I read in a book that the Russians were considering joining the US in the ACW, what would they do this for and how would it turn our?
They weren't. In 1863, tensions in Europe were rising over Russia's rather bloody suppression of a rebellion in Poland. During the Crimean war, Russia had been forced to scuttle its entire Black Sea fleet rather than take on the British and French navies, and was rather hoping to avoid having to do the same next time round. As such, in the autumn of 1863 they sent squadrons of ships to New York and San Francisco with the intention of using these vessels for commerce raiding in the event of war. Many Northern newspapers, in light of the rather diplomatically isolated position of the country at the time, interpreted this as a Russian gesture of solidarity with the Union and believed that it was intended warn Britain and France against recognising the Confederacy. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case: the myth keeps getting repeated, though, despite Golder first debunking it as long ago as 1915.I read in a book that the Russians were considering joining the US in the ACW
Very unlikely Lincoln would accept help from direct Russia for the war, it would be a propaganda coup for Confederates and anti-war Democrats. At most I can see some volunteer Russian regiments.
I read in a book that the Russians were considering joining the US in the ACW, what would they do this for and how would it turn our?
Even volunteer Russian regiments would probably be declined, for they, too, would be a propaganda coup for the Confederates. They would be compared to the Hessians who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War. More importantly, many of the Central European immigrant communities who supported the Union war effort well remembered the role played by Russia in crushing the 1848 Revolution in Hungary and would be outraged if Lincoln accepted Russian help.
Lincoln had much, much, much more to lose than to gain by accepting Russian help, even if it had been offered (which it wouldn't have been).
If the US had enough gold bullion to bribe the Czar into the war, they wouldn't have been issuing paper money worth 71c to the dollar by 1866.if Lincoln offered gold bullion for the use of the fleet or troops he'd jump at the chance
Garibaldi refused to fight for the Union because they weren't sufficiently antislavery. Given that he also decried rancour between the US and Britain because "their noble race is now-a-days the bulwark of the rights of nations... despotism foments dissentions between them because it fears them, and because it knows that if they were on good terms it would be impossible for it to execute its designs, which are fatal to liberty everywhere", he's hardly going to join one side over the other.Garibaldi offered to fight for the Union also.
While I'm sure the Cossacks would have made a significant contribution to the March to the Sea, there's a fairly low probability that the Russians would have been able to ship them past the inevitable British blockade from Baltic or Black Sea ports. Conversely, by the time they'd marched to the newly-founded Vladivostok, crossed the Pacific, arrived in San Francisco, and crossed the American continent, the war would probably be over.Grant with Cossack Cavalry
Not massively probable, given the extent to which Confederate commerce raiders relied on neutral British ports and the Union navy not adopting convoy.Russian Fleet ruining Brit Caribbean trade
What's special about the 52nd Massachusetts? If you mean the 54th, then it's worthwhile pointing out that they were armed with P53 Enfield rifles purchased from Britain- as were 39% of the soldiers Massachusetts had mustered into service during 1862. On the other hand, there were a number of all-black Canadian volunteer militia units who would have seen action in the event of a war between the Union and Britain.the 52nd Mass.