A THOUGHT OF A UNION SOLDIER:
FROM THE DIARY OF ALBERT ROGALL,
A COMMANDER OF COLORED TROOPS IN THE CIVIL WAR
Kazuhiko Ranmabayashi29 April 1996
A Thought of a Union Soldier:
From the Diary of Albert Rogall,
A Commander of Colored Troops in the Civil WarGenerally, a war unites the people against the enemy, and soldiers respect their army. However, the Civil War occurred because of the disunity of the people, and there was a northern soldier man who hated his army. His name was Albert Rogall, whose final rank was Lieutenant Colonel of the 118th U. S. Colored Infantry. In his diary, there are clear indications of this hate for the Yankee army to which he belonged. He wrote, “I am sick of the Yankee army. . . ."1 His hate for the Yankee Army grew also to be a hate for the U. S. Government: “Washington is worse than to go in a battle . . . set of hungry Yankees all around." 2 There are several reasons why he hated the Yankee Army -- especially the Army of the Potomac -- and the Yankee government.
Florien Albert Rogall de Salmonski was born in Russian Poland May 4, 1824. His family was of Polish nobility, and his father was a Colonel in the Polish contingent serving under Napoleon. At that time, Poland was the Duchy of Warsaw that Napoleon made. After the time of Napoleon, the Kingdom of Poland was reestablished by the Congress of Vienna, but it was under the rule of Russia.3 In 1848, he held a commission in the German army. In 1848, when Luis Kossuth stood up for Hungarian independence against Austria, Germany and Russia because of the influence of the Revolution of 1848 in France, he joined it through the independence campaign, but the campaign failed; he went to Turkish territory with the Hungarian army for safety.4 He went to England because British government was supporting Turkey not to surrender them to Germany, Austria and Russia. With the financial support of his uncle, he went to Paris to study art.
In 1851, the same year that Kossuth came to the U.S., he came to the U.S., and was naturalized.5 He lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an art teacher. Then, he moved to Washington, C. H., Ohio, and married Miss Anna Jemima Mooney on March 7, 1860, and had three children.
He enlisted in the 54th Ohio Infantry on October 11, 1861. In 1862, March 20, he became a Captain. He fought in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, and Chickasaw Bayou. In 1864, March 14, he became a Captain in the 27th U.S. Colored Infantry. His diary begins in April 1864.
On April 16, he was mustered in as captain the 27th Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry in Columbus, Ohio. This Infantry was one of the two Colored Infantries -- another one is the 5th U. S. Colored Infantry --, which were made up primarily of Ohioans. The 27th U. S. Colored Infantry headed towardly to Annapolis, Maryland in which Army of the Potomac was gathering. With experiencing harsh treatment, which was very different from the Western theater, and spiteful feeling of white officers and civilians for the Colored Troop, he crossed Rappahannock River on May 5.6 The same day, he crossed Rappahannock River, battle of the Wilderness began.
The Army of the Potomac, under the command of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade and general in chief Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, moved into the Wilderness by using the Germanna Plank Road in the 4 April. By the noon, Confederate Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s Second Corps on the Orange Turnpike and Lt. Gen. Ambrose P. Hill’s Third Corps on the Plank Road were moving toward the Union Troops.
In the morning of the 5th, Union Fifth Corps pickets reported the presence of the Confederate forces. Meade ordered Maj.Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren to attack at 7:30 a.m. Warren advanced, supported by some of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick’s Sixth Corps, but he was driven back by Ewell and his reinforcements because Warren had delayed the attack until 1p.m. Later, main force of Sedgwick joined Warren. Meanwhile, Hill’s Third Corps also engaged battle against Brig. Gen. George W. Getty’s division of the Sixth Corps and Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock’s Second Corps.
Early in the morning of 6th, Sedgwick and Warren drove westward right along the Orange Turnpike to hold Ewell, and Hancock attempted to hold A.P.Hill. Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s Ninth Corps, in which Rogall and 27th U.S. Colored Infantry were, tried to brake through the gap between Ewell and A.P.Hill, but it was stopped by the reinforcement of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s First Corps. By the arrival of Longstreet, the battle line came to a standstill. There were accidents like that Longstreet was severely wounded, but battle did not advance in any way. Then night fell, and it was the end of the battle of Wilderness.
The battle ended in a tactical draw, but the Army of the Potomac lost about 17,666 out of 101,895 while the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia lost only 7,750 out of 61,025. However, this was just a beginning of the series of the battles through Petersburg.
According to Rogall, the Army of the Potomac announced estimate loss 23,000 men, and it was Union victory. However, he could not believe that because of what he experienced and what he was experiencing.7
From 7 to 9 May, Spotsylvania Court House Campaign took place, but it was less significant, slow going and Rogall was not involved to it much. Both Union and Confederate armies were heading toward the South east. Then Battle of the North Anna River occurred in 23 to 26 May, but Rogall and his Infantry were placed as rear guard to guard the trains. He complained and compared the mean treatment of the Army of the Potomac from Europe.8 Battle of Cold Harbor on 1 to 3 of June took place, but again he was in rear and did not experienced fighting. When the Army of the Potomac was about crossing the James River on 14 June, he was sick and staying in ambulance.
On 15 June, Petersburg Campaign began. His Troop carried the first line of Petersburg by colored troops on 18 June. Every day, fighting was going on somewhere. From this point, he was sick all the time, and he became more tired of the Army of the Potomac. While Rogall was sick and tired of war, the Army of the Potomac, colored troops, and doctors in ambulance, the 48th Pennsylvania, composed in large part of coal miners, had been digging a 586-foot-long tunnel under the 400 feet between the Union and Confederate line at Elliott’s Salient on the Easter side of the siege lines at Petersburg for more than a month. At 4:45 a.m. July 30, the blast went off. Nearly 300 Confederates were killed in the blast, which dug a hole 170 feet long, 60 to 80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. Burnside’s Ninth Corps troops, include Rogall’s 27th U.S. Colored Infantry, advanced. Shocked Confederates rallied and concentrated back of the crater. About 8:00a.m., Confederate Maj. Gen. William Mahone’s division sealed the breach in their lines. Confederates rimmed the crater, shooting the nearly helpless Burnside’s troops -- that Rogall descrive in great deal.9 By 1:00 p.m., Union had been pushed back to their lines.
Shortly after this battle, Rogall got some sort of sickness and went into a hospital. He changed hospitals twice, and in the third hospital -- City Point hospital -- he stayed until 13 October. In the mean time, he was just sleeping in a bed, complaining about their treatments, and getting homesick. Also, there were no significant things occurred in the front; the siege of Petersburg was at a standstill. Even after he got out the hospital, he became sick and homesick all the time. It also did not change after he was promoted to be Lieutenant Colonel of the 118th U.S. Colored Infantry on 6 December, and he sent leave of absence twice. Finally, his leave of absence was accepted on 28 March, 1865, he headed toward home.
Rogall had been a military man since he was twenty years old, and he had a quite military career in Europe. Because of that experience in Europe, he was shocked by being in the Yankee Army. He wrote, "Hard time and mean treatment. Officers in Europe and here in regard to their treatment differ great deal. Here seems to be a crazy wish to treat an officer meaner than a dog."10 "Oh what a difference between European officers and a Yankee, even between Western."11 It must have been hard for him to get used to the treatment from that Yankee army. He never did.
According to his diary, a Colored Regiment was a nest of villains. Both white officers and colored soldiers were bores and thieves. His beliefs were unknown when he joined the army. He might have believed in the preservation of the Union, and he might have believed in the emancipation of slaves. However, in this diary, he did not see the equality of the Colored Troops and did not trust colored soldiers.12 As a commanding officer of the Colored Troops, he could not stand his soldiers on the other white officers in the colored division. Perhaps, he was too serious a person from the stand point of a usual commanding officer of that time.13
He never liked the Army of the Potomac. Throughout his diary, there are many passages that indicate his hate for the Army of the Potomac. He criticized the people in the Army of the Potomac as ignorant, gamblers, cutthroats, horse thieves, money speculators, and so on. He Also criticized the ambulance.14 He thought it was shameful to be in the army; he grew sick and tired of the Army of the Potomac. It seemed to him that everyone in the army was not a patriot at all. Also, he was disgusted with the U. S. Government.15
However, his disgust for the U. S. Government was not only because of the treatment he had in the Yankee Army, but also because of his homesickness. Since 10 April 1864, he was sick all the time, and he went in and out in an ambulance, continuously. An unhealthy body makes a person timid, and Rogall was no exception. Throughout his diary of about one year, he mentioned that he was homesick fifty-three times: more than once a week. Especially, when he got letters from his wife, which came nineteen times in one year of diary, he became homesick. It was very understandable. He was sick and was far from home; and his wife and a baby were waiting for him to come back; anyone could be homesick in this situation. He prayed to God.16
It was also possible that he became homesick because of the battles he experienced. The Battle of the Wilderness was one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War. Casualties were appalling, with the Union losses almost twice that of the Confederates. Even more horrible was the fate of many wounded, who, trapped in the thick woods, were burned alive by a brush fire before they could be rescued. He wrote, ". . . I wish I had the pen of Lord Byron to describe the battle. As it is horrible in its nature so is it grand in its appearance."17 "The last four weeks seem to me four years."18
When he finally got out of the service, he had to go to Washington, D.C. to settle his accounts against the government, but he could not stand the slow government work. He really wanted to go home quickly. He wrote, "Washington City the meanest red tape Whole in the creation."19
Perhaps, it is not right to think Col. Albert Rogall as an ordinal officer in the Army of Potomac.20 It seems he did not like every single thing in his sight. He did not like the Army of the Potomac, his senior officer, colored soldiers, being an officer in a colored Infantry, treatment of hospital doctors in ambulance, and U.S. government. No one could stay in the Army of the Potomac with all of these hatreds or disgust. Albert Rogall was a patriotic career military man. However, because of the meaner treatment of the Army of the Potomac, which was so different from European armies and even the army in the Western theater where he had served, all the terribly bloody battles he experienced, the inequality of the Colored Troops, mean rascally Yankee officers, his sickness and his homesickness, his patriotism was gone. He never liked the Army of the Potomac nor the government in spite of his military service in the Civil War.
Note1 Albert Rogall, Diary: July 6 1864, t.s., VFM 303, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, OH.
2 Albert Rogall, Diary: April 1 1865, t.s.., VFM 303, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, OH.
3 O. Halecki, A History of Poland (New York: David McKay Company, Inc, 1981) 229-238.
4 Stephen Sisa, The Spirit of Hungary: A Panorama of Hungarian History and Culture (Ontario: A Wintario Project, 1990) 146-162.
5 Kossuth was very popular in the U. S., and he went back to Europe in 1852.
6 “In Pittsburg, Pa., we were stoned by the low people." (April 19) ". . . white spitting at us." (April 26) “Spiteful feeling of officers of volunteers against us." (April 27) These statements showed the nomal reactions for the Colored Troops, and mentioned “Different treatment from that in Mississippi Department." (April 29)
7 ". . . different reports rather discouraging. Our loss in last three days fight estimated 23,000 men. Beautiful day all Sunday, beautiful, lovely country, free people, happy before -- now in the deadly struggle for notion sake of some scoundrely preachers. But man is the destroyer of his happiness himself -- man is a man -- forever." “The morning sun in its glory of beauty -- very warm -- the smell of putrified bodies of dead men laying unburied since last four days." “Victory! Who knows? In the evening great shouting and cheering. Victory reported ours. Am too old soldier to believe it." (May 8)
8 “Hard time and mean treatment. Officers in Europe and here in regard to their treatment differ great deal. Here seem to be a crazy wish to treat an officer meaner than a dig." (May 23)
9 “Battle commenced at 4-5 o’clock in the morning, the mine on Cemetery Hill exploded shaking earth and air, wholesale attack of artillery and musketry, destructive fire, our men advanced driving the Rebs before them, till 8 o’clock we were victorious. Our division advanced to the right of Cemetery Hill, we were exposed to the meanest enfilading fire of two forts, canister, grape and musket bullets been tearing the ground in our midst. We were ordered to lay down, laying for one hour. Alas, the 1st. Division Broke, the 2nd Brigade of 4th Division broke, run over us, our men after desperate resistance broke, and fellback in perfect disorder, horrible slaughter, afternoon the Rebs charged on us, drove us away, we lost all that we gained and 5000 men to it. Our regiment suffered bad. Capt. Cartwright, Perry, Lieuts. Cornell, Richison killed, Capt. Leiter prisoner, Capt. Pew ran away." (July 30)
12 ". . . we were stoned by the low people." (April 19)
". . . secesh white spitting at us" (April 26).
13 "The meanness of the medical department in the army here, no assistance, no sympathy, no help, they are set of thieves and whoremasters, especially in colored division." (June 14) "Nigger troops a perfect bore with no exceptions." (January 7) "All niggers are thieves." (May 30) "To be a negro officer is poor service, for a negro will be a negro in spite of all the devils mean, low, beastly set of men. Unworthy." (March 1).
14". . . The teamsters and ambulance drivers are the greatest thieves that man can think." “Ambulances overloaded with goods of their own and surgeons, so that sick soldier have not much room for him." (June 15) “Our treatment in hospitals worse than a criminals in penitentiary, even so our ending, surgeons cheating us from everything that was sent for us." (Augst 24) “The surgeons in Army of Potomac and Quartermaster a set of thiefs. The mean treatment of sick soldiers, the many graves, 9th Army Corps the meanest treated corps." (September 22)
15 "Formed a line of battle against cavalry. Ignorance of our commander, Lt. Col. Wright, ignorance of the rest of the officers, their impudence still ahead." (May 9) "It is hard to fight for a government that will not sustain the sick soldier, but that is so here. I was in the worst situation than ever, disgusted with the Army of the Potomac. All this war is a humbug -- money affair -- especially surgeons, the greater rascals they are the positions they will get. Gamblers, cutthroats and horse treaders are made aid de camps in our division." (June 14) "I wish I was out of the Army of Potomac. . . . The unnecessary loss of human life in this army beats all records in the history, a man's life is not more considered than a dog's, yet no justice for it, a man offering his service to defend the government is treated worse than a criminal, but in every respect. Stealing is going on in wholesale, but the punishment for little things. All the Eastern Army is one set of money speculators from private to the highest general. . . ." (June 15) "I am sick of the Yankee army, it is a crowd of speculators, not alone in goods but in human blood, all go for money, cheating each other." (July 6) "All my patriotism is gone. I wish I was never here and had never to do with this army -- Potomac -- a shameful name anyhow, bloodshed in streams for gold and titles but not for Government." (July 8) "To serve in the army of the Potomac is the meanest service." (February 16) "Became tired of the service." (September 11) "Washington is worse than to go in a battle . . . set of hungry Yankees all around." (April 1) "Washington City the meanest red tape Whole in the creation." (April 5).
16 " Oh I am getting so homesick and tired of the army." (March 4) "My constant thoughts about my home, my Anna, and my babe." (May 13) "Dream about my wife, dear, dear, dear Anna." (March 9) "Lord speed me home." (March 26) "O Lord protect me and permit to return home to my family." (March 28).
20A person who wrote this, does not seem ordinary soldier. “I never can forgive myself the blunder tat I ever could be persuaded to enter in colored troops, this is the greatest blunder of my life, it is not alone suicide but disgrace in many respects." (July 1)
Works CitedRogall, Albert. Diary: April 1864 - April 1865, ts. VFM 303. Ohio Historical Society, Columbus OH.
Works ConsultedBoatner III, Mark Mayo. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1959.
Halecki, O. A History of Poland. New York: David McKay Company, Inc, 1981.
Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of Civil War. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1986.
Long, E. B. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865. Gorden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1971.
Sisa, Stephen. The Spirit of Hungary: A Panorama of Hungarian History and Culture. Ontario: A Wintario Project, 1990.