This resource, which will be added to over time, deals with letters sent back to Ireland by those with first hand knowledge of the American Civil War. Often originally written for relatives or friends of the correspondent, many found their way into local newspapers, and a wider audience. Others were sent with the explicit intent of publication, aimed at influencing those in Ireland in favour of one side or the other. To read the letters, click on the links below.

“A Letter from America”, The Waterford News and General Advertiser, 14th February 1862, from an Irish Catholic priest, W.J. Hally

“The War in America”, Cork Examiner, 7th October 1862, from a lady resident in Cincinnati

“The War in America”, Cork Examiner, 15th April 1863, from a soldier in the Northern Service, Jerome Deady, 2nd U.S. Artillery

“Letter from America”, Dundalk Democrat, 17th October 1863, from an Irish Officer in the Commissariat Department of the Federal Army

“Letter from America”, The Nation (Originally published in The Limerick Reporter), 2nd July 1864, from a man in New York

“Letter from America”, Nenagh Guardian, 17th September 1864, from an Irish woman in Charleston