Polacy z 31. pułku piechoty nowojorskiej w wojnie secesyjnej w latach 1861–1863

Abstract

The issue of Polish participation in various units of the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War has not been elaborated in Polish and American historiography. The aim of this article is to describe the organization and activities of the 31st New York Infantry Regiment and to provide statistical data concerning the unit. During the functioning of the 31st New York Infantry Regiment, 1175 soldiers served in it. The unit started its state service in May 1861 and its federal service – a month later. The average regiment’s soldier was 27.3 years old. The regiment took part in a few greater battles in eastern front, e.g. the battles of: West Point (May 7, 1862), Gaines Mill (June 27, 1862) and Fredericksburg (May 2–4, 1863). The query conducted by me shows that in the 31st New York Infantry Regiment there were 40 Poles or people of Polish origin (3.4% of the regiment’s soldiers). The majority of the Poles (36) were recruited for Company C by Captain Aleksander Raszewski in 1861. The average Pole serving in this regiment was 28.02 years old. Eleven Poles were exempted, as they were unfit for military service. Three Polish officers resigned in 1862. During a military action 7 soldiers of Polish origin deserted, 3 were injured, 10 were in the Confederate captivity. When the regiment was dissolved on June 4, 1863, 18 Poles were exempted.