German Americans in Missouri: the American Civil War
Abstract
Louis Gerteis, a Civil War historian, recalls a common
image that Americans had of Germans in the mid-19th century:
that of a lager-drinking, Sabbath-breaking, and tenaciously proud
group of people (74). While there may have been some truth to this
stereotypical depiction, German Americans proved that they had
much more to offer American nineteenth-century society than just
their vices. German Americans used their cultural pride to create
real change in the political landscape of the Civil War era in the
United States. Missouri, a scene of intense political debate leading
up to and during the Civil War, was a destination for many German
immigrants, and was a place in which Germans were particularly
politically influential. One of these German Missourians was a young
man by the name of Henry Voelkner. Henry’s story survives through
eight heartfelt letters he wrote to his family in St. Louis during the
beginning years of the Civil War. Dated between 1861 and 1862,
Henry’s correspondence communicates his experiences as a soldier in
the Union army, and offers invaluable insight into how his German
heritage guided his perspective. Using Henry’s personal and localized
letters as a base, this paper will focus on the greater implications
of his writings. Through the analysis of Henry’s eight letters, and
aided by other secondary sources, this paper will attempt to illustrate
the significance of German Americans in the formation of, and
contribution to, the consequential events taking place in Missouri
during the Civil War—events which had lasting impacts on the rest of
the country.