221. New Haven's Lt. Augusto Rodríguez, First Civil War Soldier from Puerto Rico

Nov 14, 2025

A. J. Schenkman, a historian and author of 'Hispanic Americans of the Civil War,' dives into the life of Augusto Rodríguez, New Haven's first known Civil War soldier from Puerto Rico. He reveals Rodríguez's rich backstory, from his early life in San Juan to his enlistment and struggles during the war. Schenkman shares Rodríguez's brave service, capture, and the fight for his pension post-war. The discussion highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Hispanic soldiers in the Civil War and emphasizes their lasting impact on American history.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Puerto Rican Birth And Migration

Augusto Rodríguez was born around 1842 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, then a Spanish province, and later moved to North/New Haven.
He enlisted in the Union Army on August 7, 1861, becoming one of the earliest Puerto Rican-born soldiers in U.S. service.

ANECDOTE

Rapid Rise And Name Confusion

Rodríguez first signed up for three months of service in 1861, then re-enlisted for three years on July 23, 1862, and rose quickly to sergeant.
Record-keeping errors spelled his name many ways, complicating later research.

INSIGHT

Combat Leadership Amid Debilitating Illness

Rodríguez fought at Fredericksburg as an orderly sergeant and led men into battle despite crippling joint pain.
His condition matches descriptions of rheumatoid arthritis aggravated by cold, deprivation, and marching.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

More than twenty thousand Hispanic Americans served in the Civil War. When Cuban-born Loreta Velázquez's husband would not allow her to join him on the battlefield, she assumed the role of First Lieutenant Harry T. Buford to be near him. Philip Bazaar, born in Chile, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous exploits during the assault of Fort Fisher. The spying efforts of Floridian Maria Dolores Sánchez and her two sisters led to a Union defeat at the Battle of Horse Landing.

Delving into the lives of these individuals, historian A.J. Schenkman, author of Hispanic Americans of the Civil War, published by the History Press in 2025, uncovers this often-overlooked aspect of Civil War history. Hispanic soldiers came from different countries. Mexico had declared its independence from Spain in 1821 and later abolished slavery in 1837. Some soldiers and sailors traced their families to Cuba and Puerto Rico, which were still part of Spain. Or from Spain itself or its other colonies.

In this episode, Schenkman uncovers a bombshell story about New Haven's Augusto Rodríguez, the first known Civil War soldier from Puerto Rico. When this story was published in the Summer 2025 issue of Connecticut Explored magazine, the phone started to ring off the hook. Television news channels and newspapers quickly picked up this remarkable story. Grating the Nutmeg has covered the courageous Puerto Rican men of the 65th regiment founded in 1899 when Puerto Rico became a United States territory in episode #184 but not someone this early in our military history.

A. J. Schenkman is a New York-based writer. He is a social studies teacher in Ulster County, New York, and a former municipal historian. Schenkman is also author of several books about local, regional, and national history. He currently writes for Litchfield and Dutchess Magazines, as well as the Shawangunk Journal.

To contact A.J. Schenkman, visit his website at https://www.ajschenkman.com/

To subscribe to Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history, visit https://simplecirc.com/subscribe/connecticut-explored

To watch Connecticut's Hidden Gems on YouTube, visit https://www.ctpublic.org/watch/local-programming/connecticut-hidden-gems

-------------------------------------

This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O'Sullivan at highwattagemedia.com/ Follow GTN on our socials-Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.

Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at West Hartford Town Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!