| Title: | Celt Notefile |
| Moderator: | TALLIS::DARCY |
| Created: | Wed Feb 19 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jun 03 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1632 |
| Total number of notes: | 20523 |
Fredericksburg, VA Dec. 13, 1863
"The brilliant assault of that Irish Brigade was beyond description.
We forgot they were fighting us, and cheer after cheer at their
fearlessness went up along our lines."
- Conf. Gen. George Pickett
It was suicide. They came forward, one man said, as though they
were breasting a storm of rain and sleet, faces and bodies half
turned to the storm, shoulders shrugged. The Irish Brigade got
within 25 paces of the wall. The men of the 24th Georgia who shot
them down were Irish too.
"Actually, I know of no braver men in either army than the Union
troops at Fredericksburg which is a serious defeat, but to keep
charging that wall at Marie's Heights after all the failures
there've been, and there were alot of failures, is a singular
instance of valor."
- Shelby Foote, historian
The timing was right, eh? Famine 1848-50, waves of emigration
to America following. Just in time for a rifle to be shoved into
their hands as soon as they stepped off the boat.
This note is to hear other stories or accounts of the Irish in
the American Civil War. Certainly in no way to glorify war, but
to acknowledge their sacrifices.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 937.1 | It lead to Irelands independence. | MACNAS::JDOOLEY | The Bucks of Oranmore | Mon Aug 12 1991 12:14 | 10 |
The American Civil War was for many Irish freedom fighters of the last
century,their first encounter with fire-arms and disciplined movement,
two essentials for any succesful revolution.
The war led directly to the 1867 Fenian rising which frightened
the British into much needed land reform.
In the end Irish-American support and public sympathy allowed
Ireland to fight successfully for its independence in 1921.
This would not have been possible without support and experience
in The American Civil War and WW1.
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| 937.2 | The Age of chivalry. | MACNAS::MHUGHES | Tue Sep 10 1991 20:12 | 15 | |
Leaprechauns heard this elsewhere (Robert Kee I think..)
After the failure of the assault on Maire's Heights at Fredricksburg
the Union Colours were captured. Amongst them the Green flag with Harp
of Ireland.
A Confederate soldier (Irish its believed) wrapped the flag around his
waist and under safe passage guarantee crossed the lines and returned
the colour to the Union army and then went back over to the confederate
side of the lines to continue the war all without the knowledge of his
fellow rebels. He is reported to have remarked that this colour was
not for taking or some such.
Snake
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| 937.3 | Irish Regiment in Civil War | LJOHUB::HORGAN | Craicailte indiadh damhsa | Mon Oct 28 1991 13:48 | 28 |
There was a Irish regiment from Massachusetts. While I was at the
Military Records Office yesterday, I asked the Archivist about it.
There is a book called the History of the Ninth Regiment, Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry. It is the history of this regiment from 1861 to
June 1864. The author is Daniel George Macnamara.
I remember seeing some civil war memorabilia at at festival a few
years ago. There were badges and flags from this regiment bearing
the stars & stripes, harps and shamrocks.
If anyone is interested the address & phone # is:
Military Records
143 Speen Street
Natick, MA 01760
508-651-1776 (how apropos)
BTW - The archivist's name is James Fahey. His parents were from Cork.
He told me his Uncle had been murdered by the black & tans in
1921. They cut out his tongue, tied a rope around his leg and
dragged him through the town. He showed me a picture of a
monument that was built for his Uncle in Cork. I think the
name was Denis Skibbs.
Julia
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| 937.4 | Patrick Ronayne Cleburne | MACNAS::TJOYCE | Mon Aug 17 1992 09:40 | 27 | |
While I read the story entered by Snake in .2, I have not seen
it corroroborated by any other source, and I have read many,
many works on the ACW. Even Kee's source is a nationalist
newspaper from the turn of the century, so alas (like so many
other nice stories) the whole thing may be myth. Nice story,
though.
For what its worth, the most distinguished fighting produced
by Ireland fought not on the Union side, but on the Confederate.
He was Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, from Ovens Co. Cork. He
spent 4 years as a private in the British Army, so that his
experience stood to him when the ACW broke out. In peacetime,
he ran a drug store in Helena, Arkansas, and was a qualified
lawyer.
Cleburne's battle honours include Shiloh, Perryville, Stones
River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Franklin. He
was killed at this last battle leading his division in a
suicidal charge (November, 1864). All these battles took
place in the Western theatre of the war, so are not as
well known as the battles in the East, except for Atlanta
(thanks to "Gone with the Wind"). This may account for the
fact that Cleburne is not well remembered in this native
land.
Toby
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