Alexander Schimmelfennig
Encyclopedia
Alexander Schimmelfennig (July 20, 1824 – September 5, 1865) was a German
soldier and political revolution
ary, and then an American Civil War
general in the Union Army
.
Province of Posen
. He enrolled in the military and served in both the 29th Infantry Regiment (von Horn) and the 16th Infantry Regiment (Freiherr von Sparr), which was stationed in Cologne, Germany. There, he became acquainted with some of the more radical German political sources. He was very supportive of the 1848 revolution, but came disillusioned with the outcome of the peace treaty that ended the Schleswig-Holstein War of 1848
.
He supported the opposition to Prussian attempts to put down unification efforts and was part of the Palatinate
military commission that led the defense against the subsequent Prussian invasion. He was twice wounded in the Battle of Rinnthal
, rescued, and eventually fled to Switzerland
. For his involvement, he was tried in absentia and sentenced to death by the Prussian authorities. He remained in exile in Switzerland, where he met fellow expatriate Carl Schurz
, and ultimately these two fled to London via Paris. While in London, Schimmelfenning became a part of the German democratic movement, a sectarian group within the Communist League
led by Karl Schapper
and August Willich
that was in opposition to main body of the Communist League led by Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels
.
In 1854, Schimmelfennig emigrated to the United States
and worked in the War Department
, where he maintained his association with the Forty-Eighters
, a group of military officers in the failed revolution of 1848 who fled to the United States; many ended up serving in the United States Army
. He was the author of The War between Russia and Turkey (Philadelphia, 1854).
to raise an all-German cavalry
regiment
failed (due to Schurz's appointment by President Abraham Lincoln
to be his Minister to Spain
), Schimmelfennig attempted to raise an all-German regiment
in Philadelphia
. When he fell ill, others strove to take over control of this new regiment, but they ultimately failed thanks to the efforts of Schimmelfennig's friends. The regiment, consisting of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Germans, was called the 1st German Regiment (of Pennsylvania) and would later be designated the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry
At the time of the Civil War, there was strong nativist sentiment in the Union
. This sentiment was especially directed on the German troops of the XI Corps, who engaged in a mass retreat after they were flanked by Stonewall Jackson
at Chancellorsville
. The mostly German XI Corps took the brunt of the scorn that poured forth from the press. Among the critics was the corps commander Oliver Otis Howard, who sought a scapegoat for his own mistakes. During the battle, Schimmelfennig commanded a brigade in the 3rd Division of the XI Corps.
At the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg
, Schimmelfennig commanded a brigade
in fellow Forty-Eighter-turned-major general
Carl Schurz's 3rd Division of the XI Corps. For a short time, Schimmelfennig took command of the 3rd Division when Schurz briefly commanded the corps
. His brigade suffered greatly, mostly due to a high prisoner
rate as hundreds of men became confused in the narrow streets of Gettysburg
and ended up being captured by oncoming Confederates
. It and Colonel Charles Coster
's brigade did their best to cover the retreat of the rest of the XI Corps, but they soon became disorganized and fled too. During the retreat through the town, Schimmelfennig briefly hid in a culvert on Baltimore Street, and then stayed for several days in a shed on the Anna Garlach property, avoiding capture. (There is a marker outside the Garlach house commemorating this event.) After the battle, he rejoined the corps, much to the pleasure of the troops who thought he was dead. However, Schimmelfennig's story was seized upon by the press and was promulgated as yet another example of German cowardice.
In the fall of 1863, the general was moved to command a brigade in 1st Division, XI Corps. He and his brigade were reassigned to the Carolinas
, serving on Folly Island
. He commanded the District of Charleston during Sherman's March to the Sea
. After being sidelined for some time by a bout with malaria
, Schimmelfennig had the honor of accepting Charleston
's surrender on February 18, 1865. His headquarters was the Miles Brewton House
. During his time of service in the swamps about Charleston, he contracted a virulent form of tuberculosis
that ultimately led to his death in Wernersville, Pennsylvania
, where he had visited a mineral springs sanatorium
in an effort to find a cure.
Schimmelfennig is buried in Reading, Pennsylvania
, in the Charles Evans Cemetery, not far from fellow Union general David McMurtrie Gregg
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldier and political revolution
Political revolution
A political revolution, in the Trotskyist theory, is an upheaval in which the government is replaced, or the form of government altered, but in which property relations are predominantly left intact...
ary, and then an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
Early life and career
Schimmelfennig was born in Bromberg in the PrussianKingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
. He enrolled in the military and served in both the 29th Infantry Regiment (von Horn) and the 16th Infantry Regiment (Freiherr von Sparr), which was stationed in Cologne, Germany. There, he became acquainted with some of the more radical German political sources. He was very supportive of the 1848 revolution, but came disillusioned with the outcome of the peace treaty that ended the Schleswig-Holstein War of 1848
Schleswig-Holstein Question
The Schleswig-Holstein Question was a complex of diplomatic and other issues arising in the 19th century from the relations of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein , to the Danish crown and to the German Confederation....
.
He supported the opposition to Prussian attempts to put down unification efforts and was part of the Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
military commission that led the defense against the subsequent Prussian invasion. He was twice wounded in the Battle of Rinnthal
Rinnthal
Rinnthal is a municipality in Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.During the Revolution of 1848, the town was the setting for a battle between Prussian army troops and Palatinate revolutionary forces who were resisting the invasion....
, rescued, and eventually fled to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. For his involvement, he was tried in absentia and sentenced to death by the Prussian authorities. He remained in exile in Switzerland, where he met fellow expatriate Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
, and ultimately these two fled to London via Paris. While in London, Schimmelfenning became a part of the German democratic movement, a sectarian group within the Communist League
Communist League
The Communist League was the first Marxist international organization. It was founded originally as the League of the Just by German workers in Paris in 1834. This was initially a utopian socialist and Christian communist group devoted to the ideas of Gracchus Babeuf...
led by Karl Schapper
Karl Schapper
Karl Schapper was a German socialist and labour leader. He was one of the pioneers of the labour movement in Germany and an early associate of Wilhelm Weitling and Karl Marx.-Young Germany and Mazzini:...
and August Willich
August Willich
August Willich , born Johann August Ernst von Willich, was a military officer in the Prussian Army and a leading early proponent of Communism in Germany. In 1847 he discarded his title of nobility...
that was in opposition to main body of the Communist League led by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
.
In 1854, Schimmelfennig emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and worked in the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
, where he maintained his association with the Forty-Eighters
Forty-Eighters
The Forty-Eighters were Europeans who participated in or supported the revolutions of 1848 that swept Europe. In Germany, the Forty-Eighters favored unification of the German people, a more democratic government, and guarantees of human rights...
, a group of military officers in the failed revolution of 1848 who fled to the United States; many ended up serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was the author of The War between Russia and Turkey (Philadelphia, 1854).
Civil War
After his efforts with Carl SchurzCarl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
to raise an all-German cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
failed (due to Schurz's appointment by President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to be his Minister to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), Schimmelfennig attempted to raise an all-German regiment
German-Americans in the Civil War
German-Americans in the American Civil War were the largest ethnic contingent to fight for the Union. More than 200,000 native Germans served in the Union Army, with New York and Ohio each providing ten divisions dominated by German-born men....
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. When he fell ill, others strove to take over control of this new regiment, but they ultimately failed thanks to the efforts of Schimmelfennig's friends. The regiment, consisting of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Germans, was called the 1st German Regiment (of Pennsylvania) and would later be designated the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry
74th Pennsylvania Infantry
The 74th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was one of many all-German regiments in the army, most notably in the XI Corps of the Army of the Potomac...
At the time of the Civil War, there was strong nativist sentiment in the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. This sentiment was especially directed on the German troops of the XI Corps, who engaged in a mass retreat after they were flanked by Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
at Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. The mostly German XI Corps took the brunt of the scorn that poured forth from the press. Among the critics was the corps commander Oliver Otis Howard, who sought a scapegoat for his own mistakes. During the battle, Schimmelfennig commanded a brigade in the 3rd Division of the XI Corps.
At the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Schimmelfennig commanded a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in fellow Forty-Eighter-turned-major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Carl Schurz's 3rd Division of the XI Corps. For a short time, Schimmelfennig took command of the 3rd Division when Schurz briefly commanded the corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. His brigade suffered greatly, mostly due to a high prisoner
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
rate as hundreds of men became confused in the narrow streets of Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
and ended up being captured by oncoming Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. It and Colonel Charles Coster
Charles Coster
Charles R. Coster was an American soldier and public official, who is best known for commanding a brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life and service:Coster was born in New York City, New York...
's brigade did their best to cover the retreat of the rest of the XI Corps, but they soon became disorganized and fled too. During the retreat through the town, Schimmelfennig briefly hid in a culvert on Baltimore Street, and then stayed for several days in a shed on the Anna Garlach property, avoiding capture. (There is a marker outside the Garlach house commemorating this event.) After the battle, he rejoined the corps, much to the pleasure of the troops who thought he was dead. However, Schimmelfennig's story was seized upon by the press and was promulgated as yet another example of German cowardice.
In the fall of 1863, the general was moved to command a brigade in 1st Division, XI Corps. He and his brigade were reassigned to the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
, serving on Folly Island
Folly Island
Folly Island is a barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean near Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the Sea Islands and is within the boundaries of Charleston County, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, the island served as a major staging area for troops of the Union Army that were...
. He commanded the District of Charleston during Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
. After being sidelined for some time by a bout with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, Schimmelfennig had the honor of accepting Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
's surrender on February 18, 1865. His headquarters was the Miles Brewton House
Miles Brewton House
The Miles Brewton House is located at 27 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the finest examples of a double house in Charleston. Its extensive collection of dependencies makes it one of the most complete Georgian townhouse complexes in America. The house was built ca. 1769...
. During his time of service in the swamps about Charleston, he contracted a virulent form of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
that ultimately led to his death in Wernersville, Pennsylvania
Wernersville, Pennsylvania
Wernersville is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,494 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wernersville is located at .-History:...
, where he had visited a mineral springs sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in an effort to find a cure.
Schimmelfennig is buried in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, in the Charles Evans Cemetery, not far from fellow Union general David McMurtrie Gregg
David McMurtrie Gregg
David McMurtrie Gregg was a farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- German Americans in the Civil War
Further reading
- Carl SchurzCarl SchurzCarl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
. New York: The McClure Company. 1907. Schurz knew Schimmelfennig (or Schimmelpfennig — it is spelled both ways in his Reminiscences) in Germany and in the United States and places in between. In Chapter VIII of Volume One, Schurz reflects on the irony of commanding Schimmelfennig in the United States who was Schurz's military instructor in Germany. They were also both members of the Brüning Salon in England (see Chapter XIV of Volume One). - Abraham JacobiAbraham JacobiAbraham Jacobi was a pioneer of pediatrics, opening the first children's clinic in the United States. To date, he is the only foreign born president of the American Medical Association.-Biography:...
relates an encounter in Germany with Schimmelfennig in his speech (Banquet to the Honorable Carl Schurz. March 2, 1899)