John Dooley’s Civil War

Richmond native John Dooley served in the First Virginia Infantry Regiment between 1862 and 1865. The Dooleys were one of the South’s most prominent Irish-American families, and counted figures such as John Mitchel amongst their family friends. Both during and after the conflict John Dooley recorded his experiences in the Confederate army, offering an insight into not only Irish service in the Army of Northern Virginia but also Southern Irish advocacy of the Lost Cause. Robert Emmett Curran has compiled a new edition of Dooley’s writings, published as part of Peter S. Carmichael’s Voices of the Civil War series with The University of Tennessee Press.

John Dooley’s father John Senior had emigrated to the United States from Co. Limerick in 1832. He eventually became the owner of an extremely successful hat-making business, the Great Southern Hat and Cap Manufactory, based in Richmond. A pre-war Captain of the ‘Montgomery Guards’, John Senior served at First Manassas with the Irish militia unit, which by now formed part of Company C, 1st Virginia Infantry. John was forced to resign due to advancing years in April 1862; his eldest son James received a dangerous wound at the Battle of Williamsburg a month later which would also eventually force his departure from the 1st Virginia. John junior joined the regiment in August 1862 at the age of 20, thus maintaining the family’s connection with the unit.

Some of John Dooley’s writings about the American Civil War have been previously published by Joseph T. Durkin, in his 1945 John Dooley, Confederate Soldier: His War Journal. However much of this was abridged and large parts of Dooley’s original writings omitted, principally as a result of the confused nature of the archive. Dooley did not write a straightforward narrative account of his time in Confederate service; instead his diary is formed from a number of different manuscripts written at different periods of his wartime and post-bellum life. Initially serving as a Private in Company D of the 1st Virginia, Dooley was present at battles such as Second Manassas, Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg. He had risen to become a Lieutenant in Company C by the time of the Gettysburg Campaign, where he was wounded and taken prisoner during Pickett’s Charge. He spent the following years as a prisoner of war, before being paroled in February 1865 during the Confederacy’s dying days. A devout Catholic, John Dooley decided to become a Jesuit after the war’s conclusion. He died at an early age in 1873 as a result of TB, perhaps brought on by his prolonged time in the field and in prison.

There are many interesting details to be found in John Dooley’s writings about the Civil War. He communicates the often monotonous life of soldiers on campaign (and later in prison), and the tedium and repetition that such an existence involved. His description of being a part of Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg is a fascinating insight into the experiences of one the participants in that most famous of Confederate assaults. Dooley reserves his most vivid descriptions of the battlefield and it’s aftermath for his time as a wounded soldier awaiting treatment on the field at Gettysburg, when he encountered a horrifying array of wounded and disabled men during his long wait at a field hospital. Amongst the other common themes in Dooley’s writings are his family’s close relationship with the Irish patriot John Mitchel. John Mitchel’s son Willie served with Dooley, and the two were friends-Willie was among those killed during Pickett’s assault at Gettysburg. Dooley provides an interesting account of his and fellow Confederate parolee’s efforts to keep up with the ever shrinking Confederacy after Appomattox in 1865, as they journey from town to town in Virginia and North Carolina seeking to keep up with the fleeing administration and searching out Confederate forces.

One of the more interesting aspects of John Dooley’s service is that he held the unique position in the 1st Virginia Infantry of being the only non-commissioned soldier to be accompanied by his own slave, Ned Haines, presumably one of the 10 listed as belonging to the Dooley family in 1860. Ned joined Dooley on campaign in 1862 and was with the Irish-American as far as Gettysburg, helping to forage and construct shelters for him and his messmates throughout the Eastern Theater. We learn nothing of Ned’s fate following Dooley’s capture in the summer of 1863.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Dooley’s writings are how he clearly reworked certain passages of text to have it form a document that was unstinting in its support for the Lost Cause. Curran in his introduction describes the Lost Cause as those seeking to portray the Confederacy as ‘a decent, honorable community seeking independence to preserve its way of life; God-like military leaders and their courageous, fallen soldiers, defeated only by superior numbers and industrial might; a collective identity as victims who ironically survive; and the hope that God in His providence will someday bring their cause to fruition.’ Time and again Dooley returns to discuss the waves of foreign hirelings (including Irish) that are duped into Union service to fight against the Confederacy. After his capture at Gettysburg Dooley describes how he chastises an Irish Union soldier who had fought with John Mitchel in 1848: ‘how could he consistently turn his back on his principles, and for the pitiful hire of a few dollars do all in his power to crush a brave people asserting their rights of self government; and now that he was engaged in the cause of tyranny, fighting against honesty, justice, and right, and moreover against those very gallant young men he was seeking to hear of [the Mitchel family], what, we asked, would Mr. Mitchel think of him? The poor fellow’s eyes filled with tears.’ (1)

This extensive publication draws to a close with an 1870 poem written by Dooley which brings forth his post-war views about what defeat had thus far meant for the South. Here the unfettered capitalism of the North has been unleashed on the Southern States, leading to widespread corruption and the stripping of the region’s identity and way of life. Interestingly his view on aspects such as slavery remained unchanged, as he was convinced that former slaves had been forced to give up what he saw as a relatively secure and benevolent way of life for one where they would have to fend for themselves on the lowest rung of a cruel and uncaring society: ‘When in the South did ever the humblest slave, Like beast uncared, sink in the Potter’s grave. When have the hardest working slaves been known To be in want of bread or greasy bone? When worked so hard beneath the master’s whip As northern matrons pinched by hunger’s grip; Pale, wretched by the weary candle’s light They pass away like shadows in the night.’ (2)

Robert Emmett Curran has done an excellent job of editing these important writings, which provide a window into the war and post-war views of some of the more affluent members of the Southern Irish-American community. Copious notes present valuable additional detail which compliment Dooley’s narrative, particularly with regard to later ‘Lost Cause’ additions. For anyone seeking to understand the viewpoints of many of those Irish and Irish-Americans who fought with and staunchly supported the Confederacy, John Dooley’s Civil War is an essential addition to your bookshelf.

(1) Curran (ed.) 2012: xxv, 174; (2) Ibid: 412

References

Curran, Robert Emmett (ed.) 2012. John Dooley’s Civil War: An Irish American’s Journey in the First Virginia Infantry Regiment. 516pp.

*I am grateful to The University of Tennessee Press for providing a review copy of this book

Grant's Final Victory

Ulysses S. Grant is best remembered as the Union commander who finally defeated Robert E. Lee, and as a two-term President of the United States. His Personal Memoirs has become one of the most famous and widely read of military texts, and is a staple of anyone interested in the American Civil War. In Grant’s Final Victory, author Charles Bracelen Flood describes how personal tragedy and financial ruin shaped the creation of the Memoirs, as a dying man sought to provide for the future of his family.

The post-bellum period is rightly receiving increasing attention from scholars, as efforts are made to try and understand the impact the conflict had on the later lives of those who lived through it. There was perhaps no veteran better known than Ulysses S. Grant. Flood, the author of books such as Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War and Lee: The Last Years begins his narrative in 1884, when the world of Ulysses S. Grant began to unravel. Having failed to win a third Republican nomination for President in 1879, Grant had embarked on a World Tour (which included a visit to Ireland) before returning to the U.S. and becoming involved in an investment banking firm named Grant & Ward. The future seemed bright as the business grew and money seemingly flowed in. Financial worries for the General and his family seemed a thing of the past.

Although not particularly savvy when it came to financial markets, Grant placed his trust in James Fish and Ferdinand Ward who were experts in the industry. Everything collapsed for Grant when it was revealed that the operations of the firm had been a financial swindle by these two men, leaving Grant, and much of his extended family who had also invested, penniless. To compound the situation Grant learned soon afterwards that he was suffering from throat cancer, with only slim prospects for survival. Despite the good-will of the thousands of veterans who had served under him, the spectre of his family being left without financial security following his death haunted Grant.

Throughout most of his post-war career Grant had refused to write memoirs or provide personal accounts of his service. His changed circumstances altered that, and Grant set to work at a feverish pace to produce the book that would provide for his family when he was gone. Flood’s narrative of the great man’s final year of life is filled with a sequence of events and cast of characters that make this book difficult to put down. They include Grant’s loving wife Julia, who supported her ‘Ulyss’ to the end, Mark Twain, who published the Memoirs and befriended the General, and William H. Vanderbildt, one of the wealthiest men in America who showed great kindness to the family following their financial disaster.

Grant at Mount McGregor working on his Memoirs. At this point he had a large tumor on the side of his neck (Library of Congress)

The author has successfully mined personal and print media accounts which allow the reader to follow Grant through these final months. The conqueror of Lee spent his last weeks in a house on Mt. McGregor in upstate New York, taking advantage of the clearer air to complete his work (interestingly, among the small group of family and staff that accompanied him was a maid who’s discretion with the press regarding Grant’s illness earned her the title of  ’the tight-mouthed daughter of the Emerald Isle’). Flood documents the dying man’s final, incredible efforts to finish the Memoirs, as his health continued to fail. He completed his 291,000 word, two volume book on 20th July, less than a year after he started writing. Only days later, on 23rd July 1885, the 63 year old died- having accomplished what he set out to do.

Grant’s Final Victory presents a different side of Ulysses S. Grant to the one we witness in books that chart his Civil War exploits. Here is a man stoically facing his own mortality, trying to deal with the betrayal that financially exposed him and his family. His response was to produce one of the finest pieces of literature of his day, and one which achieved its goal of providing for those closest to him. Charles Bracelen Flood brings this story to life, and opens up for us a new perspective on Ulysses S. Grant.

*I am grateful to Da Capo Press for providing a review copy of this book

References & Further Reading

Flood, Charles Bracelen 2011. Grant’s Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant’s Heroic Last Year. 288pp.

Ulysses S. Grant Cottage

This book is an excellent addition to the available literature on Peter Tait and the uniforms he produced for the South. A significant amount of research has been undertaken not only into the Tait contracts with the Confederacy and State of Alabama, but also on his rise to prominence. The authors outline how the Scotsman revolutionised his industry by creating production lines using steam-powered sewing machines. Whereas many uniform manufacturers relied on home seamstresses to make their suits, Tait’s method was capable of producing vast quantities of clothing, and gave him a considerable edge in the market.

The background to the signing of the contracts with the South and the important role of Peter’s older brother James is outlined, as is the company’s business relationship with Alexander Collie. The author’s describe the latter as ‘something of a scoundrel’ and indeed their research into the man would seem to bear this out. Barry and Burt provide new detail on Tait’s use of blockade runners, and are able to put some long-held misconceptions to rest with regard to the extent of the Tait fleet. Contrary to what has been written elsewhere, the only ship in which he owned a share was the Evelyn, and they demonstrate that two others with which he is often connected, the Kelpie and Elwy, were never contracted by the Limerick company.

As would be expected the book explores the surviving Tait uniforms in detail, including a fascinating section on where the business sourced its wool. A compelling argument is put forward that suggests that a number of the Tait style Confederate jackets were not in fact produced by Tait at all. The story does not end with the conclusion of the Civil War; the attempt by the United States Government to sue the company is described, as is the sad story of Tait’s ultimate decline and fall, a process which seems to have begun following his decision to embark upon a political career.

There is no significant overlap between this book and Imported Confederate Uniforms of Peter Tait & Co., Limerick, Ireland, which focuses more on the uniform particulars of the Tait clothing. Indeed both compliment each other well, and together they provide the two most significant publications on Tait’s relationship with the Confederacy yet produced.

Supplier to the Confederacy, Peter Tait & Co, Limerick contains no fewer than 16 appendices, providing additional detail on everything from blockade runners to dyestuffs to Tait’s obituary. At 131 pages including the appendices it is a short and enjoyable volume, albeit one which is absolutely packed with detail. The authors’ impressive research has helped to bring many facets of the Tait story to light, and the result is a must-read for anyone interested in Confederate uniforms or indeed the Confederacy’s trade with Europe. It is also an important addition to the literature available on the Irish experience of the Civil War.

References & Further Reading

Barry, Craig L. & Burt, David C. 2011. Supplier to the Confederacy: Peter Tait & Co, Limerick. 131pp.

Burt and Barry Suppliers to the Confederacy Publications Facebook Page

James P. Sullivan was born in Ireland on 21st June 1843, emigrating to the United States with his parents and two siblings while still an infant. They eventually settled in Wisconsin, where James grew up. On the outbreak of war the little Irishman from Juneau County enlisted in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry, a unit that was initially brigaded with the 2nd Wisconsin, 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana. These Western men would fight their war in the east, with the Army of the Potomac, and would win fame as the ‘Iron Brigade’. Sullivan rose to the rank of Sergeant in the regiment’s Company K, and in the 1880s began to write about his wartime experiences. He adopted the name ‘Mickey, of Company K’ and began producing pieces for The Milwaukee Sunday Telegraph; his description of the fighting at South Mountain appeared in 1888. (1)

Aerial View of South Mountain, Maryland

The portion of the fighting in which Sullivan and his comrades were involved was at Turner’s Gap. As light faded on the 14th September and with other Union forces pressing the Rebel flanks, it was decided to send the Westerners straight up the National Road towards the enemy in an effort to force a breakthrough. The brigade was not known as the ‘Iron Brigade’ just yet; that would be a name associated with them after this fight. For now their distinctive black Hardee hats led to them being called the ‘Black Hat Brigade’. Company K of the 6th Wisconsin and Company B of the 2nd Wisconsin were ordered to deploy in front of the brigade as skirmishers, and so James found himself out in front of the main body of troops (2):

The skirmishers pushed on up the side of the mountain and soon came in sight of the enemy’s skirmishers and opened fire on them. The ground was a cultivated field with a heavy wood on the right and Company K’s line extended from the woods down to the road. The field was pretty full of large stones, and now and again a huge boulder stood up and afforded both us and the enemy excellent cover. Lieutenants Ticknor and Upham [Lyman] directed the movement of our company, which was always “Forward,” and about all they had to do was follow the men who needed no urging. Part of the men would fire and then rush forward while the others covered them and had at the rebels and then the rear line would pass through to the front and lay down while the other kept up fire, and in that way it was a steady advance. (3)

Having advanced towards the enemy in this fashion Sullivan turned to see the brigade advancing behind him on either side of the turnpike. He was with a group of friends in the company:

Chamberlain, “Eph” Cornish, Corporal Wilcox and myself kept close together and formed a group of “comrades in battle.” Chamberlain, who was brave as a lion, kept continually rushing forward leading the squad, and of course we had to follow up and support him. It was now sundown and being in the shadow of the mountain it was getting dark very fast, and our fellows pushed the rebel skirmishers up to their line of battle, and our squad took shelter behind a big boulder and two of us fired from each side of it. (4)

Trapped between the two contending lines of battle, things were about to deteriorate for Sullivan and his comrades:

The 7th [Wisconsin] which was the line of battle behind us, opened fire and the skirmishers who had gradually moved to the right towards the woods had uncovered their front and were fighting the rebel skirmishers at close quarters, when a heavy line of battle rose up and advanced towards the right flank of the 7th, and then came the crash of their volley by regiment. I had been troubled with mumps for several days and my jaws had now reached a respectable rotundity and Lieutenant Upham had let me have a big silk handkerchief to tie about my face, but on entering the fight I took it off as it obstructed my range of vision, and when that crash came, either a bullet split in pieces against a stone or a fragment of the boulder hit me on the sore jaw, causing exquisite pain, and I was undetermined whether to run away or swear, when Cornish groaned, “Mickey, Chamberlain is killed and I’m wounded,” and then came another crashing volley and I felt a stinging, burning sensation in my right foot followed by the most excruciating pain, and as I sprang up I saw Corporal Wilcox topple over, wounded. (5)

An Irishman in the Iron Brigade

Out of the fight, he used his musket as a crutch to get back down the Mountain to seek out treatment. His brigade was unsupported in its attack and was unable to make ground against the Confederate defences, with darkness putting an end to the struggle. His battle over, Sullivan received medical attention at Frederick City, avoiding the carnage of Antietam. His wound led to him being discharged for disability, but the redoubtable Irishman re-enlisted in the 6th Wisconsin and was soon back among his companions in Company K, with whom he would serve the remainder of the war. His accounts of different battles and experiences have been brought together by William J.K. Beaudot and Lance J. Herdegen who published An Irishman in the Iron Brigade in 1993, making James Sullivan’s fascinating insights into the conflict available to all. The Battlefield of South Mountain is unfortunately still at risk, and was named on the Civil War Trust’s 2010 list of most endangered battlefields, due to the threat of development on the site. It is to be hoped such development will not take place. (6)

(1) Beaudot & Herdegen (eds) 1993: 1, 6-7; (2) Sears 2003: 141, Beaudot & Herdegen (eds) 1993:60; (3) Beaudot & Herdegen (eds) 1993:60; (4) Ibid: 61 (5) Ibid: 61-62; (6) Ibid: 4, 63,  Sears 2003: 142;

References & Further Reading

Sears, Stephen W. 2003. Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam

Sullivan, James P. (edited by William J.K. Beaudot & Lance J. Herdegen) 1993. An Irishman in the Iron Brigade

Hoptak, John David. 2011. The Battle of South Mountain

Civil War Trust Battle of South Mountain Page

South Mountain State Battlefield

One of the green flags carried by the 28th Massachusetts Infantry (Wikimedia Commons)

Peter Welsh appears to have been a born soldier, and on St. Patrick’s Day 1863 he had his proudest moment when he was promoted to carry the regiment’s green flag. His letters are in the main written to his wife, Margaret, and many seek to allay her concerns for his safety and to justify his service in the army. When she expressed her fears that he would be even more of a target when carrying the colors, Welsh wrote a detailed explanation to counter this, telling her ‘there is no such thing as taking shure aim in the battlefield’ and that ‘those on either side of the colors…are more likely to get struck then the color bearer’. His attempts to protect his wife as much as possible from the brutal reality of warfare are heart-warming. (2)

Peter Welsh fought with the 28th Massachusetts from South Mountain to Spotsylvania. On 15th May 1864 he wrote the following letter to Margaret:

Washington May 15th/64

My dear wife

i write those few huried lines to let you know that i got slightly wounded on the 12th  it is a flesh wound in my left arm  just a nice one to keep me from any more fighting or marching this campaign  we have had a prety tough time of it  we had been 8 days constantly fighting before i got hit  that was the greatest battle of the war  we licked saucepans out of them  My dear wife i think i can get sent to new york to hospital  if not i will get a sick furlow to go home  Dudly Burns has lost the first finger of his left hand  James was all right when i left the front  my dear wife do not be uneasy about me  i am all right here  give my love to all our friends  God bless and protect you  write to me as soon as you get this and send me five dollars if you can  good by for the present

your loving husband

Peter Welsh 

Pieces of Peter Welsh's left ulna removed during surgery, with the deformed bullet at top (Medical and Surgical History)

Margaret rushed to her husband’s side. He had been sent to Carver Hospital in Washington, where on 14th May Surgeon O.A. Judson reported his injury as a ‘gunshot wound of left forearm, by a conoidal ball, producing compound comminuted fracture of inferior third of left ulna. On 17th May, two days after Welsh had written to his wife, Acting Assistant Surgeon J.S. Wentz operated on his injury, removing broken pieces of his ulna and the bullet. After the procedure he was apparently doing well, but his health began to deteriorate on 20th May. It transpired that he was suffering from pyaemia, a type of blood poisoning. Color Sergeant Peter Welsh died on 28th May 1864. Margaret, who must have been distraught, sent a telegram to her uncle in New York; it read simply ‘HE IS DEAD AND WILL BE IN NYORK IN MORNING’. Peter Welsh is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens, New York. His war letters remain, providing us with some of the most insightful and poignant information on the Irish experience of the American Civil War. (3)

(1) Welsh 1986: 4, 81; (2) Welsh 1986: 156 (3) Welsh 1986: 156-157, Otis 1876: 959;

References

Otis, George A. 1876. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of Rebellion, Part 2, Vol. 2, Surgical History

Welsh, Peter (edited by Lawrence Kohl with Margaret Cossé Richard) 1986. Irish Green and Union Blue: The Civil War Letters of Peter Welsh, Color Sergeant, 28th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers

Seven different scholars have provided papers for the book, with each focusing on a different aspect of the experience of one of these ‘outside groups’. It is edited and introduced by Susannah J. Ural, Associate Professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi and a Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of War and Society. Professor Ural has previously authored The Harp and the Eagle: Irish-American Volunteers and the Union Army, 1861- 1865, an excellent study of the motivations and experiences of the Irish community in the North during the Civil War.

The first two chapters concentrate on the German experience of the war, North and South. Even though more Germans fought in the American Civil War than any other immigrant group, there is surprisingly little written about their involvement, and it is informative to compare their war with that of the Irish. Stephen D. Engle explains how German communities in the North often grouped together in ‘Kleindeutschlands’ (Little Germanies), and formed organisations such as the German American Turnvereine; these ‘Turners’ were some of the first to mobilize for the war. Despite their commitment to service, German troops often endured extreme prejudice from comrades, a problem which became particularly prevalent following the rout of the largely German 11th Corps at the Battle of Chancellorsville. The Germans in the South often had markedly different experiences of the war dependent on where they lived, as Andrea Mehrländer discusses. While many Germans in Charleston were in a position to establish themselves in Southern society through business activities such as blockade running, those in Richmond struggled with being branded traitors and collaborators due to their close ties with German communities in the nearby North and the compassion they demonstrated towards wounded and captured German Federals.

Chapters 3 and 4 focus on the Irish experience. From a Northern perspective, Susannah Ural examines the motivations behind Irish enlistment in Union armies and concludes that many exhibited a dual loyalty to both Ireland and the United States. For example, some were Fenians who joined up to gain military experience for a future attempt to free Ireland, while others sought to preserve the United States as a refuge for Irish immigrants. The Irish in the North remained staunch supporters of the Democratic Party throughout the course of the conflict, and often distrusted Republicans and Abolitionists who they associated with the Know Nothing movement. Terrible casualties during the battles of 1862, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the Draft combined to cause a dramatic reduction in Irish support for the war, which manifested itself in outbreaks of violence such as the 1863 New York City Draft Riot. This opposition to the Republican Party and the Lincoln administration was remembered following the war, and was exacerbated by Lincoln’s assassination. David T. Gleeson, the author of the landmark work The Irish in the South, 1815- 1877, discusses the Irish presence in the Confederate military and the contribution of notable units and individuals during the war, including members of religious orders. The Irish did not perform uniformly well for the Confederacy, however. Information suggests that Irish formations suffered from high desertion rates and that when captured they often chose to take the Oath of Allegiance rather than be exchanged. After the war, many Irish resented the added competition in the labour market caused by recently freed slaves, and some became actively involved in the ‘Lost Cause’ movement; Gleeson argues that it was this as much as their service during the war that aided Irish integration in the post-Civil war South.

The final three papers discuss the Jewish, Native American and African American experience of the Civil War. Robert N. Rosen discusses how Jews in the South generally integrated well in pre-war society. Although they tended not to form themselves into distinct ethnic units, many did see their service as a necessary act to show that those of the Jewish faith were loyal and willing to fight. William McKee Evans uses three case studies to examine the Native American experience of war. These are the Western Cherokees, the Eastern Cherokees and the Lumbees. No matter who these tribal groups supported, Union or Confederacy, they were destined to end up as losers, and none of the groups fared particularly well after the conflict. The African American experience in the North is related by Joseph P. Reidy in the book’s final paper.  It examines the pre-war views of the African-American community and the run up to the Emancipation Proclamation, before focusing on the struggle for equal pay and equal citizenship rights to which African American soldiers felt entitled having taking up arms to fight for the Union.

Civil War Citizens is a revealing and informative work. The term ‘outside group’ coined by the editor to describe these communities is an apt one; each had to deal with particular prejudices and discrimination as they sought to increase their citizenship rights through participation in the war. Their own situation did not prevent them from displaying prejudice and discrimination towards other ‘outside groups’, and within each community there were a complex set of circumstances which dictated how they viewed themselves and others. Bringing these papers together in one volume allows the reader to compare how these communities dealt with the war, and explore the similarities between what each ultimately hoped to achieve. Not only does it provide the reader with two excellent papers on the Irish experience of the Civil War, it also places the Irish community in its wider context with recourse to other racial and ethnic groups. Civil War Citizens is compulsory reading for anyone who wants to move beyond the battlefield and campaigns and learn what motivated these communities to make the decisions they did during America’s bloodiest conflict.

For those who would like to find out more about the book they can read an interview on the Bull Runnings blog with editor Professor Susannah Ural here. A previous post on this site provided a link to a lecture on Irish volunteers in the Union Army given by Professor Ural at The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center which can be accessed and viewed here.

References

Ural, Susannah (ed.) 2010. Civil War Citizens: Race, Ethnicity and Identity in America’s Bloodiest Conflict. 236pp.

Sir Peter Tait’s Clothing Factory in Limerick has been the topic of a number of posts on this site. Tait was a regular producer of uniforms for the British Army, but in 1864 entered into a contract which was somewhat unusual. This saw the factory make large numbers of uniforms for the Confederacy, with these garments then being shipped through the Union blockade to the South. These Irish Confederate uniforms are the subject of a book by Frederick R. Adolphus entitled Imported Confederate Uniforms of Peter Tait & Co., Limerick, Ireland, Volume 1 of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Uniform Series.

It is interesting to note that not all of the ‘Tait’ uniforms were necessarily manufactured by the Peter Tait Company. In fact three separate companies provided uniforms to the specifications of the Tait jacket, namely Peter Tait & Company Limerick, Hebbert & Company London and Alexander Collie & Company Manchester & London. This book outlines the history behind the Tait contracts with both the Confederacy and the State of Alabama and also estimates the number of uniforms supplied in total, based on the amount of clothing bales brought in on the Blockade Runners. It also examines their distribution around the South and where the uniforms were employed.

Of the thousands of Tait jackets imported into the Confederacy only eleven are known to survive today, with a twelfth example made from an unfinished Tait set also known. The main portion of the book explores each of them and examines the different variants in detail: the ‘Plain’ Jacket, the ‘Collar Trim’ Jacket, the ‘Full Trim’ Jacket, the ‘Welt Trim’ Jacket and the Alabama Contract uniforms. The book also discusses the possibility that the trousers accompanying some of the surviving jackets may be of Tait manufacture, though as the author points out this is difficult to ascertain with certainty. Frederick Adolphus is an expert on his topic and the book is filled with detail on all aspects of the jackets, from the buttons through to the trim. The appendices contain information on the scale of sizes for uniform tunics and trousers in a British infantry regiment for 1858, the percentage of different uniform sizes made for a regiment of 800 men in the British Army (the majority being aimed at an ‘average’ height of 5’7”), the size stamps on existing Tait jackets and the characteristics of Tait uniform buttons. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of the publication is the lavish number of photographs that grace the pages, no fewer than 134, with the majority of them colour.

The primary audience for Imported Confederate Uniforms of Peter Tait & Co., Limerick will undoubtedly be those with a specialist interest in the manufacture and technical specifications of American Civil War uniforms, and the book is exceptionally comprehensive in this regard. It is not intended as a history of either the Tait company or a detailed examination of Tait’s relationship with the Confederacy. Rather it is an examination of the specific product which this relationship created. For the non uniform specialist the book remains of interest, not least as it documents through colour photographs every known surviving example of a Tait uniform. The work was clearly a labour of love for the author, and is a fine addition to our knowledge of the Tait uniform in the Confederacy.

References & Further Reading

Adolphus, Frederick R. 2010. Imported Confederate Uniforms of Peter Tait & Co., Limerick, Ireland. 71pp.

Adolphus Confederate Uniforms Website