In a message dated 9/17/01 7:41:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<
 My questions are (1) were there any significant ethnic Southern Military
Units, and (2) if not, why not?  (I believe a large number of Irish helped
construct the James River Kanawha Canal.)
  >>


Randy

While, I know of no Southern unit that was exclusively of one ethnicity or
another, there were several with large numbers of ethic groups.  The 1st
Virginia Infantry Regiment and 1st Virginia Infantry Battalion (two different
units), both raised in the Richmond vicinity were heavily Irish.  The 19th
Tennessee Infantry (I think), was also heavily Irish.  One of the Maryland
Confederate artillery units had several Hispanics in it.  Additionally, there
were units from New Orleans, LA that were heavily ethnic, drawing from that
city's immigrant population.  Further, there were several Native American
units recruited in what is now Oklahoma, and Thomas' North Carolina Legion
had a large number of Cherokee Indians in it.

While I don't think this would meet your criteria, several of the units
raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia were largely descendants of
German immigrants, but would have been in America for 2-5 generations prior
to these scions enlistment.

Hope it helps.

Warm regards
Jeff Weaver
Arlington, VA
http://www.ls.net/~newriver/nrv.htm
http://members.aol.com/jweaver300/grayson/vacwhp.htm

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