USA / Alabama / Mobile County / Mobile

General Information:

• USGenWeb Mobile County Site
• 1859 Mobile City Directory on CD (Email for Lookups)

Jewish Mobile

Books:

• __The gates of heaven: Congregation Sha'arai Shomayim, the First 150 years, Mobile, Alabama, 1844-1994__ – Robert J. Zietz Cong. Shaarai Shomayim, Mobile, AL, 1994
• __The Jews of Mobile, Alabama, 1763 –1841__ – Bertram Wallace Korn Hebrew Union College Press, Cincinnati, OH,1970

Civil War:

• Index of Alabama Soldiers (click on the Index button at the top to look for names--be sure to check for alternate spelllings)
• Alabama Civil War Service Cards File maintained by the Alabama State Archives (there is no soundex or wildcard search, so check every possible spelling)

Bread Riots

From Confederate Mobile by Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr.; University Press of Missisippi; 1991:

'The "bread riot" of September 4, 1863, vividly demonstrated that some of the people of Mobile continued to suffer from shortages of food and other supplies. On the morning of that day, several hundred poor women, armed with hatchets, hammers, brooms, and axes, gath-ered on the Spring Hill Road. Carrying banners reading "Bread or Blood" and "Bread and Peace," they marched down Dauphin Street into the city. Thousands of spectators watched as the women broke into stores, took food and clothing, and distributed their loot among their number. Available sources indicate that Jews owned most of the stores broken into, inferring a prejudice against them, and that most of the onlookers sympathized with the plight of these women. General Maury called out the Seventeenth Alabama Regiment to put down the riot, but the men of that unit refused to take action. The failure of the military to stop the women left the matter in the hands of the civil authorities. Mayor Slough made a speech promising to meet the needs of the rioters if they would disperse. A witness related the results of his effort: "{The speech} had the desired effect of disbanding the Amazonian phalanx and sending the women to their houses, well satisfied with the result of their foray."'

Alabama State Artillery, Companies C and D

These units were set up to man the artillery guns to protect the city of Mobile. They were a sort of home guard unit and did not travel outside the city to participate in battles. Several Jewish men living in Mobile, presumably shopkeepers, were assigned to these units. Several of them were reported as deserters around December of 1863. Might the Jewish soldiers in the State Artillery have decided to leave town and desert their posts after the bread riots?

From the National Archives Microfilms:

"The company went into active service on the 26th November 1863 in the city of Mobile and on the 28th January 1864 it was garrisoned at Redoubt No. 10 by order of Brig Genl Shoup and still remains in garrison there. The Discharges, Transfers, Deaths and Desertions mentioned in this Muster Roll occurred prior to the first muster February 19, 1864."

This company included Joseph and Meyer DOERNBERG, from Plaue, Thuringen, Germany, who deserted December 1863.

Other presumably Jewish soldiers found in the rolls:

Joseph B. ABRAMS, Co. D, enlisted June 1, 1864. Never paid. Muster-in Roll-Aug 11, 1864. Age 16, eyes grey, hair dark, complexion fair, height 5 ft 6 in. Sent to hospital Nov 29, 1864 for fever.

Aaron BAUMBLATT, Capt. Homers Artillery. Age 47, eyes grey, hair dark, height 5 ft 6 in. Muster-in Roll Aug 11, 1864.

H. BERNSTEIN, Co. C. Over age. Age 46. Enlisted July 23, 1863 by Major Rice. AWOL from Dec 11. 1863. Deserted Dec 11. 1863.

L. BERNSTEIN. Co. C. Age 48. Enlisted Jul 23 or Aug 5. 1863. Sick in the city. Has done no duty (Dec 31, 1863). Present Feb 29. Apr 30. June 30, Aug 31. Absent sick Oct 31. 1864. Age 48. Eyes dark. Complexion dark. Height 5 ft 7.

Joseph BLOCK, Co. C. Age 46. Eyes grey, hair dark. Complexion dark. Height 5 ft 5 in. Enlisted Aug 3. 1864. Aug 31 absent sick. Oct 31 absent. Detailed by the order (no 303) Maj Gen Maury Sep 29 30 days fire dept

J. H. COHEN, Co. C. Sergeant. Enlisted Jul 23. 1863 or Aug 5 1863. Absent with leave Dec 10, 1863 but in active service from Nov 1863 to Dec 10, 1863. Age 28. Substitute found. Discharged Feb 24. 1864 by order of Maj Gen Maury to accept appointment of Pay Masters Clerk in the Confederate Navy.

S. COPMAN. Co. D. Aug 11. 1864.

M. FORCHEIMER Co. D Aug 11 sick.

Jacob FRANK. Co. D Aug 11 sick.