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This letter was written in response to General Grant's "General Orders #11"
expelling the Jews "as a class" from the military department commanded by
General Grant, including Northern Mississippi and West Tennessee. For some reason,
Memphis, which had a very large Jewish community, was not affected by this order.
Capt. Philip Trounstine is mentioned by Sylvanus Cadwallader, in his book "Three
Years with Grant", as being "the only officer of Hebraic extraction in the Union
Army", and goes on to speak in high praise of Capt. Trounstine. Obviously Cadwallader
had never heard of Col Marcus M. Spiegel of the 120th Ohio Vol. Infantry, the only Jew to
be commissioned as a General in the Union Army. Tragically, Col. Spiegel was killed during
the Red River campaign before he could take command of his brigade. (See
A Jewish Colonel in the Civil War, excerpted on
this website.
Captain Trounstine was so outraged over General Grant's "Order #11" that he
sent in his resignation in protest, being ordered to round up and expell his fellow Jews.
Following is his letter of resignation which is included with his military records in the
National Archives:
[Letter of resignation from Captain Philip Trounstine, dated Moscow Tennessee, March 3,
1863, giving as his reason Anti-Semitism from other officers as a result of General
Grant's "Order #11", anti-Jewish expulsion decree. Original letter is included with
Captain Trounstine's military records at the National Archives Trust. A copy of this
letter has been donated by jewish-history.com to the
American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati,
OH.]
Head Quarters Co "B" 5th Reg. O.V.C.
4th Division 16th Army Corps
Moscow Tennessee March 3rd 1863
Major C.S. Hayes
Comdg 5th Reg. OVC.
Major!
I respectfully address you, on the subject of tendering you with this, my resignation
of the commission I now hold, as Captain of Company "B" 5th Regt. Ohio Volunteer
Cavalry. The reasons for offering the above, are few, and I shall therefore try to be as
concise as possible in presenting them to your consideration. You are perhaps well aware
of my having been, whether fortunately or unfortunately born of Jewish parents; my future
must of course decide which; you will therefore bear with me, Major, when I say that not
alone; my feelings, but the sense of Religious duty, I owe to the religion of my
Forefathers, were both deeply hurt and wounded in consequence of the late order of General
Grant issued December 17th 1862, in which all persons of collateral religious faith with
my own, were ordered to leave this Department. I do not wish to argue the question of
Order No. 11 being either right or wrong, nor would I, if even I dared to, But I cannot
help feeling, that as I owe filial affection to my parents, Devotion to my Religion, and a
deep regard for the opinion of my friends and feeling that I can no longer, bear the
Taunts and malice, of those to whom my religious opinions are known, brought on by the
effect that, that order has instilled into their minds. I herewith respectfully tender you
my immediate and unconditional resignation.
I certify upon honor that I have no property belonging to the Government of the United
States in my possession. I was last paid by paymaster Major Jordan to include August 31st
1862.
I have the honor to be, Major,
Very respectfully,
Your Obedient Servant
Philip Trounstine
Capt. Co. "B" 5th Reg O.V.C.
Related Pages (links to pages not on Jewish-history.com will open in a
new window)
Jewish Victims of "General Orders #11"
Isaac Leeser's editorial from The Occident
Similar expulsion decree
in Russia, 1844
Expulsion of Jews from Gaza, 2005
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