Andersonville Irish Project

The Andersonville Irish

In the region of 250,000 Irish American men fought for the Union during the American Civil War. Some 180,000 of them had been born in Ireland; 70,000 more to Irish parents in Britain, Canada and the United States. Tens of thousands of them died. Many are interred in National Cemeteries up and down the United States, but there is one in particular where hundreds of them lie. It is in Andersonville, Georgia. The National Cemetery there almost certainly contains more Irish casualties from the American Civil War than any other location in the United States. The primary aim of this crowd-sourced project is to gather information on the identities and origins of the Irish Americans interred at Andersonville National Cemetery. By so doing, it hopes to bring the story of these men and their families to the fore, and gain further insight into the impact of the Civil War on Ireland and Irish America.

This Project wishes to gratefully acknowledge funding support received from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Consulate General of Ireland Atlanta

Camp Sumter—commonly known as Andersonville—was the largest military prison of the American Civil War and was that conflict’s deadliest location. The first prisoners did not arrive there until February 1864, but 45,000 men passed through its gates before it finally closed in May 1865. It operated at its greatest—and deadliest—capacity between February 1864 and the Federal occupation of Atlanta the following September. Originally encompassing 16.5 acres of land enclosed by a 15-foot stockade, in June it was enlarged to 26.5 acres. In that month, 26,000 prisoners were being held in a stockade designed to hold just 10,000. By August 1864 there were 33,000 men in the camp, which had few facilities and little shelter. Of those who crossed the “deadline” into Andersonville, almost 13,000 never came out. Hundreds were Irish Americans.

Project Aims

The project intends to compile an extensive database of Irish American men interred at Andersonville. In addition it aims to publish on some of their stories, both through the website and in print form. It is also hoped that in the future an appropriate memorial to the Irish Americans interred at Andersonville can be established, and to that end we are beginning discussions with friends including Dr. Nicholas Allen of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts at the University of Georgia, the National Park Service staff at Andersonville National Historic Site, and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. While the research element of the project is being run through Irish in the American Civil War, it is being supported by Nicholas and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, to whom I am extremely grateful. Thanks are also due to the National Park Service staff at Andersonville National Historic Site and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs for their encouragement, advice and engagement to date.

This page consists of three elements. The Ireland Map displays known locations in Ireland associated with men interred at Andersonville National Cemetery. Where a precise location is known it has been marked, while for men where only a county of origin has been established, they are assigned to the relevant county town. Where possible, an image of the man’s gravestone at Andersonville National Cemetery has been included (the majority of which were taken by Kevin Frye of the Descendants of Andersonville Prison group and posted to Find A Grave). The Database below it contains the full current list of men of known Irish American origin at Andersonville National Cemetery, listed alphabetically. This initial list, the starting point for the project, currently contains just under 170 names. The final element of the page are blog posts that explore the stories of Irish Americans at Andersonville, and these will be added to as the project progresses.

How You Can Help

We are keen to hear from anyone who can add to the database and map, or who can offer suggested amendments (information that is suspected but not confirmed is followed by a “?” on the map and database). It is hoped that through public engagement the database of Irish American men will grow significantly in the months to come. If you have any information regarding Irish Americans interred at Andersonville, the dedicated project email for submissions is andersonvilleirish[at]gmail.com. In order for an individual to be fully confirmed as Irish American, we will need a basis for inclusion that is supported by documentary evidence, or extremely compelling circumstantial evidence. This might include information from a regimental history, census return, compiled military service record or pension file. It is intended that a regular update of the database and map will occur as the project proceeds. I hope you enjoy this resource, and please share it far and wide to see can we gain a greater understanding of just how many Irish Americans are interred at this important and poignant site.

The Ireland Map

You can examine the map below to see details of where some of the Irish Americans interred at Andersonville National Cemetery came from. Simply click on the map to begin exploring. If you have further information on where in Ireland a man who died at Andersonville may have been from, please contact us at andersonvilleirish[at]gmail.com.

*The map runs using WebGL. Google Chrome sometimes requires that you enable WebGL in your Google Chrome settings (instructions here). Alternatively explore the map using a different browser such as Firefox or Safari.

The Database

The database contains the current list of men with known (or strongly suspected) Irish American connections. Only men either born in Ireland or born abroad to Irish parents are included. The database is fully searchable and you can order the information in any way you please. 40 entries at a time are displayed, to move on the page click “Next” at the bottom of the table. If you have details of men who should be added to this list, please email us at andersonvilleirish[at]gmail.com.

SERVICE/BURIED NAME	REAL NAME	UNIT	GRAVE	BIRTH COUNTRY	BIRTH COUNTY	BIRTH TOWN/CITY
Ahern, Daniel		170 New York Infantry	4382	Ireland	Cork
Atkinson, Patrick		22 Michigan Infantry	2461	Ireland	Limerick
Baldoe, Louis	Baldue/Baldac, Louis	56 Massachusetts Infantry	5175	Ireland
Ball, Patrick		48 Pennsylvania Infantry	7347	Ireland	Dublin
Ballantine, Robert		16 Connecticut Infantry	8018	Ireland	Tyrone	Glenlark
Barrett, Daniel		13 New York Cavalry	588	Ireland	Cork	Buttevant
Bartlett, Richard		164 New York Infantry	11612	Ireland
Bass, George		63 New York Infantry	8217	Ireland	Dublin
Beatty, John		16 Connecticut Infantry	3664	Ireland
Behan, John		43 New York Infantry	3843	Ireland
Bell, George		5 New Hampshire Infantry	8463	Ireland	Limerick [possibly Dublin?]	Fedamore
Bell, William		2 Massachusetts Cavalry	8110	Ireland
Bergin, Luke		25 Massachusetts Infantry	7134	Ireland	Kilkenny
Bird, Patrick		7 New York Heavy Artillery	4780	Ireland
Bolton, Thomas		43 New York Infantry	7627	Ireland
Boyle, Patrick		43 New York Infantry	8912	Ireland
Boyle, Patrick		63 New York Infantry	10	Ireland
Boyle, Thomas		16 New York Cavalry	11974	Ireland
Bracken, Denis		59 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Offaly	Reynagh, Gallen
Bradley, John		69 New York Infantry	5232	Ireland
Bradley, Michael		3 Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery	874	Ireland
Brady, Thomas C.		27 Massachusetts Infantry	3178	Ireland
Brannigan, Michael		17 Massachusetts Infantry	3587	Ireland	Monaghan
Breen, Andrew	Moriarty, Andrew	2 United States Infantry		Ireland	Kerry
Brogan, James N.		16 New York Heavy Artillery		United States [Irish Father]	Onatario	Canadice
Brogan, James N.		85 New York Infantry	12002	United States [Irish Father]
Brown, Alexander		56 Massachusetts Infantry	2641	Ireland
Brown, David		18 Massachusetts Infantry	6057	Ireland
Brown, Joseph		125 New York Infantry	1887	Ireland
Browne, James		170 New York Infantry	6691	Ireland
Buckley, John		1 New Jersey Infantry	2577	Ireland
Burke, John M.		69 New York Infantry	5196	Canada [Irish Parents]
Burke, Joseph H.		2 Massachusetts Cavalry	1251	Ireland
Burns, John		99 New York Infantry		Ireland	Cork
Burns, Owen		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	2026	Ireland	Monaghan	Magheracloone
Butler, Thomas		132 New York Infantry	721	Ireland
Byrne, James		69 New York Infantry	9790	Ireland
Callaghan, Thomas	McCarthy, Thomas	USS Housatonic		Ireland	Cork	Ballyfeard, Novohal, Kinsale
Callihan, Jeremiah	Callahan, Jeremiah	57 Massachusetts Infantry	7230	Ireland	Kerry	Kilcummin
Callihan, Robert		57 Massachusetts Infantry	3158	Ireland	Kerry
Carey, Thomas		65 New York Infantry		Ireland	Cork
Carroll, James		69 New York Infantry	4139	Ireland
Carroll, Patrick		95 New York Infantry	10293	Ireland
Carroll, William	Curran, William	42 New York Infantry	12015	Ireland	Dublin
Cary, Thomas	Curry, Thomas	83 New York Infantry	10872	Ireland	Cavan
Cavanaugh, Patrick		16 United States Infantry	3126	Ireland	Limerick	Newcastle West
Caveny, Michael	Monahan, Martin	83 New York Infantry	11640	Ireland	Mayo	Ballina
Christy, James		19 New York Cavalry	10612	Ireland
Clabby, John		17 Massachusetts Infantry	3016	Ireland	Leitrim
Clancey, Robert	Clancy, Robert	164 New York Infantry	3449	Ireland
Clinton, Thomas		102 New York Infantry	12471	Ireland
Cochran, John		126 New York Infantry	7992	Ireland
Colean, Michael		4 United States Cavalry	8570	Ireland
Coleman, Patrick		2 New York Heavy Artillery	10553	Ireland
Collins, Michael		101 Pennsylvania Infantry	8121	Ireland
Condon, Thomas		22 New York Cavalry	3509	Ireland
Conlan, Daniel		5 New York Infantry	10699	Ireland
Conlkin, James		82 New York Infantry		Ireland
Conlon, John		125 New York Infantry		Ireland
Connelly, William H.		55 Pennsylvania Infantry	6395	Ireland	Limerick
Connolly, Patrick		164 New York Infantry	5528	Ireland
Connor, Dennis		17 Massachusetts Infantry	12844	Ireland	Antrim	Belfast
Connor, John	Connors, John	11 Massachusetts Infantry	6673	Ireland	Tipperary
Connor, Thomas		9 Massachusetts Infantry	11575	Ireland?
Connors, Edward		43 New York Infantry	10006	Ireland
Conroy, Peter		99 New York Infantry	1995	Ireland	Kerry
Cotter, J.P.	Cotter, John	99 New York Infantry	12434	Ireland	Cork
Coughlin, Bartholomew		56 Massachusetts Infantry	6724	Ireland	Cork
Courtney, Patrick		126 New York Infantry	1197	Ireland
Coyle, Hugh		8 Pennsylvania Cavalry	2399	Ireland	Donegal	Muineagh, Fanad
Coyne, Morris		95 New York Infantry	11158	Ireland
Crosby, John		90 Illinois Infantry	12433	Ireland
Crossin, Eugene		9 Massachusetts Infantry	5248	United States [Irish Parents]
Crow, Frank	Crowe, Frank	115 New York Infantry	11269	Ireland	Limerick	Doon
Crowley, Charles		2 New York Heavy Artillery	11297	Ireland	Cork
Cullen, John		2 Maryland Potomac Home Brigade	2012	Ireland	Wicklow
Cunningham, James		170 New York Infantry	5476	Ireland	Cork	Bandon
Curley, Michael		11 New Jersey Infantry	715	Ireland	Galway
Curley, Patrick		125 New York Infantry	1204	Ireland
Curren, Owen		38 Illinois Infantry	3393	Ireland	Tipperary
Curry, Richard		73 Pennsylvania Infantry	2349	Ireland	Antrim
Dagnan, Charles		16 Connecticut Infantry	5446	Ireland
Daley, John		28 Massachusetts Infantry	787	Ireland
Davy, Henry		68 Pennsylvania Infantry	4792	Ireland	Monaghan?	Castleblayney?
Delaney, Cornelius		52 New York Infantry	11206	Ireland
Delaney, Patrick		83 Pennsylvania Infantry	RAIDER	Ireland
Dennison, John		155 New York Infantry	12257	Ireland
Densmore, William	Dinsmore, William	9 Massachusetts Infantry	7848	Ireland	Antrim	Ballymoney
Devlin, Charles		35 Indiana Infantry	4021	Ireland	Tyrone	Gortin
Digman, Luke	Dignan, Luke	35 Indiana Infantry	10446	Ireland
Doherty, Thomas		8 Maine Infantry	5615	Ireland	Donegal	Carndonagh
Donlan, James		27 Massachusetts Infantry	3678	Ireland	Westmeath	Streamstrown
Donlan, Michael		2 United States Cavalry	2495	Ireland
Donnell, William		4 New York Heavy Artillery	12718	Ireland
Dougherty, Thomas		90 Pennsylvania Infantry	8579	Ireland	Donegal	Ardara
Dowd, Daniel		155 New York Infantry	2809	Ireland	Kerry	Dingle
Dowdle, Bartholomew	Dowdall, Bartholomew	111 New York Infantry	6149	Ireland
Dowdle, Robert		101 Pennsylvania Infantry	4786	Ireland
Downey, John		85 New York Infantry	5705	Ireland	Derry
Doyle, Hugh		164 New York Infantry		Ireland	Wexford	Kilmyshall
Doyle, James		120 New York Infantry	4827	Ireland
Drun, Thaddeus	Drum, Thaddeus	155 New York Infantry	2826	Ireland
Duffie, James	Duffy, James	52 Pennsylvania Infantry	9191	Ireland
Duffy, James		18 Massachusetts Infantry	1512	Ireland	Wexford
Duffy, John		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	9251	Ireland	Donegal
Dugan, Thomas		21 Connecticut Infantry	4670	United States [Irish Parents]
Dumphrey, Dennis		100 New York Infantry	3063	Ireland
Dunn, James		40 New York Infantry	7621	Ireland
Dunn, James		99 New York Infantry	1695	England [Irish Parents]	Sligo	Kilmactigue
Dunn, John		6 United States Cavalry	914	Ireland
Dunn, Michael		99 New York Infantry	3234	England [Irish Parents]	Sligo	Kilmactigue
Dunn, Owen		126 New York Infantry	919	Ireland	Kildare
Dunn, Peter		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	4471	Ireland	Tyrone
Eagan, John		125 New York Infantry	2728	Ireland	Offaly	Ferbane
Elliot, James		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	2794	Ireland	Fermanagh	Drummarraght
Emmet, William		16 Connecticut Infantry	11608	Ireland
Empey, Robert		25 Massachusetts Infantry	3300	Ireland	Kilkenny
Evatt, Evalyn		10 Ohio Cavalry	341	Ireland	Monaghan
Fahey, Michael		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	11261	Ireland?
Fahy, John		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	7579	Ireland?
Farrell, James		12 United States Infantry	1509	Ireland	Limerick
Fegan, Owen		23 Illinois Infantry	6268	Ireland	Down
Finley, Thomas [Fenelly]		143 Pennsylvania Infantry	6694	Ireland	Tipperary
Finnerly, Peter	Finnerty, Peter	155 New York Infantry	12507	Ireland	Westmeath	Ballymore
Fitgerald, Nicholas		111 New York Infantry	3569	Ireland	Kerry	Killahan
Fitzpatrick, Owen		100 New York Infantry	6961	Ireland
Fitzpatrick, Patrick		10 New York Cavalry		Ireland
Fitzpatrick, Patrick		38 Illinois Infantry	2210	Ireland	Cavan
Fleming, Robert		4 Kentucky Cavalry	2540	Ireland
Fletcher, Edward	Flesh, Edward	57 New York Infantry		Ireland	Meath	Woodpole
Flynn, Miles		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	4586	United States [Irish Parents]
Flynn, Patrick		56 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Roscommon
Folliard, Michael		1 New Jersey Cavalry	3938	Ireland	Roscommon
Gaffney, James		11 Massachusetts Infantry	4333	Ireland		"Grannan"
Gaffney, John		104 New York Infantry	2553	Ireland
Gallagher, Fanigle [Farrigle/Fearghal]		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	2060	Ireland	Donegal
Gallagher, Patrick		21 Illinois Infantry	1347	Ireland	Laois
Gallagher, Peter	Corrigan, Peter	47 New York Infantry	6106	Ireland	Cavan	Drumgoon
Galligan, Patrick		18 Massachusetts Infantry	9227	Ireland	Cavan
Gardiner, Robert F.		155 New York Infantry	5251	Ireland
Gavin, Patrick		34 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Tyrone
Gibbons, James	Gibney, James	99 Pennsylvania Infantry	9884	Ireland	Cavan?	Parish Belle McCrea'
Gibbons, Michael		6 Michigan Cavalry	2928	Ireland
Gillespie, Patrick		36 Massachusetts Infantry	7110	Ireland	Cavan
Gooley, James		7 New Hampshire Infantry	4687	Ireland	Kilkenny	Inistioge
Gorman, John		126 New York Infantry	8982	Ireland
Graney, Thomas		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	9471	Ireland
Grenehan, John		85 New York Infantry	6651	Ireland
Hackett, James		12 New York Cavalry	2623	Ireland	Waterford	Aglish
Halpin, Patrick		5 United States Artillery	1547	Ireland	Limerick
Halpin, Peter		63 New York Infantry	9253	Ireland
Hamilton, Thomas Alexander		6 New York Heavy Artillery	6601	Ireland	Cavan	Ryefield
Hannon, John		164 New York Infantry	7929	Ireland
Hardee, Richard	Hardy, Richard	95 New York Infantry	10101	Ireland
Hardy, Hugh		95 New York Infantry	11149	Ireland	Antrim	Belfast
Harrington, Owen		30 Indiana Infantry	9933	Ireland	Cork	Rosscarbery
Harris, John		63 New York Infantry	5550	Ireland	Down
Hartnett, Maurice		34 Massachusetts Infantry	6923	Ireland	Cork	Midleton
Harvey, Thomas		10 New Jersey Infantry	10212	Ireland
Haughty, John	Haughey, John	69 Pennsylvania Infantry	9904	Ireland
Healy, John		63 New York Infantry		Ireland	Cork	Killavullen & Annakisha
Heffernan, Daniel		132 New York Infantry	3155	Ireland
Helpin, John	Halpin, John	134 New York Infantry		Ireland	Limerick
Heney, Henry	Heeney, Henry	16 United States Infantry	1585	Ireland	Leitrim
Hennessey, Michael		3 New York Heavy Artillery	8336	Ireland
Henry, James		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	4604	Ireland	Mayo
Hester, John		38 Illinois Infantry	1906	Ireland
Higgins, John		43 New York Infantry		Ireland
Higgins, W.A.	O'Higgins, William	99 New York Infantry	888	Ireland
Hogan, John		63 New York Infantry	11317	Ireland
Hogan, Morris		16 United States Infantry	2209	Ireland
Holland, Patrick		11 Massachusetts Infantry	905	Ireland	Cork
Howden, Thomas		28 Massachusetts Infantry	7416	Ireland	Cavan
Hughes, John		93 New York Infantry		Ireland
Hurley, Denis		8 Maine Infantry	4703	Ireland	Cork	Bandon?
Hyde, Garrett		42 New York Infantry	11083	Ireland
Ivers, Thomas P		106 New York Infantry		Ireland
James, Alexander		4 Pennsylvania Cavalry		Ireland	Donegal
Jennings, John		6 New York Heavy Artillery	8878	Ireland
Johnson, Richard	Johnston, Richard	120 New York Infantry	3427	Ireland
Johnson, Robert		111 New York Infantry	8054	Ireland
Jordan, Michael		38 Illinois Infantry	9153	Ireland	Clare
Jourdan, Barney	Jordan, Barney	7 New York Heavy Artillery	9528	Ireland	Longford	Killoe
Kane, Hugh		90 Illinois Infantry	12052	Ireland	Dublin
Kane, Patrick F.		15 United States Infantry	1662	Ireland	Galway
Keating, Thomas		83 New York Infantry	4484	Ireland	United States [Irish Parents]
Keefe, John		USS Housatonic	602	United States [Irish Parents]	Cork (Parents)
Keegan, Joseph		183 Pennsylvania Infantry		Ireland	Wicklow	Bray
Kehoe, Thomas		155 New York Infantry	11756	Ireland
Kelley, Peter	Kelly, Peter	73 Pennsylvania Infantry	1875	Ireland
Kelly, James		40 New York Infantry	6997	Ireland
Kelly, John		16 United States Infantry		England [Irish Parents]
Kelly, Mark		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	8983	Ireland	Galway
Kelly, Michael		63 New York Infantry	10388	Ireland
Kelly, Patrick J.		106 New York Infantry	9676	Ireland
Kelly, Thomas		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	5443	Ireland?
Kelly, Thomas		82 New York Infantry	12209	Ireland
Kennedy, James		12 United States Infantry	11949	Ireland
Kennedy, Michael		38 Illinois Infantry	5518	Ireland	Kilkenny
Kennedy, Michael	Foley, Michael	5 Rhode Island Heavy Artillery		Ireland
Kennedy, William		59 Massachusetts Infantry	5708	Ireland
Kenny, Luke		99 New York Infantry	239	Ireland	Longford
Kilbride, John		15 United States Infantry	3685	Ireland	Dublin
Kiley, William		2 New York Heavy Artillery		Ireland
Kinnealy, Thomas		17 Massachusetts Infantry	1754	Ireland	Kerry
Kinney, Michael		42 New York Infantry	11558	Ireland	Galway	Galway City
Lahiff, Denis		82 New York Infantry	12775	Ireland	Kerry	Ballylongford
Lanigan, Michael		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	3369	Ireland?
Lawler, John	Lawler, James	69 New York Infantry	8162	Ireland
Leahy, David	Leahy, Daniel	82 New York Infantry	41	Ireland
Lennan, Michael		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	753	Ireland	Waterford	Cappoquin
Linehan, Thomas		125 New York Infantry	7815	Ireland
Logan, Bernard	Groogan, Bernard	90 Pennsylvania Infantry	3489	Ireland	Derry	Maghera
Lynch, Andrew		6 Pennsylvania Cavalry	549	Ireland
Lynch, Daniel		164 New York Infantry	5772	Ireland
Lynch, Jeremiah		22 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Cork	Inchamore
Lynch, John		56 Massachusetts Infantry	3683	Ireland
Lynch, Patrick		43 New York Infantry	6895	Ireland
Lynch, Patrick		99 New York Infantry	931	Ireland	Kerry
Lynch, Peter		38 Illinois Infantry	11467	Ireland	Cavan
Mackerel, James		14 Pennsylvania Cavalry	4635	England [Irish Parents]
Mackin, Bernard		23 Illinois Infantry	3169	Ireland	Longford
Madden, Charles		1 New York Cavalry	4822	Ireland
Madden, Furgus	Madden, Fergus	122 New York Infantry	10506	Ireland	Clare	Feakle
Madden, L.W.	Madden, Loughlin	96 Illinois Infantry	5390	Ireland
Madden, Peter	Madden, Patrick	155 New York Infantry	3933	Ireland
Maddigan, John	Madigan, John	125 New York Infantry	11257	Ireland	Limerick	Kildimo
Mahon, Edward		56 Massachusetts Infantry	4034	Ireland
Mallely, Peter E		USS Montgomery	3128	United States [Irish Parents]
Malone, Patrick		123 New York Infantry	9457	Ireland	Roscommon
Maloney, James		73 New York Infantry	11447	Ireland
Maloney, Owen		6 New Jersey Infantry	3284	Ireland	Clare	Tromra
Mangan, James		24 Wisconsin Infantry	1752	Ireland
Manning, Thomas		125 New York Infantry	10540	United States [Irish Parents]
Maroney, John		1 Pennsylvania Cavalry	3631	Ireland
Maroney, William H.		3 Pennsylvania Cavalry	2056	United States [Irish Parents]
Martin, John		16 New York Cavalry	6293	Ireland
Martin, Patrick		99 New York Infantry	9164	Ireland	Cork
Matthews, Henry		12 New York Cavalry	4472	Ireland	Armagh	Tamhnach Mór (Tannaghmore West)
McArdle, Patrick		16 Connecticut Infantry	3516	Ireland	Tyrone	Auchnacloy
McArty, Patrick	McCarthy, Patrick	132 New York Infantry	1035	Ireland
McBride, Patrick		2 Delaware Infantry	12407	Ireland
McCabe, James		3 Pennsylvania Cavalry	2409	Ireland
McCabe, James		88 New York Infantry	4508	Ireland
McCabe, John		12 New York Cavalry	3233	Ireland	Longford
McCabe, Patrick		12 New York Cavalry	2517	Ireland
McCarthy, Dennis		101 Pennsylvania Infantry	5415	Ireland
McCarthy, Timothy		25 Massachusetts Infantry	7823	Ireland	Cork
McCarty, James		99 New York Infantry	5121	United States [Irish Parents]
McCarty, John	McCarthy, John	69 New York Infantry	4759	Ireland
McCarty, Michael	McCarthy, Michael	69 New York Infantry	8354	Ireland
McColgan, Patrick		99 New York Infantry	1344	Ireland
McConville, Daniel		88 New York Infantry		Ireland	Down	Drumgath
McCormack, Peter		39 New York Infantry	1433	Ireland
McCormick, Hugh		178 New York Infantry	9018	Ireland
McCormick, Hugh		69 New York Infantry	6697	Ireland
McCormick, John		43 New York Infantry	7441	Ireland
McCormick, Michael		93 New York Infantry	11110	Ireland
McCormick, Patrick		43 New York Infantry	10258	Ireland
McCormick, William		2 New York Heavy Artillery	5203	Ireland
McCune, Samuel		88 New York Infantry		Ireland
McDermott, John		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	6162	Ireland	Galway
McDermott, Peter		164 New York Infantry	6912	Ireland
McDevitt, William		25 Massachusetts Infantry	4409	Ireland	Donegal
McDonough, Patrick		25 Massachusetts Infantry	7459	Ireland	Sligo
McElroy, Edward		10 New Jersey Infantry	8017	Ireland	Down	Newtownards
McElroy, John		43 New York Infantry	4089	Ireland
McElroy, William		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	10155	Ireland?
McFadden, Hugh		1 Wisconsin Cavalry	5163	Ireland
McFadden, James		39 New York Infantry	4001	Ireland	Donegal	Fahan
McGee, James		103 Pennsylvania Infantry	4123	United States [Irish Parents]	Donegal (born Ohio, family Donegal)
McGeehan, John		99 New York Infantry	2665	Ireland	Limerick
McGinley, James		7 Maine Infantry	9538	United States [Irish Parents]		Parents from Castle Hill, Burt, Donegal
McGinn, John		170 New York Infantry	12478	Ireland
McGonagle, Barney		16 Massachusetts Infantry	4260	Ireland
McGovern, James		22 Massachusetts Infantry	1984	Ireland
McGowan, Frank		170 New York Infantry	8225	Ireland
McGowan, John		17 United States Infantry	12364	Ireland
McGowan, John		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	2652	Ireland	Fermanagh
McGowan, Michael		6 New York Heavy Artillery	11116	United States
McGrath, David		115 Ohio Infantry	12782	United States [Irish Parents]
McGrath, George H.		61 New York Infantry	11714	Ireland
McGuire, Felix		140 New York Infantry	4995	United States [Irish Father]
McGuire, Owen		2 Missouri Infantry	12754	Ireland
McHenry, James		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	6460	Ireland	Tipperary
McKenna, John		3 Rhode Island Heavy Artillery	8305	Ireland
McKenna, John		82 New York Infantry	9390	Ireland
McKenney, Bernard		34 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Louth	Cooley
McKeown, James		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	11909	Ireland
McKone, John		7 Connecticut Infantry		Ireland	Galway	Clonfert
McLain, Felix	McLean, Felix	17 United States Infantry	5581	Ireland	Derry	Coleraine
McLaughlin, Bernard		90 Illinois Infantry		Ireland
McLaughlin, Edward		9 Massachusetts Infantry	3174	Ireland	Donegal	Desertegney
McLoughlin, John		63 New York Infantry		Ireland
McMahan, Michael		93 Illinois Infantry	4725	Ireland
McMann, Owen	McMahon, Owen	13 New Hampshire Infantry	11217	Ireland	Cavan	Mountnugent
McMohan, James	McMahon, James	73 Pennsylvania Infantry	1139	Ireland
McNamara, Patrick		17 Massachusetts Infantry	522	Ireland	Waterford
McNulty, Peter J		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	11381	Ireland
McNutty, Martin	McNulty, Martin	85 New York Infantry	5406	Ireland
McQuillian, Alexander		6 New York Heavy Artillery	5868	Ireland
McShane, Barney		80 Illinois Infantry	692	Ireland
McSorley, James		20 New York Cavalry	8899	Ireland
McWilliams, William		17 Massachusetts Infantry	5194	Scotland [Irish Parents]
Mead, Patrick		1 New York Light Artillery	3127	Ireland
Meehan, Bernard		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	5808	Ireland	Galway
Meehan, Thomas		120 New York Infantry		Ireland
Milan, John	Moylan, John	2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	8631	Ireland	Galway
Milan, Thomas		12 New York Cavalry	6202	Ireland	Tipperary	Ballywilliam (Burgesbeg Parish)
Moan, James	Mohan, James	101 Pennsylvania Infantry	4546	Ireland
Monahan, John		73 New York Infantry		Ireland
Monahan, John		85 New York Infantry	4441	Ireland
Monehan, Peter	Monaghan, Peter	88 New York Infantry		Ireland
Mooney, James		50 Ohio Infantry	4361	Ireland
Mooney, Patrick		11 Kentucky Cavalry	5691	Ireland
Mooney, Timothy		158 New York Infantry	3651	Ireland
Moore, Martin		74 New York Infantry	658	United States [Irish Parents]
Moore, Thomas		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	7175	Ireland?
Morris, Edmund		7 New York Heavy Artillery	4686	Ireland
Morris, Robert		28 Massachusetts Infantry	1004	Ireland	Waterford
Morris, Thomas		65 New York Infantry	9944	Ireland
Morrison, William		69 New York Infantry		Ireland
Morton, John		34 Massachusetts Infantry	5360	Ireland	Down	Portaferry
Mulcahee, Thomas	Mulcahy, Thomas	35 Indiana Infantry	3884	Ireland
Mulcahy, Bartholomew		99 New York Infantry		Ireland	Waterford
Mulcahy, David		89 Illinois Infantry	2834	Ireland	Limerick	Murroe & Boher
Mulcahy, Dennis		76 New York Infantry	7997	Ireland
Mulcahy, William		42 New York Infantry	11466	Ireland	Cork
Mulholland, Arthur		69 Pennsylvania Infantry		Ireland
Mullaly, Michael		5 New York Heavy Artillery		Ireland
Mullane, James		82 New York Infantry	12155	Ireland
Mullen, Alexander		59 New York Infantry	10959	Ireland
Murley, Daniel		9 Massachusetts Infantry	321	Massachusetts (Irish Parents)
Murphy, Charles		17 Massachusetts Infantry	7862	Ireland	Cork
Murphy, Lawrence		170 New York Infantry	5918	Ireland	Wexford
Murphy, Martin		2 New York Cavalry	10199	Ireland	Clare
Murphy, William		16 Connecticut Infantry	11487	Ireland	Limerick	Bruff
Murray, Jeremiah		47 New York Infantry	11273	Ireland
Murray, John		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	1460	Ireland	Mayo	Castlebar
Murray, John		63 New York Infantry	11519	United States [Irish Parents]
Murray, Thomas	Mulligan, Thomas	1 United States Light Artillery	1332	Ireland	Longford
Murtaugh, John		6 New York Cavalry	11764	Ireland
Nolan, Michael		5 New York Heavy Artillery	11533	Ireland	Donegal	Ballyshannon
Nolan, Patrick		88 New York Infantry	11356	Ireland
O'Brien, James		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery		Ireland	Cork	Curraheen
O'Brien, Jeremiah		63 New York Infantry	5439	Ireland	Cork	Buttevant
O'Brien, John		37 Massachusetts Infantry	2509	Ireland	Limerick [Married Kilkenny]
O'Brien, Patrick		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	1318	Ireland?
O'Brien, William		1 Vermont Cavalry	704	Ireland
O'Brien, William		USS Nipsic	2227	United States [Irish Parents]	Massachusetts [Parents married Limerick]	Bruff
O'Carroll, Timothy		69 New York Infantry	6270	Ireland
O'Connell, James		9 Massachusetts Infantry	5116	Ireland
O'Connell, John J.		15 Massachusetts Infantry	12189	Ireland
O'Connor, Michael		35 Illinois Infantry	3847	Ireland	Kerry	Killarney
O'Connor, Thomas		5 Indiana Cavalry	7911	Ireland
O'Connor, William		29 Massachusetts Infantry	11080	Ireland	Mayo
O'Dougherty, John		51 New York Infantry	2755	Ireland	Dublin
O'Hara, Michael		101 Pennsylvania Infantry	5339	Ireland	Antrim	Ballycastle
O'Mira, Daniel J.		9 Illinois Cavalry	10279	Ireland	Carlow
O'Neil, Dennis		16 Illinois Cavalry	12911	Ireland
O'Neil, Dennis		25 Massachusetts Infantry	4884	Ireland	Louth
O'Neil, Edward	O'Neill, Edward	164 New York Infantry	8208	Ireland
O'Neil, John		10 Vermont Infanty	4300	Ireland
O'Neil, John		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	1897	Ireland?
O'Reiley, Patrick	O'Reilly, Patrick	164 New York Infantry	9122	Ireland
Osborn, William	Osborne, William	19 Massachusetts Infantry	4975	Ireland	Limerick	Kilteely
O'Sullivan, Patrick		155 New York Infantry	7728	Ireland	Kerry	Killarney
Pendleton, John		69 New York Infantry	2763	Ireland
Pentland, George		12 New York Cavalry		Ireland
Percill, Patrick	Purcell, Patrick	101 Pennsylvania Infantry	8877	Ireland
Powers, James		44 Illinois Infantry	3422	Ireland
Powers, John		6 New York Heavy Artillery	6390	Ireland	Waterford	Dungarvan
Quinlin, Peter	Quinlan, Peter	120 New York Infantry		Ireland	Offaly
Rafferty, John		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	4875	Ireland	Armagh	Keady
Reardon, Denis		13 United States Infantry	404	Ireland	Cork
Regan, Christopher		27 Massachusetts Infantry	12094	Ireland	Cork	Barrymore
Reynolds, Owen		155 New York Infantry	8209	Ireland
Robbins, Robert		69 Pennsylvania Infantry	3270	Ireland
Roberts, James H.		18 Massachusetts Infantry	11552	Ireland
Rodgers, Michael		43 New York Infantry	4912	Ireland
Roe, William	Rowe, William	2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	5659	Ireland	Galway
Rogers, James		132 New York Infantry	3011	Ireland
Rooney, Michael		132 New York Infantry	9102	Ireland	Sligo
Rooney, Terrance		69 New York Infantry	8667	Ireland
Roper, Hugh		16 Connecticut Infantry	8662	Ireland
Rourke, John		66 New York Infantry	4762	Ireland	Longford	Newtown Forbes
Ruth, Anthony		100 New York Infantry		Ireland
Ryan, Daniel		106 New York Infantry	5094	Ireland
Ryan, Martin		35 Indiana Infantry	1440	Ireland
Ryan, Michael		89 Illinois Infantry	2557	Ireland
Ryan, Owen		12 New York Cavalry	7258	Ireland
Ryan, Patrick		160 New York Infantry	13674	Ireland	Louth	Carlingford
Sarsfield, John	Sarsfield, James	140 New York Infantry	RAIDER	Ireland
Shannon, Edward		6 New York Heavy Artillery	4446	Ireland
Sheehan, John		170 New York Infantry		Ireland	Limerick
Sheridan, Michael		103 Pennsylvania Infantry	12676	Ireland	Cavan	Drumbade
Shortly, Robert		164 New York Infantry	5755	Ireland
Shuhy, John		42 Illinois Infantry	4135	Ireland
Skiddy, John		2 Vermont Infantry	6199	Ireland
Smith, James		20 New York Cavalry	1245	United States [Irish Parents]	Cavan	Bailieborough
Smith, William	Kenny, Michael	42 New York Infantry		Ireland	Galway
Steele, James C.		164 New York Infantry	4193	Ireland
Sullivan, Dennis		101 Pennsylvania Infantry	1105	Ireland
Sullivan, Edward		69 New York Infantry	640	Ireland
Sullivan, George		2 Massachusetts Heavy Artillery	7401	Ireland	Kerry	Dingle
Sullivan, John		76 New York Infantry		Ireland
Sullivan, John		USS Underwriter	2010	Ireland	Cork	Blackrock (vicinity of)
Sullivan, Michael		69 New York Infantry	6048	Ireland	Cork	Faha, Adrigole
Sullivan, Patrick		15 Massachusetts Infantry	10792	Ireland	Kerry
Sullivan, Patrick		9 Massachusetts Infantry	8203	Ireland
Sweeney, Michael		5 Kentucky Infantry	1827	Ireland	Meath
Sweeney, William P.		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	9898	Ireland?
Tobin, Patrick		164 New York Infantry	10727	Ireland
Toland, Bernard		13 Pennsylvania Cavalry	785	Ireland?
Toner, Peter		90 Pennsylvania Infantry	1153	Ireland	Donegal	Letterkenny
Toohey, James		99 New York Infantry	4909	Ireland	Galway
Trainor, Michael		76 New York Infantry	8544	Ireland	Tyrone
Troy, Patrick		17 Massachusetts Infantry	3848	Ireland	Waterford
Twomay, John	Twomey, John	28 Massachusetts Infantry	3549	Ireland	Kerry
Wallace, Patrick		57 Massachusetts Infantry	3377	Ireland	Tyrone
Walsh, James		USS Shawsheen	7503	United States [Irish Parents]
Walsh, Michael		40 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Cork
Ward, Patrick		88 New York Infantry	10543	Ireland
Watson, Thomas		99 New York Infantry	6947	Canada [Irish Parents]
Welch, Frank	O'Herrin, James	17 Massachusetts Infantry		Ireland	Cork
Welch, Thomas		20 Maine Infantry	5942	Ireland
White, Luke		8 New York Neavy Artillery	11879	Ireland
Wilson, Robert		34 Massachusetts Infantry	6769	Ireland	Derry	Coleraine
Wolf, T.	Wolfe, Patrick	88 New York Infantry	11821	Ireland

The Blog Posts

This portion of the project page looks at some of the posts that have focused on the Irish at Andersonville over the years, and will also gather together the new posts that are created as a result of the project. If you have suggestions for an area of the Irish American experience at Andersonville that you think would make an interesting addition, please contact us at andersonvilleirish[at]gmail.com.

Video: Discovering the Andersonville Irish

Back in June I gave an online presentation for the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta on the topic of the Andersonville Irish Project. The Consulate have provided invaluable support and assistance to the project thus far as we continue to progress with our database and in sharing our discoveries. The talk has now been…

Andersonville Irish Project Update

The last month has seen major additions to our Andersonville Irish database, and the project page has now been fully updated with the new information. A further 80 Irish Americans have been identified, bringing the total to the cusp of 430 men. You can explore all of them, and search by name, unit and place…

Andersonville Irish Spotlight: Andersonville’s Gettysburg Irish Dead-Stories of Community & Cohesion

The Battle of Gettysburg is by far the most famed clash of the American Civil War. It is also an engagement of significance for the Andersonville Irish Project, as it is among the earliest points of capture for men who would subsequently perish in the prison. Most men taken prisoner by the Confederates in July…

Andersonville Irish: The First 350 Infographic

The Andersonville Irish Project has now recorded details of 350 Irish Americans who perished at Andersonville during 1864 and 1865. To mark that milestone we have produced an infographic (below, click on the image to enlarge) highlighting some of the main details we have gathered to date. Thanks to the Irish Consulate General of Atlanta,…

Andersonville Irish Project Update

The Andersonville Irish Project is continuing apace, and there has also been some good news in terms of funding recently. I am delighted that Andersonville National Historic Site has awarded the Project a POW Research Grant, a fund made available thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Andersonville. In the months to come, as…

Andersonville Irish Spotlight. Grave 1139. James McMahon & His Widow Annie, “A Perfectly Abandoned Character”

One of the aims of the Andersonville Irish Project is to use the men identified within the National Cemetery as a vehicle for exploring the wider social story of 1860s Irish America. Just such an opportunity surrounds the case of Irish immigrant James McMahon, who rests within Grave 1139. James’s death in 1864 played havoc…

Andersonville Irish Spotlight. Grave 7401. George Sullivan, Dingle, Co. Kerry

George was born around 1845 in Dingle. He had been enrolled at Lynn, Massachusetts on 3rd December 1863, becoming a private in Company H of the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, a unit with a heavy Irish American contingent. At the time he was described as an 18-year-old laborer, who was 5 feet 5 inches tall…

Andersonville Irish: New Map & Database Update

The latest update to the Andersonville Irish project has just been uploaded. The database now contains the details of 225 Irish Americans who lost their lives at the Prison Camp- you can access it on the project page here. The interactive Ireland map has also had numerous additions, something which you can explore via the…

Andersonville Irish Spotlight: The Irish Relief Fund Donors who Died at Andersonville

A great many of the men interred at Andersonville National Cemetery died of illnesses associated with starvation and exposure. For those Irish within the camp who had endured the Great Famine, many of the ailments they saw must have seemed brutally familiar. Among them were causes like dropsy, dysentery, diarrhoea. It is a sad irony…

Andersonville Irish Spotlight: Grave 9102. Michael Rooney, Sligo & Rossinver, Leitrim

As the new Andersonville Irish Project gathers steam, the site will be sharing stories and information about some of the Irish American men who died there, as well as news on the database and map as they are updated. In the first of these “spotlight” posts, we are taking a look at the man interred…

The Andersonville Irish Project

I’m pleased to let readers know of the official launch the Andersonville Irish Project here on Irish in the American Civil War. We’re seeking public help to ID Irish interred at Andersonville, the cemetery that likely contains more Irish casualties from the American Civil War than any other. I’ve teamed up with Nicholas Allen, Director…

Europe’s Graveyard: Andersonville’s European Legacy of Loss

As regular readers will be aware, Andersonville Prison and Andersonville National Cemetery are regularly featured on this site. It is almost certainly the National Cemetery that contains more Irish American dead from the Civil War than any other in the United States. I have been working towards establishing a formal project examining the Irish and…

Video: The Story of a Donegal Islander in the American Civil War

A couple of weeks ago I began my holidays on beautiful Arranmore Island, off the coast of Co. Donegal. Aside from being a great place to visit, I was also there to meet local historians Seamus Bonner and Patrick Gallagher. We had been corresponding for a long time about a former resident of the island–…

A Newly Uncovered Letter from the “Angel of Andersonville”

On 26th October 1861 Kerry native Andy Moriarty made his way to Fort Leavenworth to join the United States Regulars. The 26-year-old had been making his home in Kansas Territory’s Davis County, where he ran a small farm. But now Andy had taken the decision to leave his wife and two small children behind to…

South view of the Stockade at Andersonville Prison, 17th August 1864 (Library of Congress)

"We Irish had a Hard Time of it in Those Days": An Irish Veteran Remembers Andersonville

In 1877 The National Tribune newspaper was founded. Aimed at Union veterans and their families, over the course of the following decades it provided many insights into not only veterans issues, but also their experiences of the American Civil War. There is much of relevance to those interested in the Irish experience of the conflict to be…

Denny Lyne, Paddy Bawn Brosnan, J J Nerney and Eddie Boland in the 1946 All Ireland Final between Kerry and Roscommon (The Kerryman)

Paddy Bawn Brosnan & the American Civil War: The Famed Gaelic Footballer’s Links to Kerry’s Greatest Conflict

On 14th September 1947, New York witnessed a unique sporting occasion. In front of more than 30,000 people at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, the Gaelic footballers of Kerry and Cavan did battle in what remains the only All-Ireland Football Championship Final ever to be held outside of Ireland. Among the men who donned the…

Andersonville as it appeared on 1st August 1864. Drawn from the memory of another Irish prisoner, Thomas O'Dea of the 16th Maine Infantry (Library of Congress)

The Keegans of Bray: Reconstructing the Story of A Famine-Era Emigrant Family

Regular readers will be aware that I have become captivated by using Widow and Dependent Pension Files to reconstruct the stories of mid-19th century Irish emigrant families. Naturally, given the material available, these stories can never be more than partial, incomplete windows into aspects of their lives, and need to be treated as such. Nonetheless,…

A log boom on the St. Croix River, Maine (National Archives)

'The Flag that Has Given Protection to Persecuted Countrymen': An Irishman's Service to Union & Parents

Perhaps one of the best known of all Irishmen to serve during the American Civil War was Buster Kilrain of the 20th Maine Infantry. Buster plays a major role in Michael Shaara’s novel The Killer Angels, and was portrayed by actor Kevin Conway in the film Gettysburg. Kilrain, a loyal soldier and confidant of Joshua…

A soldier springs the trapdoor, with men looking on from the trees beyond (Library of Congress)

Edward Wellington Boate: The Andersonville POW Who Came to the Defence of Henry Wirz

Waterford’s Edward Wellington Boate belongs to the large cohort of Irish journalists who ended up fighting, or in someway participating, in the American Civil War. His story is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating. A member of the Tammany regiment, the 42nd New York, his capture and incarceration as a POW set him on a path…

Remembering Chickamauga: Researching the Fate of Six 35th Indiana 'First Irish' Soldiers and their Families

On 19th and 20th September, 150 years ago, the Battle of Chickamauga was fought. The titanic clash resulted in a resounding Confederate victory, sending William Starke Rosecrans’ Federal troops reeling back to Chattanooga. One of the Union regiments engaged during the fight was the 35th Indiana Infantry, otherwise known as the ‘First Irish.’ The 35th…