Private Mohammed Kahn—Civil War Hero

An iconic untold story of an immigrant Muslim American in Antebellum America

Today is Juneteenth and I wanted to take the opportunity to elevate an iconic Civil War story that they just don’t teach in schools. To be sure, you absolutely should use today as an opportunity to follow amazing Black writers and content creators like Dara Starr Tucker, Khalil Greene, Ijeoma Oluo, Conscious Lee, Ashani Mfuko, Ernest Crim, and many many more. And here’s an excellent piece on Juneteenth by Michael Harriot.

For my part, today I want to share the Civil War story of Private Mohammed Kahn, also known as John Ammahail. At a time of rising anti-Black violence, anti-immigrant policy, and anti-Muslim hate, Kahn’s story pushes back against such division and discord, and instead exemplifies the beauty of what this country can be.

Image of Mohammed Kahn’s pension paperwork. Credit: National Archives

Private Kahn was one of only 250 Muslim soldiers who fought in the Civil War. His story is even more unique, however, as he fought in the famous Battle of Gettysburg, is believed to be one of only two Muslim soldiers who received a pension, and may be the only Muslim soldier who was also an immigrant.

Born in Persia, modern day Iran, in or around 1830, Mohammed Kahn was raised in modern day Afghanistan. He immigrated to the United States in 1861, during the period of antebellum America. Also known as John Ammahail, Kahn quickly made friends upon arrival. The Civil War broke out in April of 1861. Only two months after his arrival, and after a night out with his friends, Mohammed Kahn became Private Mohammed Kahn when he enlisted in the 43rd New York Infantry Regiment. The 43rd New York Infantry Regiment was an all white unit. Kahn was a person of color, yet evidently passed as “white enough.”

This is where his story truly begins and becomes history.

Khan spent the first two years of the Civil War as a cook serving the Union Army. That all changed in July of 1863 when Private Kahn fought in the infamous Battle of Gettysburg. Mere days after the battle and perhaps due to the ensuing chaos, he was separated from his unit. As he was not white, the Union guards who found him arrested him in Hagerstown, Maryland, and brought him before the Provost Marshall’s headquarters to explain himself.

The Battle of Gettysburg (1863), lithograph by Currier & Ives. Credit: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZC4-2088)

Despite his best efforts, and perhaps due to his limited proficiency in English, Kahn was unable to convince the Union Army that he himself was in fact part of the Union Army, and part of the all white New York’s 43rd Infantry. Because he was of color, and described as having dark complexion, and even though he had just fought in one of American history’s most famous battles to end the scourge of slavery and white supremacy in America, they believed he could not be part of the white unit, and held him under military arrest.

As punishment, Kahn was sent to Philadelphia and put to work with recently escaped enslaved people. He spent months and months trying to find anyone who could vouch for him, reunite him with his New York 43rd, or even a member of the New York 43rd—but to no avail.

All that changed 10 months later in May of 1864. The Battle of the Wilderness was set to begin in Fredericksburg, VA between General Grant’s Union Army and General Lee’s Confederate Rebellion Army. Private Kahn, having learned that the 14th New York Infantry was taking a train down to partake in that battle, devised a remarkable plan. In his time in what was effectively a slave labor camp, Kahn had befriended an enslaved person, and conceived the plan with his support. His friend was tasked with distracting the prison guard, while Kahn prepared his escape. Kahn waited patiently and timed his escape with the departing train, and took off on foot.

Running as fast as he could, Kahn chased after the train and jumped on to it at the last possible moment as it pulled out of Philadelphia station. By the time the prison guard realized what happened, it was too late. Kahn was already out of their grasp and on a train headed back into battle. As Kahn hoped, he found and remained with the 14th New York Infantry on this trip, that is, until Washington DC. From here, he traveled nearly 70 miles by foot down to Spotsylvania, Virginia by following other squadrons.

The Battle of the Wilderness marked the first stage of a major Union offensive toward the Confederate capital of Richmond. Credit: History.com Getty Images

Private Kahn arrived on May 7, 1864, on the last day of the Battle of the Wilderness and remarkably found and was reunited with his 43rd infantry unit. Joining his brothers once more, Kahn reengaged his service and fight to help the Union Army win. Only 15 minutes into the battle he was wounded with a gunshot to his left hand.

Kahn, an immigrant who arrived in the United States just months before the Civil War broke out, had now served as a cook, fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, suffered 10 months in a prison camp, escaped and found a miraculous way to reunite with his Unit, fought in another battle, and suffered a major injury. But far from using this injury as an excuse to exit the War, and he certainly would have been justified, Kahn persisted.

Undeterred, he refused to leave the war, and took the time to heal. And after his hand healed, Private Kahn returned once more to the field of battle, this time as a sharpshooter, and served through almost the entire Civil War until it ended the following year in April of 1865.

Private Kahn’s pension application records in detail the battles in which he fought, the injuries he suffered, and the duties he performed both as a cook and as a soldier. Private Mohammed Kahn died on May 26, 1891 in Manhattan, New York. He was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County. His burial plot is 2, 5009. Pictured here is his gravestone. 

Private Mohammed Khan’s gravestone at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County

I first learned about Mohammed Kahn while researching for an opinion editorial on the vast contributions of Muslim Americans to our nation’s history. Contrary to the popular perception that Muslims or Islam are new to America, Muslims have thrived in America since before America even existed, and have fought to defend this nation in every battle since the Revolutionary War, and to expand national participation in democracy. As Michael Harriot remarks:

I think that is what Juneteenth means to me and to a lot of people. I also think that it is just as important as the 4th of July, or more important, because this is the first time that America took a real step toward democracy. That’s when the majority of this country were able to participate in democracy.

Mohammed Kahn’s story is about that power of perseverance to overcome obstacles, the power of good to conquer hate, and the power of justice to conquer injustice. And while this article is a heavily summarized story of his life, remarkably, there are no books on Private Mohammed Kahn. Meanwhile, his full and complete 209 page pension is preserved in the US Government National Archives. Given the opportunity, perhaps I’ll take the initiative to write this much needed book about a critical and precious story of American history.

For now, I hope you found value in this inspiring story of Private Mohammed Kahn, a hero of the American Civil War.