Italy in the White House: Civil War Garibaldi Guard
On July 4, 1861, Union troops marched past the White House in a review held at the outbreak of the Civil War. Washingtonians gathered to view the parade along Lafayette Square while President Abraham Lincoln, his Cabinet, and General Winfield Scott watched the troops from a platform in front of the White House. One of the Union regiments to parade past was the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry, also known as the “Garibaldi Guard.” Inspired by Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi, this unit consisted of soldiers of Italian, German, Swiss, Hungarian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese backgrounds.
- Artist
- Frank Vizetelly
- Date of Work
- 1861
- Medium
- Sketch
- Credit
- Library of Congress
