The Potato Famine of 1845 launched a massive wave of immigration from Ireland to the United States. More than 150,000 of these immigrants served the Union during the Civil War. While some joined ordinary non-Irish regiments, others joined all-Irish regiments. The three most notable regiments were the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York Infantry Regiments. These regiments, along with the later-added 28th Massachusetts and 116th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments, formed Thomas Meagher’s Irish Brigade.
Meagher’s primary motivation in establishing the brigade was to prove the loyalty of the Irish people to the American Constitution and to disprove the Know-Nothing Party’s fundamental anti-immigrant belief that Catholic immigrants were more loyal to the pope than the United States. Most of the soldiers who joined the brigade shared this desire to challenge anti-Irish discrimination. At the same time, the Union saw the formation of ethnic regiments (along with a copious stash of additional bonuses) as a way to garner Irish support for their cause. In addition, Meagher hoped that the successful formation of an Irish Brigade in the US would motivate the nationalist movement back in Ireland.
The Irish Brigade was known for its “courage, ferocity, and toughness.” Thanks to these qualities, the brigade played crucial roles in nearly all of the Army of the Potomac’s major battles, and it consequently suffered extraordinarily high numbers of casualties. Sixty percent of the 63rd and 69th regiments was slaughtered in the Battle of Antietam, and 45% of the brigade was murdered or wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg. At the Battle of Gettysburg, 60% of the remaining men in the brigade were killed.
The Battle of Gettysburg was considered not only a turning point for the Union, but also a turning point for the Irish brigade. The tragically high number of casualties caused both Irish soldiers and civilians to begin to think that the Union was taking advantage of the Irish people’s willingness to fight. Furthermore, the National Conscription Act was viewed by the Irish as a discriminatory “rich man’s war, poor man’s fight” act, which further decreased Irish support for the Union. In addition, many Irish were not fundamentally against slavery, which meant that their support wavered when it became clear in 1863 that the Union was fighting against slavery.
To voice their frustrations with the draft law and with the black people they blamed for the war, a group of Irish immigrants organized the New York Draft Riot of 1863. The immigrant mobs attacked black people on the street and burned their homes. This riot of racist violence marked the end of organized Irish participation in the war, and the Irish Brigade finally disbanded for good in 1864.
A few questions for further reflection: did the Brigade accomplish Meagher’s initial objectives? What are some examples of other immigrant or minority groups who have tried to prove their loyalty to a federal government through military or political service, and how successful have those attempts been vis-a-vis their objectives?
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Know-Nothing_Party
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/the-fighting-irish-brigade/?mcubz=0&_r=0
http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/the-irish-brigade
The idea of a minority group fighting for recognition and acceptance through service is an interesting and relevant topic. I enjoyed your article, and to answer your questions, I'd say that Meagher's objective was not accomplished. The disbandment of the brigade before the war's end, coupled with the participation of the Irish in the riots lend evidence to the probability that the American people would still harbor anti-Irish sentiment after the war. Another example of minority groups fighting to show their loyalty would be the black regiments during World War I, especially the 369th regiment, known as the "Harlem Hellfighters". Known for their determination, this regiment fought alongside the French on the front lines for 6 months. Whether or not their objective was accomplished is up to question, as perhaps their involvement contributed to the Civil Rights movement later in the century.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how quickly Irish people's support for the war changed. That so many of them had died for the war, and then they were just willing to give up on it. Causing all the death to be in vain. Also, to address the topic of other minority groups fighting to prove there loyalty, you don't even have to go as far as WWI. In the Civil War itself there were Black regiments. Notably the 54th Massachusetts under the command of Colonel Shaw. They happened to also be the first Black regiment, and played a key role in the Union assault on Fort Wagner, being chosen to lead the attack.
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