Australasian Natives in the Union Navy.

Australasian Natives in the Union Navy.

by Terry Foenander.

Over the last few years, I have been ably assisted in my research projects by Mr. Ed Milligan of Alexandria, Virginia. During this period he has taken the time and trouble to make searches at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., for unusual and interesting personnel who enlisted in the Union Navy during the war. Ed has often discovered rather interesting and some unique details of naval personnel whom he knew would pique my interest.

In the course of his searches he located the names of at least six Union naval personnel whom, it would seem to this author, were original natives of Australia and New Zealand. The question now begs an answer - did a small number of Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Maoris serve in the Union Navy during the Civil War?

To many it would seem that the original inhabitants of Australasia were mainly land lubbers and very few would be attracted to the life of a seafarer. However, I am of the opinion that there would most certainly have been some who served as mariners, and some of these mariners would have been in the US at the start of the war, or later, enabling them to enlist in the services [1].

Appended below are the names of six Union sailors who were born in Australia and New Zealand, and whose personal description would seem to indicate that they were possibly original natives of the region. A seventh Union sailor, born in the Bay of Isles is also listed, as this may be another possible original New Zealand native.

The information was extracted from the Rendezvous Reports of Union Naval enlistments, held at the National Archives.

I have applied unsuccessfully, so far, to obtain pension records for at least two of these personnel, and will continue to search for more information. I would appreciate further details of the service and especially the post war lives of these personnel, and most of all, confirmation that they were indeed Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Maoris.

1. Richard Croft, ordinary seaman, enlisted at Boston on May 31, 1862, for 2 years; born in New Zealand; personal description shows black eyes, woolly hair and mulatto complexion. (Rendezvous Reports Volume 20, page 20.)

2. John Jackson, ordinary seaman, enlisted at Boston on February 25, 1862; born in Australia; aged 28 at enlistment; personal description shows eyes and hair as black and complexion as negro. (Rendezvous Reports Volume 19, page 92.) Barry Crompton of Melbourne, Australia provided further details from the Massachusetts rosters, indicating that Jackson enlisted at Hyannis, Massachusetts; served on the receiving ship USS Ohio; and is listed as deceased, March 24, 1862, aboard the Ohio.

3. John Morris, seaman, enlisted for 3 years on November 28, 1864; aged 26 at enlistment; born New Zealand; personal description shows him as negro.

4. Charles Lymon, landsman, enlisted at New Bedford, August 9 (or 29), 1864, aged 25; born New Zealand; personal description shows black eyes, black hair and copper complexion. (Rendezvous Reports Volume 37, page 103.)

5. Michael Kendy, ordinary seaman, enlisted June 10, 1864, for 3 years, at New Bedford, aged 21; born Australia; personal description shows black eyes, woolly hair and Negro complexion. (Rendezvous Reports Volume 34, page 405.)

6. Albert McDermott, seaman, enlisted October 20, 1862, for 1 year, at New York, aged 23; born Australia; personal description shows black eyes, fuzzy hair and yellow complexion. (Muster rolls occasionally show African American servicemen with yellow complexions.) (Rendezvous Reports Volume 32, page 466.)

7. William Parange, landsman, enlisted at Boston on September 15, 1862, for one year; born in the Bay of Isles; aged 38; occupation mariner; personal description shows his eyes, hair, and complexion as black. He served aboard the USS Lancaster. Parange does not have any Pension records at the National Archives.

8. Antonio Miles, native of Australia, described as mulatto; previous occupation mariner, enlisted at age 23 in the Union Navy.

Any additional information or corrections from readers would be most welcome.

Notes:

[1] Since the original appearance of the article above, in February, 2000, this author has received a message via e-mail from Mr. John Wilson, of Wellington, New Zealand, dated Sunday, July 16, 2000, correcting at least one misconception which I have had of the New Zealand Maoris, who are the descendants of Polynesians from the northern part of that beautiful and exotic region of the Pacific. Mr. Wilson has advised that the Maoris and Polynesians were not 'landlubbers,' as I was ignorant enough to believe, but were a seafaring race. This would indicate that there were surely a large number who would have been recruited aboard the American whalers who frequented the Pacific, and the waters around Australia and New Zealand, in the years prior to the Civil War. He also notes that because New Zealand did not commence recording births until about 1855, it would be almost impossible to confirm the claims of 'Kiwi' veterans of the Civil War of their nativity.

February 8, 2000 (updated July, 2000).