RACIAL ORIGINS AND HONORS OF WAR 



The Anglo-Saxon Element and the Heroes It Produced 



Frederick Adams Woods 

 Lecturer on Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 



THE possession of an Anglo-Saxon 

 surname is not a proof of Anglo- 

 Saxon descent, but it is at least a 

 strong indication of probability. 

 There have been a good many in- 

 stances of Jews changing their names, 

 presumably with the idea of concealing 

 their real racial origin; and since the 

 outbreak of the war many citizens of 

 German parentage have shown a similar 

 tendency. The Irish, who form a very 

 large proportion of the entire popula- 

 tion in Boston and its vicinity, are, on 

 the contrary, proud of their race, and 

 are not at all prone to change their 

 ancestral cognomens. Whatever the 

 error may be in assuming the surname a 

 criterion of race, it is not a large one. 



On the return to New England of the 

 26th Division (Y. D. or Yankee Divi- 

 sion) of the overseas army, a great 

 parade was held in Boston, April 25. 

 The Boston Globe of that date pub- 

 lished the pictures and names of all the 

 chief heroes of that division, divisional. 



brigade, and regimental leaders, and all 

 receivers of distinguished service crosses 

 ■ — commissioned officers, noncommis- 

 sioned officers, and privates — 369 in all. 



Of the noncommissioned officers and 

 privates, 170 out of 236 bore Anglo- 

 Saxon names. This is over 72%. Com- 

 missioned officers of Anglo-Saxon names 

 who had received distinguished service 

 crosses numbered 46 out of 63, or over 

 73%. Of the 51 divisional, brigade 

 and regimental leaders, 40, or over 

 78%, bore Anglo-Saxon surnames.^ 



The proportion of Anglo-Saxon names 

 in the entire division is probably not as 

 great as 72%^ and if this be true, we 

 have in these figures some proof for the 

 assertion, so often made, that the 

 Anglo-Saxons, and particularly the 

 Yankees and the Canadians, who re- 

 semble them in race, and the Scotch, 

 who carry a large proportion of Anglo- 

 Saxon names, are particularly heroic and 

 make fine soldiers.^ 



1 Anglo-Saxon: Arnold, Ashworth, Baker, Bamford, Bearrs, Bishop, Bulkeley, Bunnell, 

 Chase, Cheatham, Cole, Dowell, Edwards, Foote, Gatchell, Glassford, Goodwin, Greenlaw, 

 Greenway, Hale, Hays, Herbert, Hobbs, Howard, Hume, Isbell, Jones, Keville, Lock, Major, 

 Parker, Petts, Sanborn, Shelton, Sherborne, Smith, Sweetser, Waterman, Whalmsley, Wheelock. 

 Others: Aultman, Dolan, Durfee, Lassiter, Logan, Mack, McCaskey, Meyers, Murphy, Traub, 

 Twachtman. 



- This total proportion of Anglo-Saxon names in the entire 26th Division was probably not 

 far from 50%. This is indicated by the fact that an examination of a long list of names, about 

 a thousand in all, including those who received citations, commendations, congratulations, etc., 

 but who did not receive distinguished service crosses, gives about 55% Anglo-Saxon names. 

 List published in Boston Evening Transcript, April 25, 1919. 



3 As a criterion in deciding doubtful cases, use was made of Bardsley, C. W., "A Dictionary 

 of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances." London, 1901. 



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