IV 
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 consider-
ation 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 de-
scent 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, Massa-
chusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 1864, fighting valiantly 
during the Civil War in the fog-bound Battle of Drury’s 
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•HRES 1069 IH 
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 hero-
ically 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 honor-
ably 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 Regi-
ment, 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 Jo-
seph 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 immi-
grants 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 
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•HRES 1069 IH 
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 sol-
diers of Asian descent during the Civil War; 
(2) recognizes and honors the two most-docu-
mented of those soldiers, Edward Day Cohota and 
Joseph L. Pierce, for their distinguished and dedi-
cated 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 rel-
atives of those two soldiers and others who are 
known for the injustice of the denial of citizenship. 
Æ 
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