The Russian population in Louisiana has always been hard working and not representative of their criminal compatriots who would often butt heads with the Sicilian street gangs. Historian John Swift wrote "The Irish came to America escaping the potato famine, the Italians escaping war, but the Russians came because they heard New Orleans wasn't so cold. The Russian section of New Orleans would have street musicians playing Russian folk music, the smell of Borsch and sausage filled the streets. Rabbi Belinsky a minor Historian on Russian Jews in New Orleans noted in his book "Beignets and Borsch: A tale of Russian immigre in New Orleans" that when one went to the 'Little Moscow' you would leave with no money, either because the merchants were so savvy or you were pick pocketed by the Russian children enlisted by local gangs. Marina Alexandrova who came to New Orleans in 1859 quickly learned English and was a translator for many Russian businesses when dealing with non Russians. Alexandrova who married a Russian carpenter would translate and haggle prices for her husband who was still learning English. Another Russian, Ivan Glebov who worked in the fur trade in Russia found work selling alligator leather to local shoe makers. Glebov after learning his trade from locals began recruiting other Russians to help in his new business. Glebov noted that the work was dangerous, the swamps smelled, but the money was worth it. Glebov later opened a leather shop. The Russians who did enlist in the Civil War were often ex mercenaries. Nikita Sokolov who served in the Russian army, as a mercenary and later as a body guard to Nicholas I eagerly enlisted knowing that the American armies weren't as well trained as the Prussians he fought in battle. Sokolov who enlisted with other Russians of military background were armed with pick axes, tomahawks, and shovels would operate in New Orleans as guerrilla soldiers. For the Russians in the Confederacy the war was about protecting their children and women. Pavel Mikhailov saw first hand Union soldiers harassing Russian immigrant women who could not speak English well. For this reason Union Soldiers would rape Russian women knowing they couldn't report it. Some Russian soldiers in the CSA Army would kill Union soldiers out on patrol. In the Union Army patrol duty was considered a punishment by senior officers knowing you would be dead with in the week. Russian soldiers would hangout in whore houses or bars and wait for Union soldiers to show up and kill them in 'bar fights'. One Russian soldier began an affair with a local Russian madam in a whore house, it was there that he discovered that Union Generals Benjamin Butler and David Farragut frequented Natalia Lagunova's house of repute. It was in Lagunova's whore house that a plot was hatched to kidnap or kill the generals. Butler and Farragut were murdered on their way to the whore house. Once Butler and Farragut were killed CSA bushwhackers along with other regiments that were requested, over ran the Union barracks after the many Irish Union soldiers were drunk from 4th of July festivities. Once the Union barracks were overrun and the Union leadership dead, Lincoln suffered a humiliating loss of New Orleans. The nation began asking 'was Lincoln fit to lead'? Historian Shelby Foote, noted in an interview, Lincoln believed the CSA would attempt to take back Nashville, he never thought that New Orleans would be taken back. Though the South did lose the Civil War and the Union was saved Lincoln lost reelection when his opponent George B. McClellan ran on the platform that Lincoln did nothing to help the nation and that the Civil War could go on for 10 more years. McClellan upon winning the Presidency negotiated with CSA leaders agreements that were more favorable to the South.