New-York tribune., 1886-08-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS
THE GERMANS IN AMERICA.

TUE GERMAN SOLDIER IN THE WARS OF n THE
UNITED STATES. BY j. G.. RosLNGARrtN' l%no'
pp t75. J. B. LippiDcott Company.
Mr. Rosengarten's sketch, originally composed as
n lecture has grown into a valuable and interest
ing monograph in which are embodied the iiui's
Of much laborous search. He has traced OUT 'iie
khare Of the Germans in all cur wars, from 'no
Colocial campaigns against the French and Indians
20 the close of the Rebellion. How nopie P"iV
our German adopted citizens performed IN the Oi'"
War we all remember; but few probably are aware
of tie prominence OF the German element III '"0
Colonial and Revolutionary forces. especially III
the latter. where volunteers of rank like steuoeh
and De Kalh gallant adventures, and veterans Vi
the wars Of Frederick tho Great, as well as 'nou-
sand, of sturdy German settlers fought by the sioo
OF the lankc zee farmers Herkimer Muhlenherg' b""
mann Weissenfels Hester. George Weedon lOcr"i
Won der Wieienl are some of the fainiar ""''''
on the roll of lie ,olut0nary officers eoou "i"'''
OF the lessiaus who were sent over hero " IL
lis deserted to our side, and many more io'"".'
here at the end of the war to become Aih''i' az
oizens The statistics of nationality ID tnc ai'i''
al the Civil War are very imperlect no ,"'''
satistacto<y calculations are those ol bi' D
Could who published for the Chi'eu H''''
1r,, Cop,r,issin, tbe result of an inquiry INTO the
nativity Of the Union volunteers IN Wn'ch nc
o..o,,ts for about 2O1 200 soldiers OF the
% -oo ana octraliy in The service. vi these
ON. 1oo flc native Americans were 1,523,26|
ond of the half million foreigners lSHs0o were
German and l4422l were Irish. Both these
natonalltes furnished more than their due ProI OF
lion of volunteers. the excess OF the Gerihs' NOW
ever being siderably the greater OF the two. II
tne enIistmcnts had been adjusted to the p opor-
tion which each nationality constituted III the iota
porulation the German quota would bave been
l2s.1O2 and the Irish 1902. An examination oil
thr returns by States shows some interesting de-
tails The German element In the army was pro-
portonatelv much stronger in the East than III the
West and strongest of ali in New-England. Ohio
furnished about O.OOO, whe her Just quota was
10000 Indiana, Michigan. and Iowa sent less
than their share. In Missouri on the contrary Ihe
Germans saved the State, furnishing no less thAh
one in three of their total population and about "u
and bali times their quota. Mr.. Eosengarten elveS
number of Biographical sketches oil dIstns"'sheu
German officers: but as he Justly REMARKS thei
rccoid honorable as it Is by no means measures tho
peculiar service which the German volunteers rem
dercl Their adopted country " 1t was Ill the rahks'
and as non oncommissioncd officers, that their stead-
ness conrage discipline, endurance, and other
manly virtues were especially marked. CouraGe Is
not such rare virtue but the capacity to he good
soldier in the long and weary months OF lnacloh
in the irving hours of imprisonment and Sickness
this was the marked characteristic OF the German
soldier and it shone out III those regiments anu
companies in which the mass was made up OF lm-
petuous and undscpned Americans, uuaccaslom-
cd TO obedience and selfsacrifce. Here and there
German was found who sfeadied the Others by his
example. sometimes without word occasionally
by little encouragement, always by bis many
and solGierly qualities"