Letters & Documents
The latest batch of James Wall Scully letters (kindly provided by Anthony McCan) sees Henry Halleck’s forces continuing their slow movement towards Corinth, Mississippi in May 1862. The Kilkenny man remains preoccupied with his quest for a commission, and signs...
In the latest instalment of letters from Kilkenny native James Wall Scully, the Irishman tells his wife of manoeuvres by Union forces towards Corinth, Mississippi. He laments his continued failure to hear news of a commission, and grows concerned as he has...
The Irish Brigade’s first taste of active campaigning arrived in the summer of 1862, when Union forces advanced along the Peninsula towards Richmond. They had yet to experience serious action when they settled into ‘Camp Winfield Scott’, near Yorktown in...
Two previous posts on the site have reproduced unpublished letters relating to Kilkenny native James Wall Scully. The first dealt with the Battle of Mill Springs while the second gave account of his experiences at Shiloh. Anthony McCan who has...
On 5th May 1862, Kerryman Lieutenant Patrick Henry Hayes led Company G of the 37th New York ‘Irish Rifles’ into action at Williamsburg, Virginia. As they charged toward the enemy, Patrick and his men also had to contend with nature;...
On 8th September 1864, First Lieutenant Patrick McCarthy of Company C, 182nd New York Infantry (69th New York National Guard), sat down to write a letter to the father of one of his comrades. The young man found himself with...
A recent post provided by Anthony McCan highlighted some previously unpublished letters from Kilkenny native James Wall Scully which related to the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky. Anthony has kindly passed on another series of unpublished Scully letters which were...
The last post on Irish in the American Civil War brought you part of the story of Bridget Bolen. The Co. Cork native had to petition the U.S. Government for amnesty in 1865 due to her falling within the 13th exception...
On 29th May 1865 United States President Andrew Johnson issued an Amnesty Proclamation for those who directly or indirectly participated in the rebellion. However, the amnesty did not cover everyone in the former Confederate States; fourteen exceptions were outlined, and...
Many of the Irishmen who fought during the American Civil War had a strong commitment to using their experience to strike a blow for Irish Independence when the conflict was over. These were the Fenians, and even when on military...