Lincoln and the Irish

The Untold Story of How the Irish Helped Abraham Lincoln Save the Union

Niall O'Dowd

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781510736344
• eBook ISBN:
  9781510736351
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: History

An unprecedented narrative of the relationship that swung the Civil War.

When Pickett charged at Gettysburg, it was the all-Irish Pennsylvania 69th who held fast while the surrounding regiments broke and ran. And it was Abraham Lincoln who, a year earlier at Malvern Hill, picked up a corner of one of the Irish colors, kissed it, and said, “God bless the Irish flag.”

Lincoln and the Irish untangles one of the most fascinating subtexts of the Civil War: Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with the men and women coming to America to escape the Irish famine.

Renowned Irish-American journalist Niall O’Dowd gives unprecedented insight into a relationship that began with mutual disdain. Lincoln saw the Irish as instinctive supporters of the Democratic opposition, while the Irish saw the English landlord class in Lincoln’s Republicans. But that dynamic would evolve, and the Lincoln whose first political actions included intimidating Irish voters at the polls would eventually hire Irish nannies and donate to the Irish famine fund. When he was voted into the White House, Lincoln surrounded himself with Irish staff, much to the chagrin of a senior aide who complained about the Hibernian cabal. And the Irish would repay Lincoln’s faith—their numbers and courage would help swing the Civil War in his favor, and among them would be some of his best generals and staunchest advocates.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: “write what should not be forgotten”
• Chapter One: Scoop of the Century
• Chapter Two: Mary and Abe and Their Irish Maids
• Chapter Three: Lincoln on Robert Emmet and the Irish Struggle
• Chapter Four: Lincoln’s Near Duel to the Death with an Irish Rival
• Chapter Five: Lincoln’s New Party, Anti-Irish and Anti-Slavery
• Chapter Six: Lincoln Takes an Axe Handle to the Irish
• Chapter Seven: The Irish, Douglass, and Lincoln in the 1860 Election
• Chapter Eight: Lincoln’s Irish White House Circle
• Chapter Nine: Lincoln’s Love for Irish Ballads Displayed
• Chapter Ten: Two Irish Become the First Casualties of the Civil War
• Chapter Eleven: Three Men Convince the Irish to Fight for Lincoln: Thomas Francis Meagher
• Chapter Twelve: Fighting for Lincoln: The Irish Archbishop
• Chapter Thirteen: Fighting for Lincoln: General Michael Corcoran
• Chapter Fourteen: Lincoln’s Unexpected Heroes
• Chapter Fifteen: Lincoln’s Irish Soldiers—Captured by the Rebels
• Chapter Sixteen: The Man They Couldn’t Kill—The Irish Medal of Honor Winners
• Chapter Seventeen: General Shields, Former Dueling Partner, Declares for Lincoln
• Chapter Eighteen: Taking on Stonewall Jackson, the Rebel Avenger
• Chapter Nineteen: Gettysburg, the Gap of Danger
• Chapter Twenty: Father Corby Summons God—The Draft Riots Cometh
• Chapter Twenty-One: The President Pardons Some Irish, Not Others
• Chapter Twenty-Two: Fear of Black/Irish Coupling Derails Lincoln Support
• Chapter Twenty-Three: The South Seeks to Stop Irish Migration
• Chapter Twenty-Four: Off the Boat and Into the Arms of the Union
• Chapter Twenty-Five: In Ireland, Father Bannon Wins Friends for the Rebels’ Cause
• Chapter Twenty-Six: General Phil Sheridan, the Little Big Fighter
• Chapter Twenty-Seven: Ford’s Theatre—What Might Have Been
• Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Co-Conspirators—A Catholic Plot?
• Chapter Twenty-Nine: Irishmen Seeking the Killer Booth
• Chapter Thirty: Edward Doherty Gets His Man
• Chapter Thirty-One: Lincoln and the Irish—Linked Forever
• Epilogue: Kennedy Retraces Lincoln and Gettysburg
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the author