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| Frontispiece of the German-language edition of “History of the War for the Union,” edited by Friedrich Kapp. A window into how immigrant readers saw the war unfold.[**] |
I have not forgotten the Fatherland, but I have taken up arms for the land that gave me bread.
Gustav Keppler was one of nearly 200,000 German immigrants German immigrants who fought for the Union. In a letter home, he explained why: not for glory, not for politics—but because America had become his home.
His letters, written in German and later translated, describe the hardships of camp life, the confusion of orders shouted in English, and the pride he felt marching under a flag that was slowly becoming his own.
“We are not always understood, but we are here. We bleed the same.”
His words echo the experience of thousands of Irish, Italian, Polish, and other immigrant soldiers—many of whom fought in ethnic regiments, others scattered across the ranks. They brought their languages, their customs, and their loyalty to a country still learning how to welcome them.
There are millions of stories from the Irrepressible Conflict. This was just one of them.
Mac
[**] Friedrich Kapp was a German-American writer and politician who translated and adapted various works for German-speaking audiences during the 19th century—especially around the Civil War. This book would’ve brought the Union’s story to immigrant readers - like Keppler - framing it through Kapp’s own republican and abolitionist lens.
Duyckinck, Evert A. Geschichte des Krieges für die Union, politisch und militärisch nach offiziellen und andern authentischen Dokumenten beschrieben. Deutsch bearbeitet von Friedrich Kapp, Johnson, Fry & Compagnie, 1863. Internet Archive. Accessed 30 June 2025.
Works Cited
[1] Kamphoefner, Walter D., and Wolfgang Helbich, editors. (2006) Germans in the Civil War: The Letters They Wrote Home. Translated by Susan Carter Vogel. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
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