Irish in the American Civil War

Reminders of the American Civil War abound in the United States. Even regions far from the battlefield can point to local memorials and veterans graves as a reminder of those tumultuous times. In contrast, there is little on the island of Ireland to remind its citizens of the nearly 200,000 Irish involved in the war. [...]

The cemetery at Deansgrange, Co. Dublin is one of the largest in Ireland. Amongst the multitude of burials to be found, there is one headstone that relates to a family called the Saundersons. One of the individuals interred here is Llewellyn Traherne Bassett Saunderson, who died here on 30th March 1913 at the age of [...]

Some of you will be familiar with efforts that I and a number of colleagues in Ireland are making with regard to an American Civil War trail in Ireland, hopefully to be accompanied by some form of all-island memorial. For any of you interested in reading a little more about this project check out our [...]

The 154th New York Infantry is one of the more fortunate of Civil War regiments. It has enjoyed what is perhaps unparalleled focus from a single historian, a man who for the past four decades has intensively studied the unit, its men and what it meant to  serve in its ranks. Mark Dunkelman has now [...]

On a recent trip to Edinburgh I took the opportunity to visit an unusual monument in one of the Scottish capital’s picturesque burial grounds. Within Old Calton Cemetery is a memorial to those Scots who served the Union cause- the only American Civil War memorial outside the United States. The cemetery is positioned in a [...]

The last year has seen the publication of not one but two books on Sir Peter Tait and his production of uniforms for the Confederacy. A previous review discussed Imported Confederate Uniforms of Peter Tait & Co., Limerick, Ireland by Frederick R. Adolphus. Now Craig L. Barry and David C. Burt have joined forces to produce Supplier to [...]

Although American Civil War reenactors are a common sight in the United States, such groups are extremely thin on the ground in Ireland. However, one organisation is notable for their regular appearances in the blue and gray around the country, helping to educate the public about the Irish contribution to the conflict. Known as ‘The [...]

The last post on Irish in the American Civil War brought you part of the story of Bridget Bolen. The Co. Cork native had to petition the U.S. Government for amnesty in 1865 due to her falling within the 13th exception to the general amnesty, namely being a voluntary participant in the rebellion who held taxable [...]

On 29th May 1865 United States President Andrew Johnson issued an Amnesty Proclamation for those who directly or indirectly participated in the rebellion. However, the amnesty did not cover everyone in the former Confederate States; fourteen exceptions were outlined, and those who fell within any of them were required to petition the President directly to [...]