United States. It would have been largely increased by the departure of
these ironclads. The "five-twenties" or "sixes" of 1861, as they were
popularly called, were then being issued, and were the only securities
upon "long time" then authorized by Congress. The best arrangement
that occurred to Mr. Adams, and which he then proposed, was that
$10,000,000, or £2,000,000, in these bonds, to be held as collateral
security for the loan of £1,000,000 in gold, should be delivered to
the lender, to be returned when the loan was paid or the order itself
was discharged and the coin returned to the depositor. The proposition
of Mr. Adams was satisfactory to the gentleman, but he said that to
prevent the disclosure of his name the deposit should be made in coupon
and not in registered bonds. The coupons were payable to bearer; the
registered were required to be inscribed on the books of the Treasury
in the owner's name.
Mr. Adams then volunteered the assurance that these bonds, to the
amount of $10,000,000, should be transmitted to London by the
first steamer which left New York after his despatch concerning the
transaction was received at the State Department at Washington.
It was this assurance of Mr. Adams which the President and both of the
Secretaries desired should be made good. They regarded the faith of the
government as pledged for its performance, and that faith they proposed
should not be violated.
All the details of this transaction were not then disclosed. They
reached the government in private, confidential despatches from Mr.
Adams, some of them long afterwards. The despatch in question was
understood to be confidential; certainly that part of it which related
to the deposit and security proposed. It was necessarily brief, for
in order to reach the steamer the special messenger had to leave
London within a very few hours after the proposition of the deposit
was made. There was enough in it to show that an inestimable service
had been rendered to the country by some one to whom Mr. Adams had
pledged the faith of the nation for the transmission of these bonds by
the next steamer which left New York. There was no dissent from the
conclusion that the pledge of Mr. Adams, if it were in the power of the
government, must be performed.
* * * * *
Since the publication of the foregoing facts in _Harper's Magazine_
for May, 1890, I have been solicited by many correspondents to give
the name of the gentleman who offered to perform such a signal service
to our country. It must be obvious that nothing could give greater
pleasure than to publish his name, and to secure for him the enduring
gratitude of the American people. I have, however, a special reason
for my present determination not to disclose it, nor to permit myself
to speculate upon the consequences of the disclosure. When we were
informed that the emergency had passed, it became necessary to make
a change in the entries of this large amount upon the books of the
register. This was found to be a difficult matter, unless a plain
statement of the issue, to the gentleman in question, and its purpose
was made with its subsequent cancellation. This course I proposed to
Secretary Chase. He was decided in his opinion that the value of the
service would not have been enhanced if an actual deposit of the money
had been required, and that, as the gentleman himself had imposed the
obligation, he was the only authority who could possibly release it.
While I regarded his conclusion as incontrovertible, I did suggest that
our first duty was the official one, to our own obligation to conceal
nothing, and to make our official records strictly conform to the fact.
"We should have thought of that at the time," said the Secretary. "We
might have declined his offer, coupled as it was with the obligation
to conceal his name, but I do not remember that we considered that
question. Do you?"
"No," I said. "Nothing was discussed in my presence except the
possibility of compliance with his conditions to the letter."
"Then, I think, we must continue to keep his secret whatever the
consequences may be, until he releases us from the obligation," was the
final conclusion of the Secretary.
I am, I believe, the only survivor of those to whom this gentleman's
name was known. I have hitherto declined to discuss the question of his
name or its disclosure. I depart from my practice far enough to say
that I do not believe he was interested in the price of cotton, or that
he was moved in the slightest degree by pecuniary motives in making
his offer. More than this, at present, I do not think I have the moral
right to say. If I should at any time hereafter see my way clear to a
different conclusion, I shall leave his name to be communicated to the
Secretary of Treasury, who will determine for himself the propriety of
its disclosure.
JEWISH SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR.
The consciousness of the imperfect nature of the several rosters
included under our present head has been the only influence that has
detracted from the satisfaction which the preparation of this work in
general has afforded the author. This feeling has already been adverted
to in the introduction to this work and will not further be dwelt upon
beyond the hope that the present volume may become the forerunner of a
more complete and perfected result in the future.[25]
The unquestionably large proportion of Jewish soldiers in both the
Union and Confederate armies is vouched for by such statistics as
have been thoroughly verified and by the statement of many individual
observers. In this connection the following communications to the
author may well be quoted as having a definite bearing on this subject,
and as coming from sources whose authority is beyond question:
120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK,
December 30th, '91.
MY DEAR JUDGE:
I have your favor of the 22nd instant, asking for some expression
of opinion from me regarding the bravery and faithfulness of Hebrew
soldiers in the War of the Rebellion. There were many Hebrews under
me while serving as Brigade and Division Commander; and, while the
great lapse of time renders it impossible for me to recall names
or recount specific acts of gallantry, I take pleasure in saying
that I always found the soldiers of Jewish faith as firm in their
devotion to the cause of the country they were serving as any
others, and ever ready to perform any duty to which they might be
assigned.
Yours very truly,
J. STAHEL.
TO HON. SIMON WOLF,
Washington, D. C.
* * * * *
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE EAST,
GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, NEW YORK.
January 2d, 1892.
DEAR MR. WOLF:
It is impossible for me to do justice to those who served with me
under my command who are known to be of Hebrew extraction. I would
hardly be justified without their permission to give their names.
I had a Jewish Aide-de-Camp, one of the bravest and best, in the
first battle of Bull Run; he is now a distinguished officer of the
army, a man of high scientific attainment. I had another aide who
was killed at the battle of Chancellorsville, a true friend and
a brave officer. Two of my brigade commanders, who answer to the
above description, one of whom you have mentioned, served ably and
faithfully at Gettysburg and in other great battles of the war. So
many of the German officers and men, the Poles and the Hungarians,
were of Jewish lineage that I am unable to designate them. I can
assure you, my dear sir, that, intrinsically, there are no more
patriotic men to be found in the country than those who claim to be
of Hebrew descent, and who served with me in parallel commands or
more directly under my instructions. I have always greatly esteemed
the Jewish people, and in fact, the highest hopes I have in the
great future are derived from him whom I think justly claimed to
be the spiritual king of the Jews. So far as bravery is concerned,
bravery often carries to rashness. History affords no example
superior to those of the Maccabees and other leaders of the Jews,
back to the time of Jacob, the prince, who prevailed with God.
Very truly yours.
OLIVER O. HOWARD,
Major General U. S. Army.
SIMON WOLF, ESQ.,
Washington, D. C.
* * * * *
Further testimony of a like character with reference to the Jews in the
Union Army might be adduced from numerous sources if space limits would
permit, but the following citations regarding the Jewish soldiers in
the Southern Armies are not only warranted by the occasion but by the
exceptionally interesting data which they contain.
[_From the Nashville American, May 25, 1894._]
"Among the delegates to the recent Convention of the B'nai B'rith
there were thirty who were old enough to take up arms during
the late war. Of this number twenty-five had shouldered their
muskets in defence of their country, twenty-four belonging to
the Confederate and one to the Federal Army. This shows that
the Israelite is as much of a patriot as any other man when the
liberties of his country are endangered. In this connection the
following letter will be read with interest."
"_Galveston, Texas, May 17, 1894._
LEO N. LEVI, ESQ., _Galveston_.
DEAR SIR:--
"My attention having been called by you to the published remarks
of a writer in disparagement of the patriotism and gallantry of
the Jew as a soldier, and having had the honor to command a force
composed to a considerable extent of Israelites, I feel impelled
by this attempted injustice to the race to give my experience with
them as soldiers.
"Under a commission from the Government I organized 'Waul's Texas
Legion,' upon the express terms that they were to leave the State,
cross the Mississippi River and join in the fray where the blows
fell heaviest and thickest. The Legion consisted of ten companies
of infantry, five companies of cavalry and two companies of
artillery. Two of the infantry companies had a large number of
Jews in their ranks, and the largest company in the command--120
men--was officered by Jews, and three-fourths of the rank and file
were of that faith. There were also a number of Jews scattered
through the command in the other companies.
"They were all volunteers, and I know there was not a Jew
conscript in the Legion. As soldiers they were brave, orderly and
well-disciplined and in no respect inferior to the gallant body of
which they formed a prominent part. Their behavior in the camp, as
in the field, was exemplary. No Jew in the command was arraigned
before a court-martial, and, in proportion to their numbers, there
were fewer applications for leaves of absence, and their regular
habits caused very few of their names to appear on the hospital
rolls.
"In battle, without distinction of race or religion, all were
apparently willing and eager for the contest. I will say, however,
I neither saw nor heard of any Jew shrinking or failing to answer
to any call of duty or danger.
"I regret I cannot go more in details, but am unwilling to permit
an aspersion that remotely may affect the Jews who served with me
to pass unnoticed, as, to a considerable extent, the reputation
won by the command and personally obtained by myself was acquired
by their conduct, courage and soldierly qualities. I state without
hesitation that in no attribute suited to the soldier, whether as
an officer or in the ranks, will the Jew suffer by comparison with
the best and bravest of our army.
"As these happenings were before your time, I jot down these
recollections that you may have the testimony of one Gentile to
attest the courage, endurance and patriotism of the Jew as a
soldier.
Yours sincerely,
T. N. WAUL."
* * * * *
The discussion of the question of Jewish participation in the Civil War
elicited the following expression from a Charleston newspaper:
"The list of South Carolina Jews who remained true to their country
and to their country's cause in the darkest hours and who proved
their fidelity and patriotism by laying down their lives upon the
field of battle could be greatly extended. Their names are graven
upon many a monument throughout the land, and their prowess in
arms is a part of the military glory of the country. As Montaigne
says, the virtue and valor of a man consist in the heart and in the
will, and by this rule the Hebrew soldiers of South Carolina may
be fairly judged. What they had they gave freely to the State and
on many a bloody field did they prove the high quality of their
courage. They possessed, what Napoleon called "the two o'clock in
the morning courage" and they followed the flag with superb loyalty
to victory and defeat. When the history of South Carolina's part in
the great struggle is written and the books are finally posted, we
are sure that the Hebrew soldiers of this State, who wore the grey
will have their full meed of praise."
* * * * *
Another communication which is at hand, originally made to one of our
Jewish weeklies, may also be quoted as affording an effective side
light on our present subject:
"From the beginning of the late war until its close I was connected
with the War and Navy Departments of the Confederate States as
a contractor for side arms and accoutrements. In this capacity
I became acquainted with the organization and direction of the
Army and Navy and also became well acquainted with the governing
officials of the State, War and Navy Departments.
"Shortly before the Fall Festivals of our Jewish observance in 1864
I came to Richmond, Va., and as usual, met my late old friend, the
Rev. Mr. Michelbacher. After receiving an assurance of my readiness
to aid him in the purpose which he outlined to me, he detailed his
request as follows:
"'There are right around here and in our other armies many Jewish
soldiers who would like to keep _Rosh Hashanah_ but especially
_Yom Kippur_ according to our law and ritual. I am trying to get a
furlough for these soldiers over these Holy Days, but do not know
how to go about it. Here is a petition to the Secretary of War;
you know him well; will you present it or will you go with me to
introduce me? or will you get Mr. Benjamin to recommend it?' I
informed Mr. Michelbacher that as far as Mr. Benjamin was concerned
it did not come within the scope of his special office; that if his
recommendation was needed I could pledge it, and that the whole
matter was for Mr. Seddon to decide. Next morning Mr. Michelbacher
and myself went to Mr. Seddon, who received us, as he did all
his petitioners, with kindness. He read the petition quietly and
talked the matter over with us for some time, even at more length
than the pressing duties upon him seemed to warrant. After mature
deliberation he spoke about as follows: 'Well, gentlemen, as far as
I am concerned I will give my consent, but must refer the matter
to the Adjutant and Inspector-General. Whatever he does, I will
sanction.' He thereupon wrote his endorsement on the petition and
Mr. Michelbacher and I took it up to General Cooper, who, like
Mr. Seddon, received us kindly, and with great interest discussed
the proposition with us. He would gladly, he said, grant the
furloughs, but, 'gentlemen,' he added, 'look, we have here a roster
of all our soldiers and we know, as far as possible from their
names, how many of them belong to your religious denomination, and
astonishing it is that we count about 10,000 to 12,000 Jews who are
serving in our Army. Now should I grant the furloughs you request,
you will readily see, that for the time being, it would perhaps
disintegrate certain commands in the field and might work to a bad
effect; besides, the commanders of the different army corps should
certainly be consulted. On the whole it would be impracticable, as
you, Goldsmith (turning to me) will readily acknowledge. In fact,'
he pleasantly added, 'you will admit that if your forefathers had
fought Titus on the Sabbath day, during the siege of Jerusalem they
most certainly would have beaten him. You see, therefore, I cannot
conscientiously grant your request.' So it ended, but we had the
satisfaction of having learned that out of the small number of Jews
then living in the South, it was believed that over 10,000 were
serving in the Confederate Army. Those who would not serve left
the country. For many of these latter I myself procured passports
and permits, deeming it better that they should leave quietly and
unmolested than that they should be forced into the ranks where
they would have made unwilling defenders of the country.
"I am still a living witness and can, from my own memory, give you
many names of gallant Jewish soldiers of the Confederate army.
I had ample opportunity to see and to know. Many a wounded Jew
have I met in the hospitals of Richmond and administered to his
wants, and many a Jewish soldier have I seen walking on his crutch
or having his arm in a sling, travelling to and from his command
during the war. And I know further that it was simply a sense of
loyalty to their homes and their neighbors that prompted them to
fight for the South. If not, they could readily have left this
country at any time as well as I myself could have done, had I
so chosen. But love for our adopted country kept us here and we
offered all we had in its behalf.
M. GOLDSMITH."
The closing paragraph of Mr. Goldsmith's letter is truly expressive of
Jewish sentiment. It emphasizes the fact that the Jew, while retaining
his racial and religious distinctiveness, identifies himself with the
people among whom he dwells, if he is not deliberately excluded from
the possibility of doing so. Were further evidence of this required
beyond the records of earlier times, a convincing proof can be found in
the presence of large numbers of Jews in both the Union and Confederate
armies throughout the Civil War.
It should not be overlooked that the profession of arms for its own
sake is not distinctively a Jewish trait; the business of war having
always been taken up as the means to an end rather than the end itself.
This phase of the Jewish character finds a significant expression in
the large proportion of Jewish combatants in both the Revolutionary and
Civil Wars. In both cases the issue was one in which they felt a deep
and abiding interest, and they manifested their earnestness in the most
positive manner by taking an active and determined part in the decision
of the issue. That interest was far from being prevalent during the
War of 1812 and the subsequent war with Mexico. The former lacked the
support of a large fraction of the people, being held by the Federal
party of that time to be a heedless and needless undertaking, which in
many respects it was, and the latter, the Mexican War, was regarded by
the anti-slavery Whigs as tending to aggrandize the slave power by an
extension of its territory. Both these wars were party measures, and
in both a decidedly smaller proportion of Jewish combatants took part
than would otherwise have been the case. Where home, or liberty or law
is at stake the Jewish people have never been chary of the uttermost
sacrifice, and the muster rolls of the armies in the great war between
the States afford the fullest evidence of their ample share in its
burdens and its sufferings.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] The numerous communications from correspondents in various parts
of the country, which are being received while this volume is in course
of completion by the printer, renders it altogether probable that the
author's hope will be realized. The information conveyed by these
correspondents, frequently too late for incorporation in the present
work, will be collated with the view to its eventual publication, and
all who feel an interest in our present subject, and who can contribute
such data as will further the correction of these records, are
earnestly requested to communicate their information to the author.
MEDALS OF HONOR.
(From a paper read by the present author before the American Jewish
Historical Society, Washington, D. C., December 26, 1894.)
On the 12th day of July, 1862, President Lincoln gave his approval to
an Act of Congress, authorizing the President to cause to be prepared
2,000 "Medals of Honor," to be presented to such non-commissioned
officers and privates as would especially distinguish themselves by
their gallantry in action, and by other soldierly qualities during the
war then in progress.
While I am not prepared to say how many soldiers of Hebrew faith were
honored with such medals, I can mention seven who have come under my
notice.
_First_, LEOPOLD KARPELES, Color Sergeant, of the 57th Massachusetts
Infantry, at the Battle of North Anna, distinguished himself by a noble
defence of the flag under a terrific fire from the enemy. Although
seriously wounded, he held the colors aloft until through weakness
from loss of blood he had at last to give them to a comrade. Sergeant
Karpeles has high testimonials from his superior officers for bravery,
daring and discipline, and is at present a clerk in the General
Post-Office Department.
_Second_, BENJAMIN B. LEVY, who enlisted at the age of sixteen as a
drummer boy, in the 1st New York Volunteers. He was detailed as Orderly
to General Mansfield. While on board the steamer "Express," carrying
dispatches to General Wool at Fortress Monroe, the vessel was attacked
by the Confederate gunboat, "Seabird." The "Express" with all on board,
was in imminent danger of capture, when young Levy saved the steamer by
cutting loose a water schooner which was in tow. For his prompt action,
Levy was highly complimented by Generals Mansfield and Wool. At Charles
City Cross Roads, two of the colors of his regiment were saved by him
from capture, for which act he was promoted on the field by General
Kearney to Color Sergeant of his regiment. At the expiration of his
term, he re-enlisted in the 40th New York (Mozart) regiment, and was
seriously wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. He was appointed by
President Lincoln to the New York Custom House.
_Third_, Sergeant Major and Adjutant ABRAHAM COHN, who enlisted as
private in the 6th New Hampshire Infantry. For distinguished services
he was gradually promoted to Adjutant; he served until the close of the
war. Some time after Adjutant Cohn received the "Medal of Honor," from
the Assistant Adjutant General's office, he was addressed the following
highly complimentary communication:
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
_Washington_, August 14, 1879.
The Medal, mentioned within, was given for conspicuous gallantry
displayed in the battle of the Wilderness, in rallying and forming
disorganized troops, under heavy fire; also for bravery and
coolness in carrying orders to the advance lines under murderous
fire in the battle of the Mine, July 30, 1864.
(Signed) S. N. BENJAMIN,
_Assistant Adjutant General_.
Adjutant Cohn has the most gratifying testimonials from his superior
officers. Before enlisting in the 6th New Hampshire he had served in
the 68th New York as a private and rose gradually to be captain. Owing
to sickness he was honorably discharged, being then, in the opinion of
the surgeons, unfit for further duty. Notwithstanding his discharge as
Captain, when strong and able again, he re-enlisted as Private, in the
6th New Hampshire, and rose to the rank of Adjutant.
_Fourth_, DAVID OBRANSKI, of the 58th Ohio Infantry, who received a
Medal of Honor for distinguished bravery and coolness under heavy fire
at Shiloh, Tennessee, and at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
_Fifth_, HENRY HELLER, of Company A, 66th Ohio Infantry. He earned the
Medal of Honor for daring bravery at Chancellorsville.
_Sixth_, ABRAHAM GRUNWALT, of Company G, 104th Ohio Infantry, who
earned his Medal of Honor, at Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864 in
the capture of Corps headquarters' flag.
_Seventh_, Corporal ISAAC GANS, of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry, who for
bravery displayed on the battle-field was appointed escort to the
colors captured by the Third Division.
FAMILIES OF "BROTHERS-IN-ARMS."
[Compiled from a paper read by the present author before the
American Jewish Historical Society, Washington, D. C., December 26,
1894.]
One of the most remarkable facts developed by the records of our Civil
War, and especially gratifying because unsurpassed, if equalled, is the
spontaneous and cheerful alacrity with which our citizens of Hebrew
faith entered their country's service in the hour of its need. In a
number of families all the male members able to bear arms were enrolled
in the army. My list of these may not be complete, and there may be
other equally notable examples, but I here name only those which have
been definitely reported to me.
North Carolina is to the fore with a host of six militant brothers,
united in the cause which they held at heart as well as by the ties
of blood. They bear the titular name of the priestly brother of
Moses, and their devotion lends it new lustre. The list of these six
brothers-in-arms is as follows:
AARON COHEN,
JACOB H. COHEN,
JULIUS COHEN,
EDWARD COHEN,
GUSTAVUS A. COHEN,
HENRY M. COHEN.