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Chicago's Irish Legion - The 90th Illinois Volunteers in the Civil War (Hardcover)
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Chicago's Irish Legion - The 90th Illinois Volunteers in the Civil War (Hardcover)
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This title presents the first comprehensive regimental history of
Chicago's Irish Volunteers. Extensively documented and richly
detailed, ""Chicago's Irish Legion"" tells the compelling story of
Chicago's 90th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the only Irish regiment
in Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's XV Army Corps. Swan's
sweeping history of this singular regiment and its pivotal role in
the western theater of the Civil War draws heavily from primary
documents and first-person observations, giving readers an intimate
glimpse into the trials and triumphs of ethnic soldiers during one
of the most destructive wars in American history. At the onset of
the bitter conflict between the North and the South, Irish
immigrants faced a wall of distrust and discrimination in the
United States. Many Americans were deeply suspicious of Irish
religion and politics, while others openly doubted the dedication
of the Irish to the Union cause. Responding to these criticisms
with a firm show of patriotism, the Catholic Church and Irish
politicians in northern Illinois - along with the Chicago press and
community - joined forces to recruit the Irish Volunteers. Composed
mainly of foreign-born recruits, the legion's heroic endeavors for
the Union rapidly dispelled any rumors of disloyalty. The
volunteers proved to be instrumental in various battles and sieges,
including the marches to the sea and through the Carolinas,
suffering great casualties and providing indispensable support for
the Union. With a meticulous eye for accuracy, Swan traces the
remarkable journey of these unique soldiers from their regiment's
inception and first military engagement in 1862 to their
disbandment and participation in the Grand Review of General
William T. Sherman's army in 1865. Enhancing the volume are
firsthand accounts from the soldiers who endured the misery of
frigid winters and brutal environments, struggling against the
ravages of disease and hunger as they marched more than twenty-six
hundred miles over the course of the war. Also revealed are
personal insights into some of the war's most harrowing events,
including the battles at Vicksburg and Chattanooga and Sherman's
famous campaign for Atlanta. In addition, Swan exposes the racial
issues that affected the soldiers of the 90th Illinois, including
reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation and the formations of
the first African American fighting units as well as the effects of
widespread anti-Irish sentiment on the lives of the volunteers.
Swan rounds out the volume with stories of survivors' lives after
the war, adding an even deeper personal dimension to this absorbing
chronicle.
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