USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume II > Part 52
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The building on Montgomery street formerly occupied by the day nursery of the Jewish Sisterhood is now being used as a maternity hospital. The president of the Ladies' Association is Mrs. David Wolff, and the annual income is about $3,500.
PLAUT MEMORIAL HEBREW FREE SCHOOL.
On the 25th day of May, 1889, the Hebrew Educational Society was organized In response to a need clearly recognized by the Jewish community of Newark. Practically no provision had been made for the instruction of Jewish children in the Hebrew language and literature other than that which was given in the larger synagogues of the city. Under the leadership of the late Isaac Schwartz and Joseph Goetz, the late Meyer S. Hood, the late Simon Schener, the late Bernard Strauss, the late Moses Straus, the late M. Schoepps, Rev. Joseph Leucht and Mr. Meier Newmay, the school was organized and the Hebrew Educational Society has rendered a truly noble service in the cause of Judaism in this community. The institution was permanently established at its present quarters at the corner of Prince and Spruce streets by the splendid gift of the building by the family of the late David and Leopold Simon Plaut. Mr. Meyer S. Hood, one of the . founders, was made superintendent and conducted the school with great success until his death in September, 1909. Since then Prof. Casper Levias has been superintendent of the school and he is assisted by five teachers. The school now has nearly 900 children and has not enough room to provide instruction for all children who are begging for admission.
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Other charitable institutions supported by our Jewish fellow-citizens are: Hachinosas Orchim, Hebrew Shelter House and the Hebrew Educational Alliance on Stirling street, income $6,000; Hebrew Women's Orphan Aid Society, president; Miss Jennie Michael, income $2,000; Hebrew Free Burial Society, income about $1,000; Hebrew Free Loan Association, which grants small loans to poor people, with an income of about $3,000; Hebrew Ladies' Immediate Relief Society, president, Mrs. H. Grotta, income of $2,000; Hebrew Ladies' Sewing Circle, president, Mrs. H. O. Meltzer, income $3,000, and Moshaw Sekenim (Hebrew Home for the Aged), on Stirling street, income $3,000. Added, the sums annually contributed by our Jewish fellow-citizens totals approximately $100,000. There are also a number of lodges and mutual benefit associations in existence which do much good work. The two great prominent ladies' societies of this kind are the Hulda Lodge, a branch of the Order of the True Sisters, and the ladies' society, "Naechstenliebe." This is the oldest benevolent association conducted by women in Newark. It was organized on October 3, 1852, by the following ladies: Mesdames Bernstein, Zufriedenheit, J. Stern, Samuels, Adler, Hauser, A. Trier, Jacob Stern, Levy, Froehlich Goldsmith, Hauser, Lebel and Bergstrasse. The original officers were: President, Mrs. Maria Gold- smith; vice-president, Mrs. Kalil Hauser; treasurer, Mrs. Eva Roth; secre- tary, Mrs. Henrietta Froelilich, and Mrs. Dora Levy. This society celebrated its golden jubilee October 16, 1902.
Council of Jewish Women, Mrs. Nathan Weinberg, president, is an organization, the object of which is to assist existing institutions in philan- thropic work and to advance the religious work of the community. It takes care of immigrant girls and helps them to find employment.
The Philonians, a Jewish society of professional men, was organized about seven years ago, and is, thanks to the active management of its presi- dent, Rabbi Foster, in a flourishing condition. Another society of impor- tance and growing influence is the Jewish Men's Club, at the head of which is Mr. Isaac Lowenstein.
At present a project is very seriously being considered to organize all the Jewish institutions under the United Jewish Charities, in order to facilitate the work and do it with less expense and at the same time with greater efficiency.
The success of the Jews in the commercial, financial and industrial world is phenomenal. When the Jews began to arrive in large numbers all business was already well established, but in the last fifty years they have gained almost entire control of some industries and a large share of others by their restless ambition; their ability to work almost unceasingly; their frugality and keen judgment. In all the large cities of the United States the Jews are large factors in the modern department store, indeed, the depart- ment store is very largely their invention.
The real estate business is largely in the hands of Jewish firms, and they are counted among the largest land owners in Newark.
The control of Newark theatres, as in every large city, is largely in the hands of the Jews. They own a large part of the delicatessen, butcher and grocer businesses. They are very successful as restaurant keepers and caterers, and in the professions, particularly those of physicians and lawyers, they occupy positions among the leaders.
Finally, the German-Jewish influence in the development of many important phases of American life must not be underestimated. That the German Jews, together with the German-Americans of other creeds, have
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found a new home in our great American nation is in evidence everywhere and in every respect. They have often gladly and readily staked life and fortune for their adopted country and its welfare, and they are known to be true, patriotic and loyal Americans, and are esteemed and respected as such. What the German Jews have been and are to this country will readily be acknowledged in the history of the United States. In critical times and during the days of trial and adversity in the old Fatherland it was their duty and task to lead to the shores of this country of refuge and liberty the thousands of their co-religionists, who were being expelled from Eastern Europe by cruel and bitter persecution. That they have well performed this task and duty is shown by the history of their benevolent institutions, as well as by what they have accomplished for the good of mankind- without hesitation; without complaining; ever ready to make new sacrifices. And no doubt the same praise which is due to the German Jews for their charity, patriotism and religious loyalty, will be accorded their co-religionists; the Russian Jews, who are showing marked ability to raise themselves in all departments of modern life.
CHAPTER IX.
THE GERMANS IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
GERMANS STOUT SUPPORTERS OF THE UNION-THE GERMAN ELEMENT IN THE UNION ARMY-THREE ESTIMATES OF THE NUMERICAL STRENGTH-GEN. LEE'S WORD ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE GERMANS-THE LOYALTY OF THE GERMANS IN NEWARK SHOWN BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF SOLDIERS OF THEIR NATIONALITY-DIFFICULTY OF EQUIPPING THE SOLDIERS-GUNS WHICH REQUIRED TWO MEN TO FIRE-THE DRAFTING AND MEANS TO PRO- CURE A SUBSTITUTE.
No event so deeply influenced the life of the German-Americans as did the fight for the Union, and never before had the Germans been better united than at that epoch-making time. And it is just this unity which gives them an exceptional position. While the native Americans and their adherents among the other immigrants were divided into two hostile camps we find the Germans on the Union side only. There were practically no secessionists among them, and in like manner there were practically no slaveholders. They also sent considerably more soldiers than any other race, far more than double the number which could be expected of them according to their population. Furthermore, Germanism was at its prime from 1855 to 1865. Even then it was imposing as a mass-and it was proportionally as strong at that time as later in the floodtide of immigra- tion. But its power depended principally upon the education and culture which were prevalent in its ranks, in the idealism by which it was inspired and in the liberty-loving temper, which is predominant, even among the lowest classes. Never before had the Germans had better leadership than at that time, and at no other period of their activity in America could they have responded better to the demands which their country made upon their loyalty. The number of soldiers in the Union army who were of German birth cannot be accurately ascertained. Dr. A. B. Gould ' makes two esti-
' Dr. A. B. Gould. "Investigations In the Military and Anthropological Sta- Ustles of American Soldiers," New York, 1869. This work treats particularly of the sanitary conditions of the army and the calculations of the various national- ilies form only the introduction to the main part of his work.
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mates. In the first edition of his book he gives the quota (duty number) of German soldiers as 128,102 and the actual number of German soldiers at 187,858. In the second edition he reduces the quota by 9,700, to 118,402 and the actual number by 11,041, to 176,817. This is the only correction made by Mr. Gould. With regard to the nationalities all the figures of the first and the second editions correspond exactly. It is a most peculiar accident that Gould should have miscalculated twice in the case of the Germans. Pfisterer 2 calculates the number of German soldiers at about 188,000. William Kaufman," after a most careful investigation, arrives at the conclusion that the German soldiers in the War of the Rebellion were not less than 216,000 men.
The German combatants in the Union army also greatly improved the efficiency of the latter. Old soldiers were found in great numbers, more particularly among the German immigrants of the decade 1850-1860. Sev- eral regiments consisted exclusively of German veterans, and in the rest of the German regiments the number of those who had done military service was very large, and among the Anglo-American troops there frequently was to be met a strong body of trained old German soldiers. They were soon promoted to the rank of sergeant and greatly contributed to the instruction of the troops. The Germans especially supplied many expert artillerymen, and this is one of the reasons why the Union artillery-from the very begin- ning of the war-proved to be considerably superior to that of the enemy. In the other arms of the service the Germans were likewise well repre- sented. The corps of engineers was particularly well supplied with able German officers. The topographic section was crowded with former German officers. They were ever preponderant and more numerous than the Anglo- Americans. We owe our best military maps to the Germans.
General Robert Lee is said to have remarked: "Take the Dutch out of the Union army and we could whip the Yankees easily." It is impossible to find out whether the great Confederate general really expressed himself in this way.' In the war literature written by the English this saying often appears, and when Roosevelt visited Berlin in the spring of 1910 it was cited by the Berlin correspondent of an important London newspaper. It is, however, quite possible that the saying had been wrongly attributed to the Southern general. Many a familiar quotation of later times may have developed from a legend. But one may assert that General Lee would not have exaggerated if he had made that statement, but with a slightly different meaning: "Without the German element in the North it would have been easy for us to have defeated the Yankees." For every third man in the Northern army had German blood in his veins.
The Northern army has surely had in its ranks 750,000 soldiers of the . German race (immigrants, descendants of immigrants in the first genera- tion and descendants of immigrants of the seventeenth, eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries)." Truly, if these "Dutchmen" could
" Pfisterer, Frederick. "Statistical Records of the Armies of the United States," New York. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883. Pfisterer was a German. His calculations are used in all the later histories of the war.
3 William Kaufman. "Die Deutschen in Buergerkriege" (The Germans in the ('ivil War). .. fultions of his work, New Jersey, put into the field 59,300 men, ong them 7.337, or afmost 17 per cent., were of German birth.
William Kaufman's "Die Deutschen in Americanischen Burgerkriege," p. 133. ' Prof. A. B. Faust's "The German Element in the United States," part 2, pp. 1-27, contains a detailed investigation of the national elements of the United States according to the census of 1900. Faust relies primarily on the larger work of the famous German statistician, Bockh. This scholar has re-examined in Vol. 4 of the periodical "Deutsche Erde" of 1903 the estimate published by Emil
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have been taken out of the Northern army, General Lee would have encountered far less resistance.
Of the 216,000 German-born soldiers about 36,000 served in regiments or batteries composed entirely of Germans, under the leadership of German officers and with the commands given-for the most part-in German. The remaining 180,000 soldiers, however, served in mixed regiments, side by side with Anglo-Americans, Irish and descendants of Germans, Irish, etc. But many of the 180,000 so-called "scattered men" kept by themselves in the mixed regiments and formed companies and even battalions, composed entirely of Germans; these national units were, however, too small in num- ber to be taken into consideration in the field. Whatever these 180,000 Germans accomplished was classed under the exploits of the Northern army. But even these 36,000 Germans, who served in purely German regiments, could not be organized into such large units that they could form an army corps or several divisions. The war authorities had to organize an army quickly; they had to divide the regiments at hand into brigades, divisions and corps, according to the need of the moment, and therefore could not consider any wishes as to the formation of German regiments. Wherever such an Assembly of Germans had, nevertheless, taken place it had been due to chance. The German division of the Army of the Potomac (under Blenker) had been formed, because at the very beginning of the war in the state of New York alone ten infantry regiments, composed entirely of Germans, had been organized and four similar ones in Pennsylvania. There had been no intention of banding the Germans together in one strong division, which had led to the organization of these German infantry regi- ments, but it had come to pass all by itself, owing to the simultaneous . appearance of so many purely German regiments. In the West, too, they could easily have formed during the first year of the war a second division from the German troops of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Germans themselves did not seem to desire it. Many Germans, especially among the "forty-eighters," thought: "This is an American war; we are fight- ing as Americans for an American cause, and therefore, we should lay aside our narrower national feelings." Very many Germans from New Jersey served in New York and Pennsylvania. With the exception of the Third Cav- alry Regiment, recruited in Hoboken, no regiment composed entirely of Ger- mans was organized in this state. Yet there were few infantry regiments of New Jersey without German companies. Battery A of the First Artillery Regiment, commanded by Captain Hexamer, was purely German.
President Lincoln's call to arms found an enthusiastic response among the Germans. On April 16, twenty-four hours after the publishing of the call, a meeting of the Turn Verein was held, at which about one hundred members were present, and it was unanimously resolved to form a military corps of riflemen and offer its services to the government. The meeting also resolved to send delegates to the various Turner associations in the state
Mannhardt in the "German Historical Papers," Chicago (1903, Vol. 3). Mann- hardt had give the number of inhabitants of German descent in the United States as twenty-five millions, but Bockh reduces the Mannhardt figures to about 18,000,000. On the basis of Bockh's methods, Faust reaches the following con- clusions: Total of white in the United States in 1900, 66,990,000. These are divided among the following nationalities:
German element.
18,400,000
English element.
20,400,000
Irish and Scotch element .. 13,900,000
Scandinavians, Slavs, Latin races, etc. 14,290,000
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and to recommend a plan of organization. The meeting closed with enthusiastic cheers for the Union. Another meeting of German working men took place in Schaefer's Hall, where Mr. Wise, of the Sixth and Thirteenth Wards Club, attempted to read his call for the meeting, but cheers for the Union interrupted him. Patriotic speeches by various members of the society followed, and the meeting broke up with cheers for the Union and the government. A few days later, on April 22, a great German meeting took place in Humboldt's Hall, Major Schalk, of the Steuben battalion, presided, at which meeting a committee was appointed to obtain subscrip- tions for the assistance of families of the volunteers. This committee consisted of: H. Schalk, A. Gsantner, Dr. F. Ill, L. Greiner, M. Goeken, A. Seidenbusch, G. Kramer, G. Lorenz, P. Nenninger, I. Widmer, F. Prassel and F. Kolb.
On April 26 the German Turner Corps, Captain A. Weyer, numbering eighty men, went to New York to join a regiment of Turners which was being organized. Never before had there been shown such patriotism as was shown by the Gernians in those days. The "Stars and Stripes" floated everywhere, and the discussion no longer was the merits of parties, but all seemed united in one common sentiment, that the Union must be preserved and the honor of the national flag defended. The "New Jersey Freie Zeitung," which had been established by Mr. Benedict Prieth about three years previous, daily published strong editorial articles supporting President Lincoln and urging its readers to do their full duty toward the government of their adopted country.
The "Volksmann," the Democratic organ, which heretofore had been in sympathy with the South, published an article on April 18, declaring its intention to support the government.
The Germans did their full duty. The "Freie Zeitung" reported on May 23 that up to that day 890 Germans had volunteered from this city alone, as follows: Turners, 80; First Regiment, 130; Captain Bauer's company, 110; Captain Sigel's company, 110; Captain Wiebecke's company, 110; DeKalb Regiment, 70; other German corps in New York, 100; Sickler Brigade, 150; City Battalion, 30. "Many of these men have been in active service in Germany, Hungary, Prussia and will do efficient service if called into action. They are used to camp life and the other privations of the soldier's Ife, and are in excellent drill." The latter remarks are added by the "Daily Advertiser" of May 24, after quoting the number of men reported by the "Freie Zeitung."
The Second Regiment, which was organized in response to the second call for men by President Lincoln, consisted of men who had volunteered for . three years. It contained two German companies-Company D, Captain Albert Sigel, a brother of General Sigel, and Company E, Captain Charles Wiebecke, who became lieutenant-colonel and was killed in the Battle of Spottsylvania. In consequence of the promotion of Captain Wiebecke, Cap- tain Herman Lipfert, a well-known citizen of Newark, who is still living, became captain. Captain Sigel was later transferred to a Western regiment under the command of his brother, and Captain Ferdinand Stoll took his place. The Second Regiment had also a German bandmaster, John A. Rein- hardt, and among his musicians was John Suenderhaft, who later became the leader of a well-known band in Newark.
The two companies left with the regiment for Trenton on May 25, after they had been presented with a beautiful flag, the gift of German ladies, in front of the Turner Hall. The Steuben Battalion was one of the
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first German organizations to offer its services. The company of Captain Bauer later joined the DeKalb Regiment in New York. Major Herman Schalk was its commander. Many of its members had seen service in the old country. Major Schalk resigned later and Mr. Rumpf took his place.
The assumption that the war would soon be ended proved erroneous. The South showed unexpected strength and determination and the com- manders of the Union forces unexpected lack of resolution and pitiful weak- ness, which brought about one disaster after the other. President Lincoln's second call for 300,000 men in 1862 found, however, ready response, not- withstanding a good deal of grumbling. It was said that the working people had to furnish the 300,000 and that the promise made by the city to take care of the families of the enlisted men had not been kept. It was feared that recourse to drafting would have to be taken, but at that time this proved to be unnecessary, because on September 9, 1862, the full quota for Essex county of 1,400 men had enlisted and was gathered together in Camp Frelinghuysen; among them were about 200 Germans.
It is, perhaps, of interest to recall the commentary on President Lin- coln's second call for men by the London "Times." According to a trans- lation published in the "Freie Zeitung," that paper of English respectability said: "It is not to be wondered at that the Southerners are besides them- selves with rage, when they see that not men, but German and Irish bar- barians, those brutal and bestial 'Lanzknechte,' who are ready to commit any crime, are fighting against the South." And further on: "Even the mercenaries and cut-throats of Europe refuse to serve longer in the army" (of the North). This beautiful sentiment is perhaps well worth recalling and preserving.
The present generation, which is accustomed to seeing the well-equipped National Guard, with their splendid uniforms and arms, can hardly picture to itself the enormous difficulties which had to be overcome in order to furnish this large body of soldiers, so suddenly called together, with the necessary arms. Even rifles were not to be had, and often old shooting irons had to serve. A notice published in the "Freie Zeitung" in January, 1862, said that the Eighth Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers had old muskets, some with flintlocks and some with no locks at all.
Dissatisfaction with the order of the government in regard to drafting broke out on the evening of July 13, 1863. The riot came out without any ' apparent premeditation, though it was alleged that it was instigated by parties from New York who came over in one of the evening trains. The mob marched before the offices of the "Mercury" and commenced a series of groans for everything connected with the administration, intermingled with cheers for their favorites, Vallandigham, General Runyon and Mayor Bigelow. Cries of "We won't be drafted!" "Where are your $500?" etc., were heard. Later the mob broke down the doors and hurled stones against the remaining doors and windows. The damage, amounting to about $250, subsequently had to be paid by the city.
After the bombardment of the "Mercury" building part of the mob went to the building of the "Freie Zeitung," which was at the corner of Washington and Market streets at that time. The next morning the paper gave the following account of what had happened: "About midnight about 100 'gentlemen' came to our office and demanded that we hoist the flag in honor of the 'draft riots' in New York. In caso of refusal they threatened to mob the building. We told these disturbers of the peace that we would hoist the flag only in honor of a victory of the Union troops. The 'honorable
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gentlemen' disappeared after breaking the windows in the house of our neighbor, Mr. Drummond."
The war created strange necessities and brought about conditions which can hardly be understood. In the papers of that time there fre- quently appeared advertisements reading as follows: "Drafted-Anton Schaef, who has been drafted, will conduct a saloon in Holzwalther's Brewery on Saturday next in his own name, in order to make money to buy a substitute." The explanation is simple enough. The town compelled the drafting of a certain number of soldiers by lot, but it also allowed that men who were drafted could procure a substitute. This was frequently done when- ever the money could be procured. Such substitutes could sometimes make quite a sum of money, and evidently, as the above-mentioned advertisement shows, there were a great many different ways of procuring this money- even the quenching of thirst was used for the propagation of patriotic endeavors. Advertisements in the English papers indicate that the demand for substitutes was very brisk. One of these advertisements, which ran for some time in the "Daily Advertiser" reads: "Substitutes furnished on the most favorable terms with the utmost promptness by applying personally, or otherwise, at my office, 124 Market street. William Pierson." Other adver- tisements of the same tenor are to be found in the "Freie Zeitung." On July 16, 1864, the following advertisement is to be found: "Foreigners are wanted as substitutes for the Army and Navy. Highest bounties paid in cash for all good foreign recruits. Agents are liberally paid in our office in the 'Passaic Hotel,' opposite the Market Street Hospital."
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