God Help the Irish: The History of the Irish Brigade- A Book Review

December 06, 2012

God Help the Irish, by Phillip Thomas Tucker, is a chronicle of the storied Irish Brigade of the Union Army during the Civil War. Although the North recruited new Irish immigrants at the major entry ports and even in Ireland itself, the Irish as a group actually had a low participation in the War itself. Many saw the North as reminiscent of Protestant Britain forcing it’s will upon the smaller Catholic Ireland.

Even given those facts, one combat unit came to symbolize and represent the overall Irish contribution to the Union. During that anti-Irish era, many believed that the Irish were neither loyal nor courageous. The Irish Brigade answered these opinions with outstanding battlefield performance. They became a lethal "fighting machine" and distinguished themselves in many battles, but especially at Gettysburg and Antietam. Their losses were horrendous, but they came from a cultural tradition of Gaelic and Celtic warfare and fought on with incredible bravery. The emerald green banners of the Irish Brigade inspired the men in the ranks to do the impossible.

This is a very inspirational book about the Civil War, and if you are Irish, it will cause you to swell with pride about your ancestry.

Suzanne V.
Midwest Genealogy Center