I am delighted to be able to share the fantastic news with readers that on Thursday 19th October next a memorial plaque will be unveiled at Andersonville National Historic Site to the memory of the Irish Americans who died there and to their families. As many of you know, for quite a while now we......
I was recently revisiting Damian Shiels’ article about the amazing stereoview of Thomas Francis Meagher and his Irish Zouaves of Company K, 69th New York State Militia, when I thought I recognized a familiar face among the enlisted “Zou-Zous.” Who could forget the equally captivating mugshot of Fenian convict Denis Francis Burke, the former colonel......
As regular readers will know, Brendan is our resident “photo-sleuth” (among other things!) and regularly makes some fantastic discoveries relating to previously unknown or little-known Irish-related images from the Civil War (and indeed we hope to have some more such content in the near future!). Brendan doesn’t just look at the Irish though. He has......
The final part of our three-part chat with Harry of Bull Runnings fame on the 69th New York State Militia and the First Battle of Bull Run is now available. If you missed our previous instalments, you can watch Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This final element looks at the aftermath of the......
Last week we brought you Part 1 of our Campfire Chat with Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings, examining the origins of the Irish 69th New York State Militia and their road towards the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. This week we share Part 2, which examines the battle itself, and the actions of......
For the latest of our Irish American Civil War “Campfire Chats” on YouTube we welcomed long-time friend of the site and expert of all things First Bull Run, Harry Smeltzer. Harry needs little introduction, having maintained the excellent and invaluable Bull Runnings website for many years. We had a long and far-ranging chat with Harry......
Drill is the basis of the perfection of the soldier as a military machine. Its object is to ensure that, through the habit acquired by constant exercise, a certain action of the soldier shall instantly and almost mechanically follow on a certain word of command spoken by the officer. In February 1862, newly appointed Colonel......
For our latest post we are delighted to welcome back Aled Jones of Swansea University. An expert on Welsh participation in the Civil War, Aled previously contributed two articles to the site on Welsh native Joshua T. Owen, who led the Irish 69th Pennsylvania during the conflict (you can read them here and here). This......
As I am on a brief visit back to my former home of Midleton, Co. Cork at present, I thought for our next post we might take a look at some work I have undertaken on local men who served in the American forces. This was research I originally put out on one of the......
Earlier this year Damian presented an online lecture for Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council as part of their Rippling Effects of The Great Irish Famine Series. The talk primarily explored the stories of emigrants from around the local area, told through the records left behind as a result of the American Civil War.......
