Galvanized Yankees at Rock Island Prison-- Part 2: 3,000 of Them from Rock Island

Joining the Union proved to be a popular option for Confederates at the Rock Island Prison Camp in Illinois. Several hundred of these "Galvanized Yankees" from Rock Island were refused after enlisting in the Union Army because of medical reasons.  Those men were just released and sent home.  That was one way to get out of prison.

Since the Galvanized Yankees were now considered  enlisted men instead of prisoners, they received better rations of food and clothing.  And, they were allowed to receive gifts of tobacco  and food from relatives in the South as they awaited assignments to units out West.

Of the  more than 12,000 Confederate prisoners who passed through the Rock Island Barracks during the Civil War,  only forty-one escaped in traditional wats.  But another  three thousand escaped by stepping up to the Union recruiting office and becoming those "Galvanized Yankees."  

Of interest, Union regiments stationed of the western frontier called these new Union soldiers ""White-Washed Rebels."

One Way of Escaping.  --Old Secesh

Galvanized Yankees at Rock Island Prison-- Part 1

From the April 6, 2021, WVIK MPR Quad Cities  "Galvanized Yankees" by Roald Tweet.

We were just talking about the Rock Island Confederate prison camp at Rock Island at the McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table discussion group at the end of March.

In August 1863, Union troops arrived at Rock Island to build a prison camp for Confederates.  Beginning with 468 Confederates captured at the Battle of Lookout Mountain, who arrived in December 1863 the camp eventually housed  more than 12,000.  Author of "Gone With the Wind," Margaret Mitchell,  called it the "Andersonville of the North."

It was set up like other Union prisons, only this one also had  a Union Recruiting Office that was set up in the prison in 1864.  A Union naval officer  arrived in January and within a week had 660 former Confederates enlisted in the Navy.

One unrepentant Confederate wrote in his diary that they were "664 traitors to our country."  But, serving on a Union ship was seen by some Confederates as being better than living under the horrible prison conditions.  Plus, the Union Navy always faced manpower shortages.

In September 1864, the recruiting officers began getting prisoners enlisted to fight out West.  A large part of the prison was set up for these brand new Yankees.  Prisoners remaining loyal to the Confederacy derisively dubbed these men "Galvanized Yankees."

--Old Secesh

Nebraska in the Civil War-- Part 4: "Galvanized Yankees" and SUV, CWRT, SUVCW, MOLLUS and DUVCW

Later in the war, some of the soldiers serving at Fort Kearny were "Galvanized Yankees," former Confederate soldiers who had changed their allegiance to the Union.

By the end of the war, more than a third of men of military age in Nebraska Territory has served in the Union military (3,157).

In addition to the 1st Nebraska, the territory raised three other full regiments of cavalry as well as several battalions of militia.  Thirty-five Nebraskans were killed in action during the war, while another 204 died of other causes, mostly disease.

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THE CIVIL WAR TODAY IN NEBRASKA

Today, several groups exist in Nebraska that trace their ancestry to postbellum veterans organizations like the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS).  There is also at least one Civil War Round Table.  Four camps of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW) are also listed.

--Old Secesh

Fort York, North Carolina-- Part 3: "One Wing York" and "Galvanized Yankees"

General Zebulon York of Louisiana was in command of the fort which was named after him.  he had previously lost an arm and his troops nicknamed him "One Wing York.  About 600 of his troops were "Galvanized Yankees."

He went to the Confederate Salisbury Prison and picked out "Catholics, Irishmen and Scottish men" who would not as likely be loyal to the Union because they had not been born there.  The Confederacy had a serious manpower problem at this late date.  General York's other troops were mostly Home Guard.

The battle took place on April 12, 1865.

--Old Secesh