Damn Dutch : Pennsylvania Germans at Gettysburg / David L. Valuska and Christian B. Keller, with contributions by Scott Hartwig and Martin Oefele ; foreword by Don Yoder.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-231) and index.
Contents:
Diverse German immigrants and ethnic identity on the eve of the Civil War / Christian B. Keller -- German-Americans and the war up to Gettysburg / Martin Oefele -- The Pennsylvania Dutch as first defenders / David L. Valuska -- The Pennsylvania Dutch and "the hard hand of war" / Christian B. Keller -- The campaign and battle of Gettysburg / Scott Hartwig -- "Fight with what is left" / David L. Valuska -- Pennsylvania's German-Americans, a popular myth, and the importance of perception / Christian B. Keller -- The Pennsylvania Dutch fight for "old Dutch Pennsylvania" / David L. Valuska --After Gettysburg / Christian B. Keller and David L. Valuska -- Pennsylvania Dutch music -- Ballad of the Schimmelfennig Memorial Dining Hall.
Summary:
This book traces the participation in and reaction to the Civil War on the part of Pennsylvania's "Germans"--Both the Pennsylvania Dutch of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and early nineteenth century migration and the later emigrants from German-speaking Central Europe who arrived in the nineteenth century, the so-called German-Americans. In 1860, the German-born population of the United States was 1,301,136 citizens. Of these, 138,244 resided in Pennsylvania. It is not just their sheer numbers, which make the Keystone State's Germans a worthy subject of historical inquiry. Their experiences also demonstrate the power that ethnic identity had on both ethnic and nonethnic Americans during the Civil War. During the campaigns and the Battle of Gettysburg, ethnic consciousness permeated the daily lives of civilians and soldiers and played a major role in directing their behavior. Their role in the Battle of Gettysburg was significant. In certain instances, the regiments with Pennsylvania Dutch and German-Americans in their ranks, saved the Union's fortunes. Their experiences at Gettysburg were representative of both groups.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.