In early 1860’s, the Maestri family set sail from Genoa, Italy after departing their picturesque village of Borgo Val di Taro bound for New Orleans.
It’s a departure that prompts questions: Why leave such a beautiful place? The answer lies in the tumultuous period of Italian unification and its aftermath, which led many families to scatter across the globe.
The landscape of Italy was changing rapidly, with radical shifts in landownership and increasing hardships for peasants. Despite political unification in 1861, social reforms lagged behind, leaving many peasants impoverished and oppressed by landlords and corrupt officials. As Cesare Maestri’s family sought new opportunities abroad, across the Atlantic, another narrative was unfolding.
It unlikely but possible that Maestri’s came with General Chatham Wheat, a descendant of Maryland – who was raised in New Orleans. This twist of fate adds intrigue to the Maestri family’s story.
In early 1861 Civil War, before the Union blockade sealed off New Orleans, four ships arrived from Naples, carrying 884 Italian soldiers under Captain Chatham Roberdeau Wheat’s command. Joining the Confederate Army as the 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, they became known as the “Louisiana Tigers.” Despite their lack of experience, they fought valiantly, enduring heavy losses throughout the Civil War. Major Wheat himself perished in battle.
What’s remarkable is that Wheat had previously fought alongside General Garibaldi’s Red Shirts in Italy, participating in the overthrow of the Bourbon army in Sicily. Upon his return to New Orleans, he brought with him defeated Bourbon loyalists from Italy, who surprisingly fought for the Confederate cause, despite their opposition to Italian unification and Garibaldi.
Adding to the mystery, Wheat and his Italian troops departed Naples before the outbreak of the Civil War, raising questions about their motivations for joining the Confederate ranks. They arrived in America, still dressed in their royal Bourbon uniforms, to fight alongside General Robert E. Lee’s forces as the Louisiana Fighting Tigers.