Chinese in Gettysburg

I found an article about a Chinaman who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. We tend to think about the Germans and Irish who fought some (some directly off the boat) but we don't tend to think about the other nationalities who fought here. There were people here from all over the globe and unfortunately, we tend to forget about them. The Germans were thought of as being cowards (and I DO NOT subscribe to that theory....I believe the Germans of the XI Corps were put in a position where there was nothing they could do but retreat) and the Irish seemed to get a lot of glory (after all, we had the Irish Brigade). But do we ever consider who else might have fought here. Here is a New York Times article that I found a few weeks ago. Some of the information is really hard to read so I wasn't able to include it, but I found the information that I could read really interesting. I hope you enjoy reading about John Tommy as much as I did.

CHINA AT GETTYSBURGH

Among the killed at Gettysburgh was a young Chinaman, known as John Tommy. He was attached to the First regiment Excelsior brigade, captain Price's company. John Tommy was the only representative of the Central Flowery Kingdom in the Army of the Potomac, and was widely known both from that circumstance and certain peculiarities of his own. John Tommy came to this country immediately after the breaking out of the war, and was induced to enlist in Gen. Sickles Brigade, at that time being raised in this City. He was then a mere lad, entirely ignorant of our language. Being bright, smart and honest, he soon became a favorite at Red Hook, Staten Island, and was at once the butt and wit of the whole regiment. Before he became located on the Maryland shore of the Potomac opposite Aquia Creek, in one of the reconnaissances on the south side of the river, Tommy was taken prisoner and soon became a lion in the Rebel camp. He was brought before Gen. Magruder who, surprised at his appearance and color, asked him if he was a mulatto, Indian, or what? When Tommy told him he was from China, Magruder was very much amused, and asked him how much he would take to join the Confederate army. "Not unless you would make me a Brigadier General," said Tommy to the great delight of the secesh officers who treated him very kindly and sent him to Fredericksburgh. Here Tommy became a great lion, and his picture was published in the Fredericksburgh papers. Subsequently, he was sent to Libby prison, Richmond, where he met his captain, Benjamin Price, who had been taken prisoner at Williamsburgh. After his parole, Tommy came to New York City where he employed his time in attending upon his sick and wounded comrades.........He had not been wounded up to Gettysburgh, but in Friday's fight, he was wounded by a shell, which tore off both legs at the thighs and he shortly bled to death. The company he was in went into the action with twenty-eight men, and lost twenty men to killed or wounded. Tommy's case is peculiar, as he was the only representative of the Empire of China in the finest army on the planet."