United States of America
US Civil War (1861-1865)
This war was being fought at a time when Ireland was still exporting significant numbers of people from the poverty and hardship that followed the Great Hunger. According to Damian Shiels, whom I heard give a talk on the subject of the Irish in the American Civil War, young Irish men were practically recruited as the came off the ships in New York. The vast majority fought in the Union Army but there were also some who fought on the Confederate side.
This war was being fought at a time when Ireland was still exporting significant numbers of people from the poverty and hardship that followed the Great Hunger. According to Damian Shiels, whom I heard give a talk on the subject of the Irish in the American Civil War, young Irish men were practically recruited as the came off the ships in New York. The vast majority fought in the Union Army but there were also some who fought on the Confederate side.
What can I find out and where are the records available?
I cannot profess to having any first hand knowledge of researching the records that survive in the US, but I do recall from Damian's excellent talk that there are some fantastic resources to be found in the US National Archives. Chief amongst these for men who perished are the files pertaining to the award of pensions to their widows or extended families. In order to prove their entitlement to the pension money, widows and family members often had to supply much supporting information in the form of letters and affidavits, which often contained a great deal of family history information. This might be especially precious to you when you remember how may Church of Ireland parish registers were lost decades later.
The best place to find out more is to start with Damian's excellent website, Irish in the American Civil War.
It would also appear that Ancestry have a number of US Civil War sources listed in their Card Catalogue - check under Military records for the US.
I cannot profess to having any first hand knowledge of researching the records that survive in the US, but I do recall from Damian's excellent talk that there are some fantastic resources to be found in the US National Archives. Chief amongst these for men who perished are the files pertaining to the award of pensions to their widows or extended families. In order to prove their entitlement to the pension money, widows and family members often had to supply much supporting information in the form of letters and affidavits, which often contained a great deal of family history information. This might be especially precious to you when you remember how may Church of Ireland parish registers were lost decades later.
The best place to find out more is to start with Damian's excellent website, Irish in the American Civil War.
It would also appear that Ancestry have a number of US Civil War sources listed in their Card Catalogue - check under Military records for the US.
World Wars 1 and 2
Irish emigrants were also drafted into American regiments in both World War 1 and World War 2. Their draft cards and enlistment papers are good for confirming birthdates and birthplaces, as well as some interesting physical descriptions. Here are some of the sources I found useful on Ancestry;
Irish emigrants were also drafted into American regiments in both World War 1 and World War 2. Their draft cards and enlistment papers are good for confirming birthdates and birthplaces, as well as some interesting physical descriptions. Here are some of the sources I found useful on Ancestry;
- US WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Anc=£)
- US WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Anc=£)
- US WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 (Anc=£)
