Nebraska in the American Civil War
Encyclopedia
During the American Civil War (1861–65), Nebraska was still a territory
of the United States
, not achieving statehood until two years after the War.
Antebellum Nebraska Territory
was a slavery
-free region. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
of 1854 had established the 40th parallel north
as the dividing line between the territories of Kansas
and Nebraska. It had also repealed the Missouri Compromise
of 1820 and allowed settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. Nebraska residents, many of them migrants from the Northern United States
, chose to exclude slavery from their territory.
Anti-secession
feelings ran strong in the fledgling Nebraska Territory. Seward County
was originally called Greene County, after a popular U.S. Army general from Missouri
. But after General Greene joined the Confederacy, the county was renamed Seward for William H. Seward
, Abraham Lincoln
's Secretary of State
.
As the war began in April 1861, Algernon Paddock
was serving as the territorial secretary, the highest office. On May 15, Alvin Saunders
, a staunch Republican
and supporter of President Lincoln, was sworn in as the formal Governor of Nebraska Territory. He served in that capacity throughout the war.
When the war started, U.S. Regular Army troops were withdrawn from Fort Kearny
and Fort Randall to serve in more threatened areas, but at the increased risk to Nebraska settlers from Indian attacks. The Federal government requested that the Nebraska Territory form one volunteer regiment
, with some companies supposed to stay behind to protect the territory. The territorial legislature met in special session in Omaha
, and agreed to raise the requested local defense force. Thus, the 1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry
was formed in June and July 1861, with the future governor of Nebraska
and the Wyoming Territory
, John Milton Thayer
, as its first colonel
. However, the promise was reneged, and the regiment was sent eastward in August to fight the Confederacy
.
Serving in the forces under Ulysses S. Grant
, the 1st Nebraska Infantry participated in the successful attack on Fort Donelson
in Tennessee
and then fought at the Battle of Shiloh
in April 1862. It then participated in several minor engagements in Missouri and Arkansas
. In October 1863, the regiment was changed from infantry into cavalry
, and was transferred to the frontier
to keep the Plains Indians in check. It was mustered out of the Union Army in 1866.
Later in the war, some of the soldiers who served at Fort Kearny were former Confederates who had changed their allegiance to the Union
, thus becoming "galvanized Yankees
".
By the end of the Civil War, more than a third (3,157) of the men of military age in the Nebraska Territory had served in the Union army. In addition to the 1st Nebraska, the territory raised three other full regiments of cavalry, as well as several battalion
s of militia. Thirty-five Nebraskans were killed in action during the Civil War, while another 204 died of other causes, including disease and accidents.
No Civil War battles or skirmishes were fought within the territorial borders of Nebraska, nor did Confederate troops attempt to invade the area.
Today, several active groups exist in the state of Nebraska that trace their organizational ancestry to Nebraska postbellum veterans groups, including the Grand Army of the Republic
, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
, and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
(MOLLUS).
Unorganized territory
An unorganized territory is a region of land without a "normally" constituted system of government. This does not mean that the territory has no government at all or that it is unclaimed territory...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, not achieving statehood until two years after the War.
Nebraska at the start of the Civil War
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
was a slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
-free region. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...
of 1854 had established the 40th parallel north
40th parallel north
The 40th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 40 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
as the dividing line between the territories of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Nebraska. It had also repealed the Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...
of 1820 and allowed settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. Nebraska residents, many of them migrants from the Northern United States
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
, chose to exclude slavery from their territory.
Anti-secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
feelings ran strong in the fledgling Nebraska Territory. Seward County
Seward County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,496 people, 6,013 households, and 4,215 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 6,428 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
was originally called Greene County, after a popular U.S. Army general from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. But after General Greene joined the Confederacy, the county was renamed Seward for William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
, 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...
's Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
.
As the war began in April 1861, Algernon Paddock
Algernon Paddock
Algernon Sidney Paddock was an American politician who served as a Republican secretary of Nebraska Territory and U.S. Senator from Nebraska after statehood.-Biography:...
was serving as the territorial secretary, the highest office. On May 15, Alvin Saunders
Alvin Saunders
Alvin Saunders was a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, in the United States, as well as the governor of the Nebraska Territory for most of the American Civil War.-Education:Saunders was born in Fleming County, Kentucky...
, a staunch Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and supporter of President Lincoln, was sworn in as the formal Governor of Nebraska Territory. He served in that capacity throughout the war.
Nebraska contributions to the war efforts
Fort Kearny
Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The outpost was located along the Oregon Trail near present-day Kearney, Nebraska, which took its name from the fort .-Origins and various missions of the...
and Fort Randall to serve in more threatened areas, but at the increased risk to Nebraska settlers from Indian attacks. The Federal government requested that the Nebraska Territory form one volunteer 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...
, with some companies supposed to stay behind to protect the territory. The territorial legislature met in special session in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, and agreed to raise the requested local defense force. Thus, the 1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry
1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry
The 1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was initially organized to protect the Nebraska Territory from Indian attacks, but primarily served in the Western Theater before being reorganized and sent to the...
was formed in June and July 1861, with the future governor of Nebraska
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
and the Wyoming Territory
Wyoming Territory
The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital...
, John Milton Thayer
John Milton Thayer
John Milton Thayer was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum United States Senator from Nebraska, as well as governor of Wyoming Territory and governor of Nebraska.-Early life and career:...
, as its first colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. However, the promise was reneged, and the regiment was sent eastward in August to fight the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
Serving in the forces under Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, the 1st Nebraska Infantry participated in the successful attack on Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson was a fortress built by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River leading to the heart of Tennessee, and the heart of the Confederacy.-History:...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and then fought at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
in April 1862. It then participated in several minor engagements in Missouri and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. In October 1863, the regiment was changed from infantry into 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...
, and was transferred to the frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
to keep the Plains Indians in check. It was mustered out of the Union Army in 1866.
Later in the war, some of the soldiers who served at Fort Kearny were former Confederates who had changed their allegiance to 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...
, thus becoming "galvanized Yankees
Galvanized Yankees
Galvanized Yankees was a term from the American Civil War used to refer to former Confederate prisoners of war who had sworn allegiance to the Union. Due to doubts about their ultimate loyalty, Galvanized Yankees were generally assigned to garrison forts far from the Civil War battlefields or in...
".
By the end of the Civil War, more than a third (3,157) of the men of military age in the Nebraska Territory had served in the Union army. In addition to the 1st Nebraska, the territory raised three other full regiments of cavalry, as well as several battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s of militia. Thirty-five Nebraskans were killed in action during the Civil War, while another 204 died of other causes, including disease and accidents.
No Civil War battles or skirmishes were fought within the territorial borders of Nebraska, nor did Confederate troops attempt to invade the area.
Today, several active groups exist in the state of Nebraska that trace their organizational ancestry to Nebraska postbellum veterans groups, including the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is an American fraternal organization, the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic . Founded in late 1881, it was originally one of several competing organizations of descendants of Union veterans...
, and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
(MOLLUS).