Is There a Category for People Who Fought On Both Sides, US Civil War?

Question

George Tall Pine Beard fought from Tennessee for the Confederacy in the American Civil War, was captured in Georgia, and was a prisoner of war for a year at Rock Island, Illinois.  In order to get out of prison, he joined the Union Army.  Is there a category for these two-sided fighters?  After the War, he was shot in the back while in his field, probably because of bad feelings about his change of allegiance.

Comments

Yes I had an ancestor that went through that, but the family is still upset about that and doesn’t like to air that dirty laundry.

Answer 1

They are referred to as Galvanized Yankees and I think we have a category for that. Plus you would include the category of both units and the POW category as well.

Wait - I have that backwards  I really should not answer questions in the middle of the night  The Georgia Union units were very unpopular. The units are listed but I am not sure there is a term used for these guys.  It is sad he was shot.  That sort of violence continued primarily in the border states but Georgia was so ravaged but Sherman's March that it was not unusual here.

  I'll do some more research in the morning! Thanks for bringing this up!!

Comments

Actually, we didn't but I made it for you. You should be able to find to find two pension applications also, one for each service.

Category: US Civil War Galvanized Yankees

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Thanks. Vic

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Arms 684, 687, & 688 fought for the north. Their brother Arms-683 for the South. Is Arms-683 a glavanized yankee?

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Galvanized Yankee is a term used for Confederate soldiers who were prisoners of war and then joined the Union Army, so I don't think he is unless he fought for both sides. See Wikipedia.