The Galvanized Yankees

This book is the definitive work about a little known part of our history -- the Indian Wars of 1865 on the Western Plains. Abraham Lincoln supported a move to draft Confederate prisoners of war languishing (and often starving) in Northern prisons, with the stipulation that they would not have to go South and fight fellow Confederates. The "Galvanized Yankees" (so named because it was thought that their loyalty to the North was only a thin "ganvanized" layer) -- 6,000 of them, took the oath of loyalty to the Union and headed West to guard stagecoaches and mail routes. Numerous fights with Plains Indians, bitter cold, at lonely outposts were but a few of the hazards the Galvanized Yankees faced. My gg grandfather survived all this and returned home in 1866. I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in learning more about these brave men who chose service to the Union rather than almost certain death in Northern prisons.

The author is the agriculture librarian at the University of Illinois, and has written other books on 19th century Western history. These "Galvanized Yankees" were the Confederate prisoners of war who joined the Union army to fight Indians in the West, guarded surveyors for the Union Pacific, accompanied expeditions, escorted supply trains, and protected stage coach routes. This book covers the events from September 1864 to November 1866. The 'Introduction' says this phrase was first used for captured Union soldiers who joined the Confederates (p.9). Later it was used for any Confederate prisoner who pledged allegiance to the Union. It started with prisoners of foreign or Northern origin (p.12). Later discouraged Southerners were recruited (p.13). 'Full rations' were an inducement (p.14). The Sand Creek massacre of peaceful Cheyennes started Indian wars all over the Plains (p.16). Guarding the trails and forts became the job of the Galvanized Yankees. After four years of Civil War the country chose a series of peace councils rather than Indian wars (p.51). The Sioux uprising in Minnesota 1862 created a need for paroled soldiers (pp.61-62). This book tells about the Army forts along the upper Missouri river, and the use of Galvanized Yankees as troops there. The long winter and short supplies led to diseases like scurvy and diarrhea (p.87). State troops did not want to fight Indians now that the Civil War was over (p.119). General Dodge sought recruits from prison camps. Timbered areas on the Plains were usually Indian burial sites, any logging there was considered a desecration (p.141). Stage horses were picked for strength and endurance; Indians always tried to steal them. Winter was severe on the plains (Chapter 10). Chapter 12 concludes by telling about Galvanized Confederates. They enlisted foreigners only, they did not trust Yankees who often escaped back to the Union lines or surrendered when attacked (p.213). So did many of the foreign born (p.214). These were recruited to again become Union soldiers.