In the second of our posts looking at some of the work of our new Associate Editors Dr Catherine Bateson and Brendan Hamilton, we are sharing some of Brendan’s work and writing. You can find out more regarding Brendan’s background and interests on our About Us page. He is certainly no stranger to readers of Irish in the American Civil War, and is the site’s most prolific guest writer. Brendan has particular expertise and research interests in the subject of recruitment (especially illicit recruitment) into the United States forces, and latterly has been undertaking some ground-breaking work into the practice of recruiting boys-many of them Irish American- from Houses of Refuge. His “back catalogue” on the site is extensive, but links to many of his posts are provided here:

From the Institution to the Infantry: The Enlistment of Three Underage Inmates from the St. Louis House of Refuge

Marked Boys: The Tattoos of 19th Century Irish and Irish American Reformatory Inmates

Other Lost Shoes: The Forgotten Reform School Boys Who Fought the VMI Cadets at New Market

“Three Boys Were Taken”: The Yankee Teens Who Became Rebel “Pirates”

“A Brutal, Good Natured Face:” A New York Irish “Rowdy” in War and Peace

‘One of Our Brave Men Twice Wounded’: An Image of Corporal William Kelleher, 125th New York Infantry

“It Was Not For To Be Soldiers We Came Out”: Recruited Straight Off The Boat–Some New Evidence

Recruited Straight Off The Boat? On The Trail of Emigrant Soldiers From the Ship Great Western

Aside from writing for Irish in the American Civil War, Brendan has also contributed to sites such Emerging Civil War, for example this post, “I Objected”: A Black Mother Takes a Stand Against Coerced Enlistment.

As well as being a historian, Brendan is also a poet, two talents he combined in his 2010 book of poetry, Jerusalem Plank Road, which is inspired by the final days of the Petersburg Campaign. You can check out Brendan’s book at this link, or by clicking in the image below.

Brendan’s book of Civil War inspired poetry, “Jerusalem Plank Road”

Most recently, Brendan gave a presentation to the Missouri Historical Society on the topic of local House of Refuge boys who ended up in the Civil War military. The talk, which is excellent, was recorded, and you can watch it at the link below. It is great to formalise Brendan’s links with the site, given his track record of fascinating and insightful research on some of the least understood people who donned Union uniform during the conflict. We are very excited to be working with him!