Galvanized Yankees

Galvanized Yankees was a term from the American Civil War used to refer to former Confederate prisoners of war who had sworn allegiance to the Union. Due to doubts about their ultimate loyalty, Galvanized Yankees were generally assigned to garrison forts far from the Civil War battlefields or in action against American Indians in the west.

Regiments made up of "Galvanized Yankees"

1st U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Point Lookout, Md., January 21 to April 22, 1864. Moved to Norfolk, Va., and provost duty there and at Portsmouth, Va., District of Eastern Virginia, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to August, 1864. Ordered to Milwaukee, Wis., thence to St. Louis, Mo., arriving there August 22. (4 Cos. remained in Wisconsin till September, then ordered to Minnesota.) Six Companies moved from St. Louis to Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, arriving there October 17, and garrison duty there; at Fort Berthold and at Fort Union, mouth of the Yellowstone, till October, 1865. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., and mustered out November 27, 1865. Four Companies on duty in District of Minnesota till May, 1866. Mustered out May 21, 1866.

2nd U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Rock Island, Ill., October, 1864. Ordered to Dept. of Missouri and assigned to duty in District of Upper Arkansas along the Santa Fe Road from Little Arkansas River to Fort Dodge and Cimaron Crossing. Stationed by Companies at Fort Riley, Salem, Fort Ellsworth, Fort Learned, Fort Zarah and Fort Scott, Kansas, on guard duty and operating against Indians till November, 1865. Mustered out November 7, 1865.

3rd U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Rock Island, Ill., October, 1864. Ordered to Dept. of Missouri, arriving at Fort Kearney, Neb., April 9, 1865, and assigned to duty in the District of Nebraska and Colorado. Stationed by Companies. "A" and "B" at Fort Kearney, "E" and "F" at Fort Rankin, "G" and "H" at Julesburg Junction, Colo., and "C" and "D" at Cottonwood protecting overland mail routes from.Indian attacks. Skirmish at Elm Creek May 20, 1865. Mustered out November 29, 1865.

4th U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Point Lookout, Md., October 31, 1864. Duty at Portsmouth, Va., District of Eastern Virginia, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, and in District of the Northwest, Dept. of Missouri, till July, 1866. Mustered out July 2, 1866.

5th U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Alton and Camp Douglas, Ill., March to May, 1865. Ordered to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 3, 1865. Assigned to duty in District of Upper Arkansas from Little Arkansas River to Fort Dodge and Cimaron Crossing. Duty in Districts of Nebraska, Colorado and Utah and the Plains till November, 1866. Mustered out November 13, 1866.

6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Columbus, Ohio, Camp Morton, Ind., and Camp Douglas, Ill., April 2, 1865. Ordered to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May, 1865, arriving there May 11. Moved to Fort Kearney, Neb., May 14; thence to Julesburg, Colo. Duty in District of the Plains and Utah till November, 1866. Mustered out November 3, 1866.

ee also

* Ahl's Heavy Artillery Company
* Major Dundee

ource

* Information taken from "Dyer's Compendium"