Nebraska in the American Civil War facts for kids
Even though Nebraska was not yet a state during the American Civil War, it played an important part in helping the Union. Nebraska was still a territory of the United States at that time. It became a state in March 1867, which was two years after the war ended.
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Nebraska Before the Civil War
Before the Civil War, the Nebraska Territory was mostly countryside and not many people lived there. It was on the edge of the American frontier. In 1854, a law called the Kansas–Nebraska Act was passed. This law created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act also said that settlers in these territories could decide if they wanted to allow slavery. Most people who moved to Nebraska came from the northern parts of the U.S. They chose not to allow slavery in their territory.
People in Nebraska strongly believed in staying part of the Union. For example, Seward County was first named after a general who joined the Confederacy. But after he did, the county was renamed for William H. Seward. He was the Secretary of State for President Abraham Lincoln.
When the war began in April 1861, Algernon Paddock was the top official in the territory. On May 15, Alvin Saunders became the official Governor of Nebraska Territory. He was a strong supporter of President Lincoln and stayed governor throughout the war.
Nebraska's Help in the War
No Civil War battles happened in Nebraska. Confederate soldiers did not try to invade the area. However, many Nebraskans joined the Union Army. When the war started, regular U.S. Army soldiers left Fort Kearny and Fort Randall. They went to fight in other places that were more in danger. This left Nebraska settlers more open to attacks from Native American tribes.
The U.S. government asked Nebraska to form one volunteer regiment. Some of these soldiers were supposed to stay and protect the territory. The leaders of the territory met in Omaha and agreed to create this local defense group.
The 1st Nebraska Volunteer Infantry
The 1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry was formed in June and July 1861. John Milton Thayer became its first colonel. He later became a governor of Nebraska and the Wyoming Territory. However, the promise to keep some soldiers in Nebraska was not kept. The regiment was sent east in August to fight the Confederacy.
The 1st Nebraska Infantry fought under General Ulysses S. Grant. They helped in the successful attack on Fort Donelson in Tennessee. Then, they fought in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. After that, they took part in smaller fights in Missouri and Arkansas.
In October 1863, the regiment changed from infantry (foot soldiers) to cavalry (soldiers on horseback). They were then sent to the frontier to help keep peace with the Plains Indians. The regiment left the Union Army in 1866.
Nebraska's Soldiers and Sacrifices
Later in the war, some soldiers at Fort Kearny were "galvanized Yankees". These were former Confederate soldiers who had decided to switch sides and fight for the Union.
By the end of the Civil War, more than one-third of the men in Nebraska Territory who were old enough to fight had joined the Union Army. This was 3,157 men. Besides the 1st Nebraska, the territory also formed three other full cavalry regiments. They also raised several battalions of local militia.
Thirty-five Nebraskans were killed in action during the war. Another 204 died from other causes, like sickness and accidents.
Today, several groups in Nebraska continue the traditions of Civil War veterans. These include the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
