Several hundred thousand Irish immigrants fought in the American Civil War.
It is estimated that 40,000 Irsh fought for the Confederacy and 170,000 Irish fought for the Union. The Union had Irish Brigades. The Irish were integrated in with the general troops in the Confederacy.
In first Manassas they fought without their shirts because of the heat.
I’ve heard that it was hot but I was watching channel 5 the other day and they indicate it wasn’t so bad. Here’s an article on the WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/bull-run-battle-as-hot-then-as-now/2011/07/21/gIQAYDNtRI_blog.html
Darn those Irish. Can’t take’em anywhere! When they get together they start drinking, having a party, fights break out….
Get a few hundred thousand together and look what happens!
You end up with First Manassas. Many were mercenaries I think. Maybe that isn’t the right term…substitutes? What did they call those people who served in the place of someone rich who paid for their kid not to go?
I am surprised you aren’t up here asking to fire the cannons, Cargo.
I’d love to, but have other commitments.
Mmmmmm…..cannons……. 🙂
The best example of the Irish on both sides is in the movie “Gods & Generals” come the scene at Fredricksburg. As the Yankee Irish are charging the Heights, the Southern Irish are watching them…excellent filming showing the anquious on their faces as the realize they must shoot their Irish Brothers.
Moon, “substitutes” was the correct term for when someone “conscripted” (it was not a draft) could either pay someone to go in their place, or do a “commutation payment” which varied from place to place. Either way, it was still a form of being a mercenary.
I was close. I knew those weren’t draftees in First Manassas. What battle first used draftees?
I understand that in the south conscription got very brutal in some localities.
Feel free to make any sesquicentennial comments on this thread. It seems as good a place as any.
Not sure what all has been cancelled this afternoon. It is dangerous out there according to the news.
Conscription in the Civil War – the South started just before the Pennisular Campaign around the time General Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginiain 1862. The North started a formal draft in March 1863 with the signing of the Enrollment Act (aka The Conscription Act).
The South was brutal about it – my Father observed in 1951 while in Korea that the Korean Army grabbed up young men like the Southern Army did. The North was a bit more “civilized” about it, but there were draft riots in New York City (coincidently started by the Irish), and in New Jersey. New York even declared the Act unconstitutional, which lead to a lot of riots of those in favor/those opposed throughout New York State.
Of course, if you volunteered, the Act paid you a bonus of $100, plus whatever the State and your local government gave you. Which naturally lead to a desertion rate increase because people would bounce from place to place to collect the money, enlist, then go AWOL.
As for the “rich kids” paying for substitutes or the commutation payment – the South got rid of that in late 1863 since substitutes were getting around a $1000, and the North finally got rid of it in mid-1864. Overall though, there were not many of these kids since the enlistment bonus of $100+ attracted a lot of troops.
I always chuckled in my days as an Army Reenlistment NCO when a soldier got a re-up bonus. The roots of enlistment and re-up bonus were in the Conscription Act.
Raymond–The movie and book Cold Mountain dealt with some of the more horrific sides of conscription in the south. I didn’t know if it was all over or varied by state. I know that many people in the south enlisted because of social pressure. You did it for the Cause. The more remote places were fairly brutal. Ugly ugly business.