In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake is joined by historian, archaeologist, and podcaster Damian Shiels for a wide-ranging conversation about Irish immigrants in the Civil War–era United States Army and the long research journey behind his new book, Green and Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861–1865.
The discussion moves beyond familiar stories of the Irish Brigade to explore how Irish-born soldiers served throughout the Union Army, often shaped as much by economics and class as by ideology.
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Jake and Damian dig into pension files, soldiers’ letters, and working-class records that reveal the everyday realities of immigrant service.
They talk about why Irish enlistment looked different across regions, how bounties and substitutes actually worked, and why late-war soldiers have been unfairly labeled for generations. The conversation also turns outward to public history and podcasting, and how the American Civil War is remembered – and misunderstood – on both sides of the Atlantic.
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You can purchase Green and Blue here!
Check out the Transatlantic podcast here!
Listen to our previous podcast episode
Podcast | The 1880s battle over Gettysburg’s first Confederate monument with Codie Eash
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