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New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era

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New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2020 New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era Abbi E. Smithmyer West Virginia University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Smithmyer, Abbi E., "New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era" (2020). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7611. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7611 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era Abbi E. Smithmyer Thesis submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Jason Phillips, Ph.D., Chair Brian Luskey, Ph.D. Jennifer Thornton, Ph.D. Department of History Morgantown, West Virginia 2020 Keywords: Identity, Ethnicity, Irish, New York, Nativism Copyright 2020 Abbi E. Smithmyer Abstract New York Sons of Erin: Nativism, Identity, and the Importance of Irish Ethnicity in the Civil War Era Abbi E. Smithmyer Nineteenth-century Irish Americans were bound together by a shared ethnic identity that was shaped by a strong attachment to Ireland, a closeness enhanced by their devotion to the Catholic faith, and an American population that held a deep prejudice against the ethnic group. This was especially the case in New York, which had the largest population of Irish Americans in the United States during this time. While many Sons of Erin enlisted into New York regiments, their most famous unit was the Irish Brigade. Therefore, the actions and treatment of the Irish Brigade greatly influenced the way immigrant service in the Civil War is remembered. This was similarly the case for their family and friends on the home front in New York. These individuals united behind their loved ones fighting in the Union Army and showed their support for them through ethnic festivities and religious ties. Through their service to the Union, Irish Americans in New York embraced their ethnicity and created a shared loyalty to one another that united the group amidst rampant nativism. This diasporic identity found in New York’s Irish-American population was only reinforced and heightened by military service to the Union during the Civil War. Rather than relinquish their ethnic bonds and become “Americanized,” their identity as workers, Democrats, soldiers, Americans, or as an ethnic group was prevalent throughout their lives. This fluidity of identities allowed the Irish in New York to push for greater rights while building their ethnic culture in America. Their hard-fought efforts led to the emergence of cultural diversity in the United States, which countered the Anglo-American Protestantism of the nineteenth century. Acknowledgments Academic writing is often portrayed as an individual endeavor, with the historian off alone in their ivory tower. This process has shown me that nothing is farther from the truth. Although I proudly submit this work on my own, it would not have been possible without the countless individuals who guided, encouraged, and assisted me. First and foremost, I cannot thank my advisor and committee chair Dr. Jason Phillips enough for his unfailing support. He always provided me with prompt and helpful feedback on every piece of this project. I find it truly unique to have such a wonderful advisor who left me in control of my thesis, but was always there to ask thought-provoking questions that enhanced, shaped, and strengthened my work. More than anything, however, his patience and reassurance through this new and challenging process was instrumental in helping me achieve my academic pursuits. Similarly, the additional help of my committee members Dr. Brian Luskey and Dr. Jennifer Thornton has been extremely valuable. Without fail, they asked tough questions that made me reconsider and improve my work in ways that I could not have imagined. For their guidance throughout the research and writing process, I am forever grateful. Their support and guidance throughout this process and my time at West Virginia University was more than any student could ever ask for. I must also extend gratitude to two of the most influential educators I have had the pleasure of crossing paths with. While I have always been interested in history, my high school history teacher Brad Pflugh ignited my interest and passion for the American Civil War. Starting with your classes and continuing with countless battlefield trips and war games, I have truly grown as a person and historian. Similarly, Dr. Thomas Pearcy at Slippery Rock University has always provided me with constant support and encouragement. His research and work helped iii ignite my interest to look at the Civil War Era through a social and cultural lens and recognize the stories of all individuals. Their constant mentorship and friendship is something I treasure greatly. Most importantly, I wish to thank my family. My wonderful parents have always pushed and encouraged me to achieve more than I could ever imagine. You have made me stronger and more determined to see my dreams become reality. You both instilled in me the importance of hard work and perseverance. Your compassion and life lessons have made me the woman I am today, and for that I am forever grateful. But most importantly, you taught me to dream big and live life to the fullest. This project would not have been possible without your constant love, reassurance, and support. For that and so much more, I thank you. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter I: “We have always loved the flag of the Union:” Irish Americans, Know Nothing Politics, and Volunteering for the Union ...................................................................................... 11 Chapter II: “Slaughtered like sheep:” Ethnicity, the Irish Brigade, and the Decline of Irish Support for the War in 1862 ......................................................................................................... 47 Chapter III: “The Irish spirit for the war is dead:” Tension on the Home Front, The Collapse of Irish Support, and its Impact on their Treatment in America ....................................................... 84 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 125 Appendix A: ................................................................................................................................ 136 Appendix B: ................................................................................................................................ 138 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 139 v Figure List Figure 1: 69th New York State Militia Prince of Wales Flag....................................................... 44 Figure 2: 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Recruitment Poster ........................................... 45 Figure 3: 69th Regiment New York State Militia Recruitment Poster ......................................... 46 Figure 4: Irish Brigade Temperance Association Medal .............................................................. 83 Figure 5: Corcoran’s Irish Legion Recruitment Poster ............................................................... 123 Figure 6: Harper's Weekly, “‘Peace’ Democracy on the Rampage” .......................................... 124 Figure 7: Harper's Weekly, “A ‘Liberal’ Surrender—Any Thing to Beat Grant” ...................... 135 vi Introduction One week after the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, the New York Irish American, which was one of the Irish community’s leading voices in the antebellum era, called for all “the adopted children of this glorious nation” to defend their new country.1 The newspaper’s founder and editor Patrick Lynch, who left Ireland in 1847, wished for tensions between North and South to dissipate because “the despotic governments of the Old World” would “be able to boast that the grand experiment of man’s capacity for self-government has come to naught.” Despite this hope tensions reached a breaking point, leaving Lynch to use his paper
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