I bet they were mercs

no they where not mercs. most were basicly tricked by recruters getting them drunk or using prostitues, some were even druged with opium or cloriphorme. but others just voluntered.

Don't be so pissy just post a link, they're easy to find. Here, I'll help you out
http://www.geocities.com/cancivwar/cancivwar.html
http://members.tripod.com/PvtChurch/
http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebech...cb/default.htm

ah ok... tricked ? prostutitutes? drunk? yikes..

ya it was a good way to trick us Canadians. Beer, Women,Drugs

dam! that would have tricked me too!

I'll buy it with the stipulation that the same can be said about Germans, French, Brit's, Italians, Irish, Poles, heck the CS Dept of the Trans-Mississippi had a regiment of Texas Cavalry made up of Mexicans.

The thing you need to remember is the muster rolls of most units Confederate and Federal contained a good many foreign born soliders.The CS and US Navies and Marine Corps were made up of a majority of Foreign born Sailors and Marines.

I dont think ALL of these were tricked... some might have been mercs, say like Germans for example, just like when England used the German mercs during the war of independence..

Originally Posted by MightyMacbeth

I dont think ALL of these were tricked... some might have been mercs, say like Germans for example, just like when England used the German mercs during the war of independence..

And I don't believe all the Candians were "tricked". First you have to understand the demographics of the population of the time, how units were raised at the time and exactly what a "Merc" is.

Many Regiments were raised especially in the North from immigrant nieghborhoods. resulting in large numbers of Foriegn born troops. The Irish Brigade, The heavily German Regiments under Franz Siegal "I goes to fight mitt Siegal" Regiments raised in the Northwest (Minnesota,Wisconsin, Michigan.) That were heavily Scandavian.

The Navies of the time recruited by the ship. A man could go to any ship and enlist in the Navy regardless of his nationality. It would be like the Enterprise docking in Rota Spain today and Spainards enlisting on the dock. The CSS Alabama the Souths most prolific commerce raider was crewed by a mainly British Crew. Navies of the day also included the crew in cuts of the prize money

The US of the time especially the North had far more Foreign born people than Native born.Couple this with persons who enlisted for bounties, and persons who enlisted as subsitutes.

As far as Merc's. With what the Union Army was paying and what the CS Army was paying about 18 dollars a month for a Private. Don't see many enlisting as .Mercs.

From the Official U.S. Army Center for Millitary History Website.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm

Good show, Whispering Death.