Nationalities of U.S. Naval Officers.
The following article and statistical table was transcribed from page 2 of the New York Times, Monday, October 2, 1865. It included the subheadings "A Curious Table of Statistics-Nearly Fifty Nationalities Represented-The Ocean Contributing her Sons-What the States Have Done for the Navy."
It has been stated by many vain glorious and bigoted foreigners that the personnel of our navy was in the majority composed of foreigners, and we have been at some pains to place before our readers the following statement of facts, gleaned from the best known authority, and thus to give credit to those to whom it is due. Of the total number of officers in the naval service at the close of the war, 5,956 were born in the United States, 748 were foreigners, and 889 did not furnish the place of their birth.
Of the latter number there were many who were born in the then rebellious States, and, for prudential reasons did not forward their place of birth to the department, preferring to be classed among the "unknown" rather than suffer any inconvenience in event of capture or the failure of the Union cause. This number is not believed to be large, in fact in the minority. A few are known to be of foreign birth, while a large number were careless and unmindful of the order requesting them to send in their personal data. A number were prisoners in the hands of the enemy, and were unable to do so.
Of native born Americans, New York State has furnished the largest number, Massachusetts the next, Pennsylvania the next, and them comes Maine, which we had supposed would have furnished a very much larger quota, owing to her geographical position among the seaboard States. Little Rhode Island has furnished more men in ratio to her size than many of the larger States bordering upon the ocean. The West has done nobly, and shows a record of naval heroes in keeping with her gigantic gifts of men to the land forces.
Almost every country on the face of the globe has sent its representatives. Portugal is not represented on our list, but we know of one or two who are numbered among the "unknowns" who boldly espoused the cause of justice and freedom, and have done valiant service for the Union.
Old Neptune sent eight of his sons to join in the struggle. Turks mingled with Greeks. Men of the East Indies vied with those of the West Indies in performing deeds of valor. While the Alpine born sailor fought side by side with the Hollander from the Lowlands, Bluenoses joined hands with Sandwich Islanders, Austrians with Poles, Cubans with Germans, Frenchmen with Russians, Hungarians with Italians, forming a link in the chain which bound together the tottering frame of the ship of the Union. These men were from all climes and countries from the Poles to the Equator, proving that among all are to be found those who, notwithstanding they were born in empires and kingdoms, and drew their first breath in the air of monarchy, were ready and willing to peril property and even life to aid in upholding our republican and free form of government. These incontrovertible facts silently but forcibly tell a tale which emperors and kings sitting on tottering thrones would fain banish from their memories. It is a picture they fear to contemplate, and in the bitterness of their fear and selfishness cry out against us, and finally we are taunted with sayings tending to take from us the merit of power and influence. The brave and gallant Irish have been our greatest allies by land and sea, and have nobly repaid the debt of gratitude for freedom, beneath the folds of our banner, when on their native soil they were borne down and oppressed by the heel of the tyrant. Even John Bull has furnished us with near two hundred men who, knowing they would be treated as men and as their merits deserved, left the blood red flag to aid in establishing the stars and stripes over land and sea. We are by no means ungrateful for the aid the noble fellows have given us, but we do not think they are quite entitled to all the credit of our successes and final triumphs. Nor do we believe that all of them think so, but there are some who are continually making themselves disagreeable and ridiculous by stating that "If it had not been for foreigners where would you have been today? What would you have done with us!"
Without dwelling any further upon this subject, we will present our table of nationalities of all the officers in the United States Navy at the close of the war:
UNITED STATES.
New York................................................1,263 |
Delaware......................................................50 |
Massachusetts..........................................1,126 |
Missouri........................................................32 |
Pennsylvania...............................................850 |
Michigan......................................................31 |
Maine..........................................................499 |
Louisiana......................................................24 |
Ohio............................................................310 |
Georgia.........................................................20 |
Maryland....................................................294 |
South Carolina..............................................19 |
Connecticut................................................264 |
North Carolina..............................................19 |
New Jersey.................................................219 |
Iowa..............................................................18 |
New Hampshire.........................................175 |
Tennessee.....................................................15 |
Virginia......................................................155 |
Wisconsin.....................................................14 |
District of Columbia..................................126 |
Florida............................................................7 |
Rhode Island..............................................102 |
Alabama.........................................................7 |
Indiana.........................................................84 |
Mississippi......................................................7 |
Kentucky......................................................84 |
Minnesota[1]...................................................1 |
Vermont........................................................81 |
Texas..............................................................1 |
Illinois..........................................................59 |
FOREIGNERS.
Ireland........................................................188 |
Hanover..........................................................2 |
England......................................................177 |
Isle of Man.....................................................2 |
Scotland.......................................................79 |
Prince Edward Island.....................................2 |
Germany......................................................55 |
Russia.............................................................2 |
Sweden........................................................33 |
Hamburg.........................................................2 |
Canada.........................................................32 |
Turkey[2]........................................................2 |
Denmark.......................................................22 |
Curacoa[3]......................................................1 |
Norway.........................................................19 |
East Indies[4]..................................................2 |
Nova Scotia..................................................18 |
Hungary..........................................................1 |
Prussia..........................................................18 |
Sandwich Islands............................................1 |
New Brunswick............................................14 |
Poland.............................................................1 |
France...........................................................13 |
Hawaii............................................................1 |
At Sea.............................................................8 |
Schleswig-Holstein.........................................1 |
Wales..............................................................7 |
Nassau, N.P....................................................1 |
West Indies.....................................................5 |
Austria............................................................1 |
Greece............................................................4 |
Sicily..............................................................1 |
Newfoundland...............................................4 |
Bahamas.........................................................1 |
Spain..............................................................4 |
Bermuda.........................................................1 |
Saxony...........................................................3 |
Bavaria...........................................................1 |
Mexico...........................................................3 |
Italy................................................................1 |
Holland...........................................................3 |
Demerara........................................................1 |
Belgium..........................................................3 |
Baden..............................................................1 |
Switzerland.....................................................3 |
Cuba...............................................................1 |
South America................................................3 |
RECAPITULATION.
Born in U.S.......................5,956.
Foreigners............................748.
Place of birth unknown.......789.
Grand Total.......................7,593.
Notes:
[1] Frank S. Eastman, Acting Ensign; born Minnesota; resided in and appointed from New Hampshire, as Acting Master's Mate, August 25, 1863.
[2] One of whom has been identified as Hachadon P. Garabedian, Acting Third Assistant Engineer; born at Constantinople, Turkey; appointed from Massachusetts on August 6, 1864 and discharged August 19, 1865; served aboard USS Geranium and USS Grand Gulf; died at Philadelphia on August 25, 1881, and buried at Fernwood Cemetery.
[3] Frederick W. Racao, Acting Second Assistant Engineer; born Curacoa; appointed from Massachusetts, February 10, 1864, as Acting Third Assistant Engineer; served aboard Receiving Ship Ohio and USS Harvest Moon; discharged August 23, 1865.
[4] One of whom has been identified as Adoniram B. Judsen, born April 7, 1837 in Moulmein, Burma (now known as Myanmar), of American parents. Appointed from the state of Massachusetts, in United States naval service, July 30, 1861, as Assistant Surgeon; served aboard USS New Ironsides and USS Nantucket; resigned May 11, 1868; died September 20, 1916, at New York.