August Willich's Gallant Dutchmen: Bullets, Bayonets and Beer

By Joseph R. Reinhart

Presentation to CCWRT on 15 May 2008, Summarized by Dan Bauer

©Cincinnati CWRT, 2008

Those who heard speaker Joseph Reinhardt's talk really got three talks for the price of one. The talk included a biography of August Willich, a history of the 32nd Indiana Infantry, and an account of the involvement of German immigrant soldiers in the Civil War.

Mr. Reinhardt began with a handout with statistics from the 1860 census which showed that while 1.3 million of the 31 million U.S. population was German born (4%), 10% of the Union Army was German born. The other side of the handout included photos of a few of the members of the 32nd Indiana. Some of the other famous German regiments were the 9th Ohio, the 15th Missouri, the 24th Illinois and the 26th Wisconsin. While Germans were blamed for the loss at Chancellorsville, the 32nd Indiana won praise for a record of gallant fighting in the West. Trying to get a picture of the "Germaness" of the 32nd was difficult because only a handful of diaries and letters are available. Germans were eager to join the Union Army because they wanted to be good Americans while bringing honor to the German name. They formed their own regiments because they did not speak English and they wanted to be around others who shared their culture including a fondness of drinking beer (even on Sundays).

In August of 1861 Indiana Governor Oliver Morton tapped August Willich to raise a German regiment. Willich was chosen because of his military reputation and influence. The German born Willich was trained in the Prussian Military Academy and served in the Prussian army for 19 years. Although he was considered a highly effective drill master, he was court martialed in 1847 due to his dabbling in Communism and resigned his post. Willich had befriended both Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel. Willich became a leader in the German Revolutionary Army and the failed German revolution of 1848.

Willich fled to the U.S. with hopes of recruiting soldiers to invade Germany. After spending a few years in South Carolina, he came to Cincinnati in 1856 accepting a position as editor of a German newspaper. He used this position to spread his Socialism and anti-Catholicism ideology. Willich's plans changed when war broke out and he was instrumental in raising four companies for the 9th Ohio.

When organizing the 32nd Indiana, Willich was able to draw from 200 former members of the German Revolutionary Army. The average age of the soldiers in the 32nd was 32 years old, more than 9 years older than the average age of a Union soldier. Many of the members of the 32nd were members of the Turners, a German social organization that promoted fitness through athletic contests. These three factors made for a highly cohesive, tough, and experienced unit before they saw their first combat. Although the 32nd was formed in Indianapolis, it included companies from all over the state including Evansville, Fort Wayne, Aurora, Terra Haute, Louisville, and even one from Cincinnati.

The 32nd fought in all the major battles of the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland except for Perryville. The 32nd saw its first significant action at Rowlett's Station near Mumfordville, Kentucky where 11 of its members were killed and 29 others were wounded or missing. The oldest Civil War marker of the war was dedicated in memory of the fighting of the 32nd at Rowlett's Station. This marker is now located in Louisville. Although the unit went on to suffer even greater losses at Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Pickett's Mill, in each of these battles the 32nd displayed a high level of courage and tenacity. It is said that the 32nd was the first Union regiment to reach the crest of Missionary Ridge thanks in part to its fierce use of the bayonet.

Of the 937 men who enlisted in the 32nd, 171 lost their lives due to combat and only 280 were mustered out of service on Sept. 2nd, 1864. The 32nd Indiana was looked upon as one of the most successful ethnic regiments in terms of military achievement, gaining positive recognition for German-American participation in the conflict, and serving a s source of pride for the many German born Americans trying to assimilate themselves into American society.