Things have been a bit quiet on the site over the last few weeks as I (Damian) prepare for an exciting upcoming research trip to the United States. The primary purpose of the visit is to undertake research for the Andersonville Irish Project over the course of a week at the U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C. I am incredibly grateful to the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs for funding that research (details here). Over recent days I have been preparing some of the material I hope to look at in the Archives, which will include both original materials from Andersonville Prison relating to the prisoners and a range of records relating to individual Irish American servicemen who experienced it. A particular focus will be on the pension files of Irish Americans who were held there but survived the ordeal, in order to examine the impact it had on their later lives. Following this research trip work will begin on the book that is planned to accompany the digital database, interactive map and stories that are currently available on the Andersonville Irish Project Page.

The timing of the research visit is also providing me an opportunity to undertake some additional research on Irish involvement in engagements fought nearby. On Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September I will be at the Antietam National Battlefield to attend some of the National Park Service events being held as part of the Battle Anniversary Weekend. I am beginning to to take some tentative early steps towards a future planned project to examine the Irish experience of Antietam, but more on that anon. If any readers of the site happen to be planning to attend that weekend let me know so I can say hi! More exciting still, this visit is providing the opportunity to team up once more with Harry of Bull Runnings fame. Harry and I will be offering a free tour at Manassas National Battlefield Park, exploring the Irish experience of First Bull Run. Our previous tour back in 2019 was a fantastic day out, when we followed in the footsteps of the Irish 69th New York State Militia at the battle. This time round, we will be looking not just at the 69th, but also at the stories and experiences of Irish Americans throughout the U.S. and Confederate military, particularly on Matthews Hill and Henry Hill. We are kicking things off at Manassas at 9am on Sunday 22nd September. If you think you might be interested in coming along to the In the Footsteps of Irish Soldiers at First Bull Run Tour, you can find more details over at Harry’s site here. I hope some of you can make it!