Irish American Civil War Trail Logo

It was important for us that the logo represented Irish who were based in both the Northern and Southern States, and we wanted to avoid the traditional stars and stripes/stars and bars approach. The result sees as its central theme the Maid of Erin harp, a motif common among Irish communities in the mid-nineteenth century, and one that was utilised on the banners of both Union and Confederate Irish units. The harp has 32 strings, one for each of the counties on the island of Ireland. A laurel of shamrocks is another contemporary device, and on the logo is used to wreath the harp; rather than green the shamrock is blue for the Union on one side and grey for the Confederacy on the other.

We are hopeful that people will respond positively to the logo, and that it will provide us with a further tool to enhance knowledge of Irish involvement in the American Civil War in Ireland. Let us know what you think, and make sure to check out www.irishacwtrail.com to find out more about what we are up to!

The American Civil War Memorial in Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh

The cemetery is positioned in a dominant location overlooking the city centre, and the memorial itself is prominent and imposing. Emancipation is its central theme- Abraham Lincoln is portrayed atop a plinth, with an emancipated slave below him raising an outstretched hand. On each of the four sides is inscribed ‘Suffrage’, ‘Union’,'Education’ and ‘Emancipation’.

The emancipated slave raises an outstretched hand towards Lincoln

The names of a number of Scottish Union soldiers are also commemorated on the monument. These are Sergeant-Major John McEwan of the 65th Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel William L. Duff of the 2nd Illinois, Robert Steedman of the 5th Maine, James Wilkie of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, Robert Ferguson of the 57th New York and Alexander Smith of the 66th New York.

Detail of soldier's names on the Old Calton memorial

The memorial was dedicated in 1893, and although very much a product of its time it remains a poignant symbol of Scottish involvement with the Union cause. The story behind its creation is a moving one, involving the widow of Sergeant-Major McEwan. The details have been researched by The American Civil War Round Table UK and can be read here. Ireland still does not have a memorial to soldiers and civilians from the island who were caught up in events, North and South, between 1861 and 1865. It is to be hoped that this will be rectified during the period of the 150th anniversary of the conflict.

Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh

The Memorial to the ‘Manchester Martyrs’ in Glasnevin Cemetery. William Allen, Michael Larkin and Michael O’Brien were executed in England for the murder of a police officer during the rescue of two Irish Republican Brotherhood leaders.

Detail of the Manchester Martyr’s Memorial. Among the executed was Michael O’Brien, an American Civil War veteran who had fought with the Union army. One of the Irish Republican Brotherhood leaders who he helped to free was Thomas Kelly, who had served as an officer in the 10th Ohio Infantry and on the staff of General George Henry Thomas. Although buried in England, these executed men are commemorated by this memorial in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Another memorial in Glasnevin to a man buried elsewhere. This restored monument was erected by friends of William Dillon Walker, from Goldenbridge on the outskirts of Dublin. He joined the Federal army and was killed at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864.

A detail of the William Dillon Walker memorial at Glasnevin Cemetery. Though difficult to read, it records Walker’s service in the Papal Forces in the Italian War of 1860, where he was proclaimed a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester. His later enlistment in the Union army and death at the Wilderness is also inscribed, surely one of the very few memorials to an individual in Ireland which specifically names an American Civil War battle.

The grave of John O’Mahony (1816- 1877). The Limerickman was the founding member of the Fenian Brotherhood which he set up while living in New York. He served as Colonel of the 99th New York National Guard towards the end of the Civil War.

Detail of John O’Mahony’s grave in Glasnevin Cemetery. He died in New York in 1877 and his body was transferred with much fanfare to Ireland for burial in Glasnevin Cemetery.

The grave of James Francis Xavier O’Brien (1828-1905) who was a member of the Fenian Brotherhood and also served as a Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party. He was in America at the outbreak of the Civil War, and served briefly as an Assistant Surgeon for the Confederates in New Orleans.

A detail of James Xavier O’Brien’s grave. He had studied medicine at Queen’s College Galway and in Paris prior to travelling to Nicaragua to fight with William Walker, eventually settling in New Orleans.

The Jesuit section of Glasnevin Cemetery, where many of that order are buried. Amongst those who lie beneath this cross is Father John Bannon (1829- 1913), the ‘Confederacy’s Fighting Chaplain’. He was sent to St. Louis following his ordination, and when war broke out he served as Chaplain to the First Missouri Confederate Brigade. He was captured with his unit following the fall of Vicksburg in 1863. He subsequently returned to Ireland in an attempt to assist in the disruption of Union recruitment efforts on the island.

Detail of the inscribed cross recording the names of the Jesuits buried in the order’s plot in Glasnevin. ‘P. Joannes Bannon’ can be seen second from bottom. Bannon never returned to America following the war, instead remaining in Ireland and becoming a Jesuit.

References & Further Reading

Glasnevin Cemetery Trust

Faherty, William Baranaby S.J. 2002. Exile in Erin: A Confederate Chaplain’s Story: The Life of Father John B. Bannon

O’Duffy, Richard 1915. Historic Graves in Glasnevin Cemetery

Tucker, Phillip Thomas 1992. The Confederacy’s Fighting Chaplain: Father John B. Bannon

References

Anderson Independent Mail

Father Corby Statue (Image via Wikipedia)

A recent post told the story of Father Corby’s absolution of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg in 1863. A statue of the chaplain was erected at the battlefield on the 29th October 1910, and will soon celebrate its 100th birthday. To commemorate the occasion the Father William Corby Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, based in Fairfax Station, Virginia, are planning to visit the monument on the 29th October 2010. The event will take place at 1pm and will involve a color guard presenting the colors to the statue, as well as some music and a talk about Father Corby. Details of the event are available here.

Bride Park Cottage, Killumney, Co. Cork where Patrick Cleburne was born and lived until aged eight

It was in this upper left room that Patrick Cleburne, 'The Stonewall of the West' was born on 16th March 1828

Memorial Plaque to Patrick Cleburne at Bride Park Cottage

St. Mary's Church of Ireland Church, where Patrick Cleburne was baptised

Grange House, where the Cleburne family moved in 1836; the house was considerably larger in the nineteenth century

The grave of Dr. Joseph Cleburne, Patrick's father, in St. Mary's Church of Ireland graveyard

The inscription on the grave reads: 'The Burial Place of Joseph Cleburne Esq. M.D. who died Nov. 24th 1843 Aged 51 years'. Patrick was only 15 when he died. It set in train the events that would lead to the family's emigration to the United States in 1849

*Special thanks are due to Mary Ronayne, Phil Murphy and D.J. Murphy, without whom these pictures could not have been presented.

Further Reading

For a comprehensive listing of the biographies on Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne please see the books page of the site