Welsh in the Union Army

[StarsStripesandRedDragon]

Greetings all!

Let me begin this by saying that this is something that has bugged me for a while. My heritage is distinctly Welsh (my grandfather and father are both native-born Welsh and my mother's Irish blood can be traced back to Wales as well) and I have traveled through the parts of the North where the Welsh predominantly settled (the coal mines of Pennsylvania, particularly Bryn Mawr and that area and New Jersey). But apart from reading a few obscure stories about the letters home from Welsh soldiers in the Union Army and the fact that the Welsh were enthusiastically pro-Union, I don't really know much about the Welsh experience within Union forces, which is frustrating since the Irish have their own regiments and brigades and the Germans had 11th Corps. Does anyone know any information about this topic and, if so, what units of the Union army were majority Welsh? This is important to me from a heritage point of view and I wish to personify a Welsh miner out west for Shiloh. Thanks for your time!

Best Regards,

Pvt. B. James Thomas Williams
2nd Volunteer Garrison, OK State University

[Longbranch 1]

Sir,
You might wish to research the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry. Notable for their efforts at "The Crater"
Recruited exclusively from the mining areas in Penn.

Regards,
Kevin Ellis,
26thNC

[lincolnsguard]

May be more information here:

http://wesclark.com/jw/foreign_soldiers.html

[Jubilo]

Dear Sir,
The Welsh having good sense and being a practical people, became assimilated Americans. This in itself should be a source of pride. Even the largest ethnic groups, the Irish and Germans mostly served in American and not "ethnic," units under Old Glory and the blue regimental colors.
Read the book "Melting Pot Soldiers."
If you have a Methodist heritage and a fine singing voice there will be no mistaking your Welsh heritage. Many Welsh setttled in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania but were basically if not noticeably, everywhere in America.
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[billwatson2]

Some retain ethnicity in fun ways. The Bangor, Pa, high school fight song is "Men of Harlech" and you can buy pasties in Bangor and other nearby towns, the "Slate Belt" settled by Welsh and Cornish stretching from the Delaware River and arcing north of Allentown, right below the first real mountains.

[StarsStripesandRedDragon]

To all,

Thank you for your input. I would like to note that I realize that there were no distinct Welsh regiments or Welsh brigades (as one member noted, we are a people of good sense and assimilated). That being said, I'm glad to hear that there were regiments were the Welsh served with distinction. Any more information y'all can give me regarding this would be helpful. Again, my thanks!

P.S. I'm actually both Baptist and Presbyterian by heritage but I do have a good singing voice. Thank God that my family's Welsh by lineage.

Best Regards,

Pvt. B. James Thomas Williams
2nd Volunteer Garrison, OK State University

Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!
-Fyodor Dostoevsky