Matrix Games Forums

Brig. Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig (b. 1824, d. 1865). Schimmelfennig was born in the Prussian province of Posen. He enlisted in the Kingdom’s army at the age of seventeen and served with the infantry in the East and West, where he came under the influence of radical political thoughts like Democracy and Communism. His first action was during the Schleswig-Holstein War of March 1848 in which he fought with distinction. But as the armistice in September left the Germans in the region under Danish rule, he resigned from the army. As Schimmelfennig supported the idea of German unification he endorsed the Revolution of 1848/1849. When Prussian troops ended the revolution, he fought against his former comrades (Friedrich Engels served under him) but lost and was wounded twice. August Willich saved him and they stayed with the revolutionary army till its retreat to Switzerland. There, Schimmelfennig met Carl Schurz and went with him and Willich to London. Tried in absentia and sentenced to death he could not return to Germany, so he emigrated to the United States in 1854, where he became a civilian engineer in the army. When the Civil War broke out he tried to raise an all-German cavalry regiment with Schurz. When this failed he tried to raise an infantry regiment, but fell ill with small pox. The regiment was raised nonetheless by friends of his and would be called the 74th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Schimmelfennig led it as colonel at the Battles of Cross Keys and Freeman’s Ford. He was promoted to Brig. Gen. in November 1862 and rose to brigade command leading one at Second Bull Run. Schimmelfennig’s worst moment came at Chancellorsville. His scouts had spotted enemy troops but corps commander Gen. Oliver Howard ordered the reconnaissance to be stopped. Thus Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s attack crushed the XI corps with Schimmelfennig’s brigade. At Gettysburg the first brigade of Schurz’ 3rd division of the XI corps was crushed on the first day by Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s first corps covering the retreat of the rest of the division. When Schimmelfennig tried to rally his men in the overcrowded streets of Gettysburg he came close to be captured. Dressed in casual military dress, his rank not apparent, he could escape the Rebels and hide in the kitchen garden of the Garlach family. He rejoined his brigade on July 4 1863 after the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. Detached to the West the same fall the XI corps and Schimmelfennig fought well in the battles for Chattanooga. During Gen. Wiiliam T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” Schimmelfennig accepted the surrender of Charleston, South Carolina, where the whole war had started with the bombardment of Fort Sumter. However the General got ill in the swamps and marshes of South Carolina and died from tuberculosis in September 1865. He was buried in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Ldr: 3
Tact: 2
Init: 3
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Steady (though the XI corps has a bad reputation, Schimmelfennig was loved by his men)

According to one website, Schimmelfennig is the General with the longest name of Civil War generals.

There is a wonderful story about Lincoln and his effort to appeal to the German elements in the population. It is said that he personally directed that Schimmelfennig be promoted to general. The name alone will be worth a brigade, he said, or something like that. I would have sworn I read that in Lincoln and His Generals, by T. Harry Williams, but Sch is not listed in the index. The actual quote would be best, but it certainly would be accurate to say something like, "Lincoln said that Sch's name alone would be worth a lot in raising German support."

If you or someone can find this quote that would be great -- I'd like to use it.

Okay, this one's done, though I'm hoping someone knows more about the Lincoln anecdote that General Quarters mentions, since I'd like to add that.


Brig. Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig (b. 1824, d. 1865). Schimmelfennig was born in the Prussian province of Posen. He enlisted in the Kingdom’s army at the age of seventeen and served with the infantry in the East and West, where he came under the influence of radical political philosophies, such as Democracy and Communism. His first action was during the Schleswig-Holstein War of March 1848, in which he fought with distinction. But as the armistice in September left the Germans in the region under Danish rule, he resigned from the army. Schimmelfennig supported the idea of German unification and therefore endorsed the Revolution of 1848-49. When Prussian troops ended the revolution, he fought against his former comrades – Friedrich Engels served under him – but lost, and was wounded twice. August von Willich, another future Union general, saved him, and they stayed with the revolutionary army until its retreat to Switzerland. There, Schimmelfennig met Carl Schurz – who, likewise, would become a Union general, as well as a prominent political leader – and went with him and Willich to London. Tried in absentia and sentenced to death for his role in the revolution, Schimmelfennig could not return to Germany, so he emigrated to the United States in 1854, becoming a civilian engineer in the army. When the Civil War broke out he tried to raise an all-German cavalry regiment with Schurz; when this failed he tried to raise an infantry regiment, but fell ill with small pox. The regiment, officially designated the 74th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, was raised by friends of his, and after recovering Schimmelfennig led it as colonel, seeing action at the Battles of Cross Keys and Freeman’s Ford. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862 and was in command of a brigade at the Battle of Second Bull Run. Schimmelfennig’s worst moment came at Chancellorsville when Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s attack crushed the XI Corps, to which Schimmelfennig’s brigade was assigned. At Gettysburg the first brigade of Schurz’ 3rd Division of the XI Corps was badly beaten on the first day, July 1, 1863, by Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s I Corps while covering the retreat of the rest of the division. When Schimmelfennig tried to rally his men in the overcrowded streets of Gettysburg he came close to being captured, but since he was dressed in casual military dress with his rank not apparent, he was able to escape the enemy and hide in the kitchen garden of the Garlach family. Schimmelfennig rejoined his brigade on July 4, the day after the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. Detached to the western theater along with the rest of the XI Corps that fall, Schimmelfennig fought well in the battles for Chattanooga. During Gen. William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” Schimmelfennig accepted the surrender of Charleston, where the war had started with the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Unfortunately, Schimmelfennig became ill in the swamps and marshes of South Carolina and died from tuberculosis in September 1865, near Reading, Pennsylvania. His tombstone there reads in part: “A German by birth; an American in death.” (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

Ldr: 3
Tact: 2
Init: 3
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Steady (14)

Start date: 44 or 45
Death date: 102