Irish Involvement in the American Civil War

[thejuice]

The bit of reading I've done does agree that the abolition of slavery wasn't the main reason for the war. The Irish weren't that much in favour for the Emancipation Proclaimation, as they would end up competing with the freed slaves for work.

When Lincoln added the emancipation proclaimation to objectives of the war the number of recruits in New York dropped, and then when they introduced the $300 conscription the Draft Day riots borke out.

So no, I dont think the freedom of slaves was high up on the Irish immigrants agenda.

[Craigyhill Terror]

You'd be hard pressed to find any war that was only about one thing but saying slavery was a "side issue" in the American Civil War is off the mark as it was so central to the states that became the Confederacy, and it's expansion into the new territories and states in the west was so devisive

Also, for anyone who's interested, probably the best documentary series ever made

http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Civil-War-film-Burns/dp/B002QFZD54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1279297170&sr=1-1

[magickingdom]

I think John Mitchel's son or sons fought on the Confederate side. Mitchel himself was a strong advocate of slavery.  A bit of an embarassment that there's so many GAA clubs named after him actually..

never heard anything about that, got any links to that story?

[tyssam5]

I have a few books on the Irish involvement but IMO the definitive one is "Green, Blue and Grey: The Irish in the American Civil War"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Blue-Grey-Irish-American/dp/1905172982.

Shocking amount of Irish involvement (and death) on both sides particularly in places like New Orleans where you'd never really have thought would have had many Irish. The book above outlines every engagement of pretty much every Irish company on both sides and some really curious episodes such as Fenian meetings held on the eve of battles attended by men from both sides.

New Orleans was the cheapest ticket for a good number of years - all the empty cotton boats returning from Liverpool. Agents of course may have taken advantage of most people's lack of geographic knowledge by assuring them that it was 'just down the road from New York'.

Regarding the Civil War the South imposed an embargo on cotton supply at one stage in order to try to force Britain into the war on their side, about half of the cotton workers laid off at one point. Not related the topic question  but 'The Ascent of Money' by Niall Ferguson is a good book for detailing the relationship between war and financial systems. More in line with the topic the relationship between Frederic Douglas (anti-slavery campaigner) and Daniel O'Connell is interesting. Repeal of slavery campaign took a lot of its ideas from O'Connell successful campaign for Catholic emancipation.

[Lecale2]

"The Impending Crisis 1848 - 1861" David M Potter is the best work on the cause of the war.

[Rav67]

I think John Mitchel's son or sons fought on the Confederate side. Mitchel himself was a strong advocate of slavery.  A bit of an embarassment that there's so many GAA clubs named after him actually..

never heard anything about that, got any links to that story?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mitchel

I know its wikipedia but the section 'United States' seems to be well-sourced.  The 2 sons died for the Confederacy apparently.