Greetings,

I've recently purchased computer game "Ageod's American Civil War" and when a confederate unit appeared with name "2nd LA Slavonian Rifles" my mouth dropped. I had no idea!
In the time of American Civil War Croatia was part of Austria and most of Croatians were not aware they are actually Croatians. People living in Croatia were known as Slavonians and Dalmatians. Slavonia and Dalmatia are two major parts of today Croatia.
Here's some info I came across. Most of it is from book by Adam S. Eterovich "Croatian Confederate Solidiers 1861-1865"

During the American Civil War, many Croatians served as individuals and in organized Croatian companies. They fought for the South.
Their service was not unusual or accidental, as they were a part of the South in numbers since the 1760's. They were in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. A Dalmatian, Juan Matulich, was selling guns and whiskey to the Indians in the 1760's; another, Marco Givanovich, owned a pre-Civil War plantation worth over $400,000.

Croatian Confederate Companies

The Confederate organizations of Croatian origin known to the writer were:

Louisiana Militia Volunteers

Slavonian Rifles 1st Co. E. Cazadores Esp.

Slavonian Rifles 2nd Co. Cazadores Esp.

Slavonian Rifles Co. Inf. Battalion Louisiana Legion.

Austrian Guards 4th Regiment European Brigade

Cognovich's Company 4th Regiment European Brigade

On the link below are list of soldier names and units in which they served. I would appreciate if someone can provide more information about soldiers of Croatian origin in American Civil War.

Ivan Vulic,

Split, Dalmatia, Croatia