Origins of the company date back to 1860 when a group of volunteers of Czech, Slovak and possibly Polish, German and Hungarian ancestry, initially about 50 of them, many of them being those who participated in the 1848 Revolutions (so called „Forty-Eighters“) and subsequently emigrated to the US, formed on 16th October of the said year a pre-war militia which was to have regular meetings and military exercises until the beginning of the civil war when it was among the first volunteer units from Chicago sent to the front line, later serving as Company F of the 24th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, also called the 1st Hecker Jaeger Regiment.
The early events were fortunately recorded by a certain man called Zdrubek from Chicago:
-Just when it was really about the foundation of the magazine and when the preliminary works were almost finished, the Bohemians of Chicago set up a Slavic company for military exercise, mainly thanks to the work of the militarily raised officer, by origin a Slovak, known as Geza Mihaloczy, who considered himself with Czechs to be one great nationality.-
Captain and later Colonel,
Geza Mihalotzy (1825-1864)
Thanks to his military experience, Mihalotzy was elected Captain of the company. On 4th February Mihaloczy sent a letter to President Lincoln himself where he asked for his consent to name the company the „Lincoln Riflemen of Sclavonic Origin“ which was happily approved by the President. The letter was preserved until today:
-To the Hon. A. Lincoln
Dear Sir:
We have organized a company of Militia in this City, composed of men of Hungarian, Bohemian & Sclavonic origin. Being the first company formed in the United States of said nationalities we respectfully ask leave of your Excellency to entitle ourselves "Lincoln Riflemen," of Sclavonic origin.
If you will kindly sanction our use of your name, we will endeavor to do honor to it, whenever we may be called to perform active service.
Respectfully on behalf of the Company,
Geza Mihalotzy, Captain-
Lincoln responded with: I cheerfully grant the request above made.
The company was incorporated into the 24th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was predominantly German and was commanded by another popular German Forty-Eighter, Colonel Friedrich Hecker, and took part in major battles of the Western Theater, notably the battles of Chickamauga where Mihalotzy's right hand was wounded as he was holding his sword in the air while advancing to counterattack the Confederate charge, Stones River and Perryville where it is said the regiment saved the left of the Union line from being overrun, and others.
Hecker would later go on leaving the regiment and raising another unit, the 82nd Illinois Infantry (known as the 2nd Hecker Jaeger Regiment) at which point colonelcy of the 24th was passed to, by now a Lieutenant Colonel, Mihalotzy. Mihalotzy continued to lead the regiment until he was mortally struck at Buzzard Roost, Georgia and died two weeks later on 11th March, 1864.
First regimental Colonel,
Friedrich Karl Franz Hecker (1811-1881)
It reminds our small community that even our countrymen in some way, even if not very significant, shaped the course of American battlefields. The company is special to us as it makes it easier for us to attach to past members of the real company as we try to preserve the small bit of our ancestors' history during the war. They fought to defend their new home with great zeal, and their service won't be forgotten.
However the 24th doesn't make an appearence in War of Rights since it didn't take part in the Maryland Campaign, and so in-game we recreate the 65th Illinois, our Eastern Theater counterpart.
To apply for the company, please copy this template, fill it out and post it as a reply on this thread.
[1.]Are you able to understand and preferably also speak Czech or Slovak language? *:
[2.]Your Steam link:
[3.]Your Company tool profile link (register by clicking here):
[4.]Are you able to attend at least 1-2 times a month for drills and events (most likely during evening hours at weekends)?:
*Being able to understand one of these languages is pretty necessary as they are the common communicating languages, orders will still be given in English, though.
W.I.P.