From Gray to Blue: Galvanized Yankees and the Last Years of the American Civil War

Amid the chaos of battle and the harsh conditions of prisoner-of-war camps, tens of thousands of soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies made controversial decisions to switch their allegiances. Building upon his 2020 work, Changing Sides: Union Prisoners of War Who Joined the Confederate Army, Patrick H. Garrow explores the other side of this overlooked aspect of Civil War history.

Significantly expanding on previous scholarship around ＂galvanized Yankees,＂ Garrow begins his study with an overview of Civil War prisons as a whole. He outlines unsavory conditions endured by prisoners of war on both sides, including a lack of proper shelter, food, potable water, and medical care. Notably, Garrow argues that the deplorable conditions of these army prisons were not the only motivator that fueled soldiers’ decisions to switch sides as the war waned. Garrow investigates service records, pension files, period newspapers, and regimental histories to uncover the complex motivations of Confederate prisoners of war who joined Federal forces. He documents the individual histories of twelve distinct infantry and calvary regiments, contextualizing the wartime climate, struggles, and political leanings of the soldiers grappling with survival and allegiance during the Civil War.

Alongside Garrow’s prior volume, From Gray to Blue is an insightful addition to existing Civil War scholarship that will engage and inform both history scholars and general readers.

PATRICK GARROW was the owner and principal archaeologist of Garrow & Associates, a cultural resource management firm, for over 20 years. In addition to his book Changing Sides, he has authored or edited numerous site reports and monographs, including The Chieftains Excavations, 1969-1971, as well as over 50 published articles.