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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1069 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1069

  Honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of 
               Asian descent who fought in the Civil War.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2006

 Mr. Honda (for himself, Mr. Radanovich, and Mr. Lantos) submitted the 
  following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
  Services, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of 
               Asian descent who fought in the Civil War.

Whereas it has been determined that soldiers of Asian descent fought bravely and 
        honorably during the Civil War in both Union and Confederate forces;
Whereas among the soldiers of Asian descent who fought in the Civil War was 
        Edward Day Cohota, who as a small child stowed away in the ship Cohota, 
        leaving Shanghai, China in 1845;
Whereas Mr. Cohota enlisted in the 23rd Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer 
        Infantry, in 1864, fighting valiantly during the Civil War in the fog-
        bound Battle of Drury's Bluff, where other soldiers reported that he had 
        seven bullet holes in his coat, but was not wounded;
Whereas Mr. Cohota repeatedly proved his courage in the Battle of Petersburg and 
        at Cold Harbor, where he heroically saved the wounded William E. Low 
        from being among the 7,000 casualties suffered within a half hour and a 
        minie ball left a permanent part in his hair;
Whereas Mr. Cohota, although denied citizenship after honorably serving in the 
        Union Army, served in United States Army for 30 years, helping to settle 
        the American West;
Whereas also among the soldiers of Asian descent who fought in the Civil War was 
        Joseph A. Pierce, who was sold by his family to Captain Amos Peck III in 
        1852 and raised as an adopted son and who enlisted in the 14th Regiment, 
        Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, in 1862;
Whereas Mr. Pierce fought in his first battle at Antietam, distinguished himself 
        in the Battle of Gettysburg, and bravely volunteered for a perilous 
        attack on Bliss Farm during the day of Pickett's charge;
Whereas many of the soldiers of Asian descent who fought in the Civil War, 
        including Edward Day Cohota and Joseph A. Pierce, were denied 
        citizenship following their service as a result of the Chinese Exclusion 
        Act of 1882 and general anti-Asian sentiment prevalent at that time;
Whereas the Congress overturned the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in 1943 to end 
        that injustice to Asian immigrants but did not extend citizenship to 
        those who had rightfully earned the honor of citizenship but were denied 
        the opportunity to seek citizenship because they had died before the Act 
        was repealed; and
Whereas many of those soldiers were unjustly denied rightful recognition of 
        their service: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes and expresses its appreciation for the 
        courageous and loyal contributions made by soldiers of Asian 
        descent during the Civil War;
            (2) recognizes and honors the two most-documented of those 
        soldiers, Edward Day Cohota and Joseph L. Pierce, for their 
        distinguished and dedicated service to preserving and 
        maintaining the Union;
            (3) recognizes the denial of citizenship for those two men 
        because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; and
            (4) expresses its regret to the descendant relatives of 
        those two soldiers and others who are known for the injustice 
        of the denial of citizenship.
                                 <all>
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