Newcastle Historical Society

4th November 2013

Damian Shiels (www.irishamericancivilwar.com)

• Causes of the American Civil War

• The Irish in the United States before 1861

• Why Did the Irish Fight?

• Theatres of War

• The Union Irish

• The Confederate Irish

• Tipperary and the American Civil War

• Irish Stories

• The American Civil War and Ireland

• Aftermath and Memory

• Irish American Civil War Trail

• The American Civil War was caused by slavery

• Three-Fifths Clause 1787

• The Cotton Gin Invented 1793

• The Missouri Compromise 1820 (36 degrees 30 north)

• Compromise of 1850 (Mexican War/Fugitive Slave Act)

• Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 (Popular Sovereignty)

• Dred-Scott Decision1857 (Panic of 1857)

• John Brown’s Raid 1859

• Election of Abraham Lincoln 1860

• Immigration of c 1.6 million Irish before 1860

• Concentration in the Industrial North- ghettoisation

• Rise of the American Party ‘Know Nothings’

IRISH UNIONISTS

PRESERVE THE UNION

DESTROY ARTISTOCRATIC

SOCIETY

INTEGRATION

IT WAS THEIR HOME

ECONOMICS

ADVENTURE

IRISH UNIONISTS

PRESERVE AN ENEMY OF BRITAIN

PRESERVE A REFUGE

FOR IRISH

PRESERVE THE

REPUBLIC

GAIN MILITARY

EXPERIENCE

STRIKE AT BRITAIN

THROUGH THE SOUTH

IRISH CONFEDERATES

STATES RIGHTS

PARALLELS TO IRELAND

PRESERVE SOUTHERN SOCIETY

PRESERVE SLAVERY

IT WAS THEIR HOME

ECONOMICS

ADVENTURE

• The Eastern Theater

• The Western Theater

• The Naval War

• c 150,000 Irish served in Union forces

• Two all Irish Brigades were formed, the Irish Brigade and Corcoran’s Irish Legion

• A number of ethnic Irish Union regiments were formed

• The majority of Irish served in non-Irish units

• Large Presence in Union navy

• 12 Irish born attained rank of General

• 32 Irish born attained rank of Brevet General

• At least 146 Irish born received the Medal of Honor

• Disillusionment with war from late 1862 onwards

• c 20,000 served in Confederate forces

• Much fewer ‘Irish’ regiments, the majority served as companies

• The highest rank attained by any Irishman in the war was with the Confederacy

• 6 Irish born attained the rank of General

Private Daniel Hough, born Nenagh?, Co. Tipperary, c. 1825

Colonel Patrick Guiney, born Parkstown, Co. Tipperary, 1835

Lieutenant- Colonel John H. Gleason, born Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, 1838

David Power Conyngham, born Killenuale, Co. Tipperary, c.1825

Creed, John. Private, Company D, 23rd Illinois Infantry.

Action at Fishers Hill, Virginia, 22 September 1864. Medal issued 6 October 1864.

Lonergan, John. Captain, Company A, 13th Vermont Infantry.

Action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 2 July 1863. Medal issued 28 October 1893.

Quinlan, James. Major, 88th New York Infantry.

Action at Savage Station, Virginia, 29 June 1862. Medal issued 18 February 1891.

Urell, M. Emmet. Private, Company E, 82nd New York Infantry.

Action at Bristoe Station, Virginia, 14 October 1863. Medal issued 6 June 1870.

Walsh, John. Corporal, Company D, 5th New York Cavalry.

Action at Cedar Creek, Virginia, 19 October 1864. Medal issued 26 October 1864.

Donoghue, Timothy. Private, Company B, 69th New York Infantry.

Action at Fredericksburg, Virginia, 13 December 1862. Medal issued 17 January 1894.

• Born in 1837, St. John’s Road, Carrick-on-Suir

• Emigrated 1848

• Active as a Fenian

• Served in Company A, 13th Vermont Infantry

• July 2nd, Gettysburg, rescued artillery and captured enemy

• Received the Medal of Honor

• Captain William Hogan, Irish Brigade Battery and Thomas Francis Meagher Staff- Nenagh

• Captain Luther, Papal Brigade and 164th New York, Corcoran’s Irish Legion- Clonmel

• The work of Will Butler on 2nd North Tipperary Artillery Militia

• John Mitchel, an (almost) Tipperary MP

• The Welch’s of Killoscully

• William Hickey of Clogheen

• Edward B. Carroll

First Lieutenant Joseph O’Carroll, 4th New York Cavalry and 9th New York Cavalry- wounded at the Battle of 3rd Winchester

• Sara Nylund

• Rubicon Heritage Services

• Louise Nugent and the Newcastle Historical Society

Website: www.irishamericancivilwar.com

Email: irishamericancivilwar@gmail.com

Facebook: Irish in the American Civil War

Twitter: @irishacw