobbs Merrill Company 1943. Website: The History Box.com Article Name: Hispanics in the Civil War Parts I and II Ted Alexander, Ranger and Historian of Antietam Author: National Battlefield. Written by Ted Alexander and Edited by Paul Source: Chiles. September 1990. Permission to Use by Ted Alexander. Time & Date Sat Jul 23 16:31:54 2011. Stamp: TEJANOS2010 is managed and subtained by Elsa Mendez Pea and Walter Centeno Herbeck Jr. Our purpose is to share information in genealogy, historical, cultural, arts, music, entertainment and other Tejano issues. To be removed just reply with REMOVE in subject. We are independent. Have a good day! Mas later