alexjack
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Location
- South Wales UK
Only Irishmen recruited or did they accept any volunteers ?
Only Irishmen recruited or did they accept any volunteers ?
There is a great song on YouTube "Kelly's Irish Brigade" about an Irish shopkeeper from St Louis who raised a 150 man cavalry unit for the Confederacy. Let's not forget the 4th Louisiana or Tiger brigade plus as mentioned both sides had majority Irish units."Thank you for those links Legion Para.
McPherson points out Irish and German Catholics had the lowest enlistment rate of any white demographic group. It's no accident that their where anti draft riots by Irish Catholics in Boston and New York city and German Catholics rioted in Wisconsin.Only Irishmen recruited or did they accept any volunteers ?
I read and then had to re read that post Leftyhunter to make sure I'd read it right the first time. Incredible.McPherson points out Irish and German Catholics had the lowest enlistment rate of any white demographic group. It's no accident that their where anti draft riots by Irish Catholics in Boston and New York city and German Catholics rioted in Wisconsin.
I can't blame them they suffered a lot of discrimination . Approximately 60 odd years after the Civil War Joseph Kennedy Sr took his desperately ill son John to a nearby Protestant hospital and was denied treatment because he was Catholic. This despite the fact that Joseph Kennedy was a very wealthy banker and John's grandfather was the former mayor of Boston. Imagine what poor Irish Catholic immigrants had to go through. Its a wonder any joined the Union Army.
Let's not forget many of the Unionist troops and guerrillas in North Carolina and Tennessee where Irish Protestant but their families had lived in the US for generations.
Arguably more Irish Catholics volunteered on a proportional basis with the Confederacy per past threads on that subject.
Leftyhunter
Hi Alexjack,I read and then had to re read that post Leftyhunter to make sure I'd read it right the first time. Incredible.
Many Louisiana units contained a significant number of foreign immigrants, but the 1st, 6th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 14th, and 20th Louisiana Infantry regiments, and Wheat's and Coppens' Battalions especially stood out. All were largely recruited from New Orleans. None of them were entirely Irish, but they were composed of a large number of Irishmen with the rest being a mix of other nationalities. Out of the those the 6th Louisiana was probably best known as an "Irish regiment," with about 54% Irish-born according to Lee's Tigers by Terry L. Jones. The 10th Louisiana Infantry was also referred to as "Lee's Foreign Legion" because it was so diverse.Let's not forget the 4th Louisiana or Tiger brigade plus as mentioned both sides had majority Irish units."
Also, I'll Edit to add that "Kelly's Irish Brigade" was actually a prewar all-Irish militia company recruited by Joseph Kelly in St. Louis, known as the Washington Blues. They became part of Kelly's Regiment in the Missouri State Guard and fought in many battles under Price. In winter of 1861-62 they transferred to Confederate service as part of Bevier's Battalion in Price's First Division, and later became Company F of the 5th Missouri Infantry under Captain Patrick Canniff. As Company F they fought throughout the rest of the war in the 1st Missouri Brigade (Cockrell's) east of the Mississippi River.There is a great song on YouTube "Kelly's Irish Brigade" about an Irish shopkeeper from St Louis who raised a 150 man cavalry unit for the Confederacy.
i can't blame them. Not to mention that General Burnside needlessly sent many of Irish plus other troops to their slaughter at Fredericksburg. That must of not helped the recruiting efforts.The 17th Wisconsin (Irish brigade) was told.. *on St Patrick's day* that they were ordered to leave Madison for Jefferson barracks, with *no pay*.you could imagine how that went over. The men were very poor, had indebted themselves to vendors (created tabs) in Madison while they couldn't give their families anything. People literally starved to death in Ireland, and these men just didn't trust that they'd ever see pay. So there was a riot. Men refused to go. Some were forcefully put on trains. A man lost an eye to a bayonet. There were bribes with the officers advancing men money to go. Men were arrested, bound, gagged, etc. 200 of them (on final estimate) sold their equipment and deserted. The rest eventually went and they were eventually paid. The Germans, according to a doctor's account I read, often played sick so they wouldn't have to go. I mean, many of them left Germany just so they weren't forced to fight in yet another war. An American war was the last thing they wanted a part of. But much like the Irish, many men volunteered or showed up when drafted, did their duty and performed bravely. The Irish brigade had many shining moments... But that was perhaps not one of them.
I have heard McPherson say that a few times. I think it is quite misguided. Any sense of the stats behind it?McPherson points out Irish and German Catholics had the lowest enlistment rate of any white demographic group. It's no accident that their where anti draft riots by Irish Catholics in Boston and New York city and German Catholics rioted in Wisconsin.
I can't blame them they suffered a lot of discrimination .
Let's not forget many of the Unionist troops and guerrillas in North Carolina and Tennessee where Irish Protestant but their families had lived in the US for generations.
Arguably more Irish Catholics volunteered on a proportional basis with the Confederacy per past threads on that subject.
Leftyhunter
The 17 Wisconsin was not part of the Irish Brigade.The 17th Wisconsin (Irish brigade) was told.. *on St Patrick's day* that they were ordered to leave Madison for Jefferson barracks, with *no pay*.you could imagine how that went over. The men were very poor, had indebted themselves to vendors (created tabs) in Madison while they couldn't give their families anything. People literally starved to death in Ireland, and these men just didn't trust that they'd ever see pay. So there was a riot. Men refused to go. Some were forcefully put on trains. A man lost an eye to a bayonet. There were bribes with the officers advancing men money to go. Men were arrested, bound, gagged, etc. 200 of them (on final estimate) sold their equipment and deserted. The rest eventually went and they were eventually paid. The Germans, according to a doctor's account I read, often played sick so they wouldn't have to go. I mean, many of them left Germany just so they weren't forced to fight in yet another war. An American war was the last thing they wanted a part of. But much like the Irish, many men volunteered or showed up when drafted, did their duty and performed bravely. The Irish brigade had many shining moments... But that was perhaps not one of them.