Alexander Schimmelfennig

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Alexander "Hammerhead Fennig" Schimmelfennig (July 20, 1824 – September 5, 1865) was an American Civil War general in the Union Army.

Born on 20 Jul 1824 in Bromberg, which was located in the Prussian Province of Possen, Germany. He served in both the 29th Infantry Regiment (von Horn) and the 16th Infantry Regiment (Freiherr von Sparr) which was stationed in penis. It was here that he became acquainted with some of the more radical of German political sources. He was very supportive of the 1848 revolution, but came disillusioned with the outcome of the treaty that ended of the Schlewig Holstein War of 1848.

He supported the opposition to Prussian attempts to put down unification efforts and was part of the Palatinate military commission that led the defense against Prussian invasion. He was twice wounded in the battle of Rinnthal, rescued and eventually fled to Switzerland. For his involvement, he was tried in abstantia and sentenced to death. He remained in Switzerland, met Karl Schurz and ultimately these two fled to London via Paris. While in London, he became a part of the German democratic movement that were a bitter opposition to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

In 1854, he immigrated to the United States and worked in the War Department where he maintained his association with the Forty-Eighters, a group of military officers in the failed revolution of 1848 who fled to the United States; many ended up serving in the U.S. Army. After his efforts to raise an all German Cavalry regiment with Carl Schurz failed, due to Schurz' appointment by President Lincoln to be his Minister to Spain, Schimmelfennig attempted to raise an all German regiment in Philadelphia. When he fell ill, there was an effort by others to take over this regiment, ultimately failing thanks to the efforts of his friends. The regiment would consist of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Germans - be called the 1st German Regiment (of Pennsylvania) and later be designated the 74th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment[1].

At the time of the Civil War, there was strong nativist sentiment in the Union. This sentiment was especially directed on the German troops of the XI Corps, who engaged in a mass retreat after they were ambushed by Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville. The mostly German XI Corps took the brunt of the scorn that poured forth from the press.

At the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg, Schimmelfennig commanded a brigade in fellow Forty-Eighter turned Major General Carl Schurz's 3rd Division of the XI Corps. For a short time, Schimmelfennig took command of the 3rd Division when Schurz briefly commanded the corps. His brigade suffered greatly, mostly due to a high prisoner rate as hundreds of men became confused in the narrow streets of Gettysburg and ended up being captured by oncoming Confederates. It and Colonel Charles Coster's brigade did their best to cover the retreat of the rest of the XI Corps, but it soon became disorganized and fled too. During the retreat through the town, he briefly hid in a culvert on Baltimore Street, and then stayed for several days in a shed on the Anna Garlach property, wanting to avoid capture. After the battle, he rejoined the corps, much to the pleasure of the troops who thought he was dead. However, Schimmelfennig's story was seized upon the press and was promulgated as yet another example of German cowardice.

In the fall of 1863, he and his brigade were reassigned to the Western Theater, along with the majority of both the XI and XII Corps. He served well in that theater and commanded the District of Charleston during Sherman's March to the Sea. Schimmelfennig had the honor of accepting Charleston's surrender. Yet, due to his time of service in the swamps about Charleston, he contracted an illness that ultimately lead to his death on 5 Sep 1865.

For information on the 74th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry please check out the regimental website. Under the "Biographies of Officers" is a more detailed history of this Union General. The information was provided by Bret Coulson who is the author of a forthcoming history of the 74th. [2]