Canadians in Blue: The Experiences of Canadians in the Union Army and Navy During the American Civil War

Thousands of Canadians fought for the Union army and navy in the American Civil War. From the early battles of the war, such as Bull Run and Wilson’s Creek, to the surrender at Appomattox, Canadians were in the midst of the action. In fact Canadians would serve in all the theaters of the war from the bloody battlegrounds of Northern Virginia to the western frontier and elsewhere, including even off the coast of France. During the war 32 Canadians would earn the Medal of Honor for their heroics on the battlefield, while another 17 would reach the rank of general (often breveted for gallant and meritorious service). Canadians in Blue looks at the adventures and experiences of some these Canadian such as Sarah Emma Edmonds who dressed as a man to go to war; Richard Surby who led the “Butternut Guerillas” and played a key role in one of the war’s greatest cavalry raids; John McNeil dubbed the “Butcher of Palmyra” for executing a number of Confederate prisoners in Missouri; Thomas Wildes who disobeyed an order and saved a Shenandoah Valley town from destruction; plus many, many more.