I have recently returned from Georgia and Tennessee where I was on the trail of Irish in the American Civil War. A lot of my posts over the next period will relate to that trip. One of the opportunities I had while there was to join Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park Historian James Ogden......
Earlier this week, to mark the major upcoming Irish event at Andersonville National Historic Site we shared the first of our new project infographics, which explored the demographics of the first 850 men we have identified. You can check that out here. Now we are sharing the second infographic, which more closely examines the service......
Last week we brought you the big news of the upcoming 19th October event at the Andersonville National Historic Site, when a plaque will be unveiled to commemorate the Irish American dead of Andersonville and their families (more on that here). To mark the occasion we have prepared two new project infographics, each of which......
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......