The Jews of America have produced distin guished inventors,. lawyers, physicians, rabbis, journalists, scientists, artists, dramatists and professors, filling chairs at all the leading uni versities, far in excess of the proportional num ber of their race in the population of the coun try. On the other hand, the large immigration of unskilled laborers into the United States has led to the employment of thousands of Jews here in every industrial pursuit, frequently at the start under unfavorable conditions.
Jews in the Army, Navy and Public Serv ice Prior to the American Revo lution there were Jews serving in the militia and in the colonial wars. During the Revolu tionary War, their numbers on the army rolls far exceeded their ratio to the total population and a number achieved distinction above the ranks. The New York Jewish congregation concluded, by a decisive vote, to dis band, rather than to sacrifice patriotism on the altar of religion and many of its members fled to Philadelphia, just prior to the British occu pancy of New York. In the South a corps of volunteer infantry, known as Captain Lashing ton's company, composed principally of Jews, was organized in Charleston in 1779, and fought in the patriot ranks. A number of Jews had figured as signers to the Non-Importation Agreement of 1765. Among those on the Revo lutionary rolls who achieved military distinc tion are Col. Solomon Bush; Col. David S. Franks, ajcle-de-camp to General Arnold fore the latter's treason, and who was the bearer of the signed definitive treaty of peace, sent abroad by Congress for delivery there; Isaac Franks, who became colonel of Pennsyl vania's volunteers soon after the Revolution, after having served long during the war in ranks; Capt. Jacob de la Motta; Major Nona; Lieutenant Seixas; and Deputy Commissary-, (general of Issues Shef tall, of Georgia. During our War of 1812 and the Mexican War Jews served in the ranks and occasionally as holders of important military positions; while during the Civil War the number of Jewish, soldiers in the field far exceeded their' ratio to the whole population of the country, and they held military positions from brigadier-general down. Hon. Simon Wolf. in his work, 'The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier and Citizen,' has, by means of enormous labor and investi gation, collected available names and records of Jewish soldiers in the Federal army and navy, in which he reports that during the Civil War no fewer than 7,884 Jews served, and even these numbers are necessarily incomplete. As the Jews were Union men in the North, so those living in the South generally espoused the cause of the Confederacy and Mr. Wolf's figures•in dude less than 2,000 Confederate Jewish sol diers. The number included by him as serving in the Union and Confederate navies is rela tively smaller. A similar list of Jews who served during the Spanish-American War 'has been compiled ( 'American Jewish Year Book' 1900•01, pp. 527-622), and includes thousands of names, again exceeding the relative ratio based on that of the total number of persons servIng to the total population; and President Roosevelt, years later, felt called upon to compliment them pub licly upon their bravery, as indicated by in stances of Jews who served under him and were commended for gallantry. Neither have
Jews failed to enlist in our navy, for since the latter was instituted, a number of Jews have notably risen from the files to naval distinction, as witness the careers of Captain Etting, Maj. David M. Cohen of the United States Marine Corps, Cant Levi M. Harby, Capt. Jonas P. Levy and Unah P. Levy, who at the time of his death in 1862 was fhe rank ing officer in the United States navy, Rear Admiral Marix and Captain Zalinski. Nor have Jews failed to render thegovernment sig nal services in private life. Haym Salomon, the associate of Robert Morris and Madison, was broker to the Office of Finance, and it was through his hands that the loans from France and Holland to the infant republic passed; he made heavy advances to the gov ernment, which at the time of his death was indebted to him in hundreds of thousands of dollars, which have never been repaid, in spite of repeated Congressional reports in favor of the claim. During the Revolutionary period, there were still others who aided the govern ment's hazardous financial fortunes. Among the most distinguished Jewish patriots of the Revolution stands Francis Salvador, who was a member of the South Carolina Provincial Congress and of the General Assembly of that State. On the Oberland there were, naturally enough, also a few Tories among the Jews, chief among whom were David Franks of Phil adelphia, who had been British commissary general, during the French and Indian War, to gether with his father, Jacob Franks. David Franks' daughter, Rebecca Franks, was one of the leading belles and wits of Philadelphia and New York during the Revolution. A number of Jews have served in Congress, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, the most prominent among them having been Judah P. Benjamin (q.v.), who resigned his seat in the Senate to become Attorney-General, Secre tary of War and then Secretary of State of the confederate States and subsequently became leader of the English bar. Several Jews have been United States ministers to foreign coun tries and constils-general, one of the former, Oscar S. Straus, now being a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, and having been Secretary of Commerce and Labor under President Roosevelt. Many have been judges in different States, and several have been attorneys-general of their States, and Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Wilson as justice of the United States Supreme Court. Severpl have held the office of governor in American States, and a number have been mayors of leading cities, while many others have held local and State offices. Among those who rendered our government most valuable services in trying financial times are J. & W. Seligman & Co, Several Jews, particularly Mont; Pinner, David Einhorn and M. Heilprin, were active workers for individual liberty in the anti-slavery movement.