Sold – Abraham Lincoln Enlists an Italian-American Officer for the Union Army

Thomas Jefferson had lived for years in Europe and thought that the bands and orchestras he heard there were superior to those in America. He was not impressed with the music available to him as president and, believing that the finest musicians could be found in Italy, sent a Marine captain there in 1805 who recruited more than a dozen Italian musicians to come to the United States to form a band. These musicians would be among the first Italians to arrive in the United States, and as such were forerunners of the vast Italian-American community of today. Once on a Navy ship, the musicians found themselves and their families in combat off the shores of Tripoli. Later, on arriving in Washington, they slept on the floor of a Marine barracks, waited 13 months to get paid and were forced to dig latrines when they had been hired to play for the president. They were initially known as the Italian Band, separate from the small Marine Band which already existed. Shortly, however, they received recognition and the bands melded into the Marine Corps Band, which became a regular at the White House, as it remains today.

One of the band members from Italy was Venerando Pulizzi, who went on to become the band’s Director, a position later held and made famous by the son of a Portugese immigrant, John Philip Sousa. In the 1830’s Pulizzi had a son, also named Venerando, who was thus a very early American of Italian ancestry. This son enlisted in the army, but apparently resigned under a cloud to avoid a court martial. Then the Civil War broke out, and on April 15, 1861, Pres. Lincoln called for recruits to put down the rebellion. In the following weeks he was desperately struggling to assemble an army. The younger Pulizzi wanted to offer his services to the country in her time of need, but could only do so if his service would be accepted by the army. His request to reenlist reached the President, who was in no mood to turn away experienced assistance, and quite likely did not mind intervening for the son of the renowned bandmaster.

Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed as president, one page 8vo, Executive Mansion, May 10, 1861, to Adjutant General of the Army Lorenzo Thomas. “Mr. V. Pullizzi, as I understand, was once in the regular army, and resigned under some charges, of which you probably know more than I do. He now wishes to re-enter the army, and if it violates no rule of law or propriety, I shall be glad for him to be obliged in that respect.” This letter is mentioned in Basler’s Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, which notes that Pulizzi was reinstated as First Lieutenant on May 14 in response. Records indicate that he left the service some four months later. This letter shows that Lincoln, in building the Union Army, was willing to let bygones be bygones, and receive the enlistment of someone who had had to resign in the past. It also emphasizes, however, that he would only go so far, as he left an out for Gen. Thomas if Pulizzi’s conduct had been worse than he (Lincoln) was being led to believe. It is of additional interest that this must be one of the very few letters of Lincoln relating to Italian-Americans; certainly we have never seen another. As such it is wonderful that he intervened to assist. It has some age toning, but is otherwise in excellent condition.