A chairde Thanks for all the interest in my question regarding inducements to Irish in the Federal side. I think what you are saying is it is true that land was offered, but payment - cash - could be taken in lieu, and cash probably was generally preferred. Is that right. The figure of two thirds of all casualties being Irish sounds extraordinarily high. Can anybody give me a source for this figure, preferably a published source. Eamonn. Medical Illustration Princess Margaret Hospital Perth Western Australia 6059

Eamonn and List, I am not sure we have seen (yet) onlist any evidence of an "a priori" guarantee, of the "quid pro quo" of land for arms borne in service. There are many instances of after the fact benefits (including land), conditional or otherwise. But no actual guarantee of land for signing up, have we? If so, I missed it. The cash is an interesting point, however. It should logically have a preference, but one's choice would have to correct. Confederate money became worthless and the Union was plagued by "greenback dollars" after the war. The following explanation of "greenbacks" is at http://www.friesian.com/money.htm . So the Civil War often created times where the phrase "There are many options. And none are good." held true in many situations. Though it may not have been at the forefront of most folks minds with a war raging around them, but paper money issued by an extinguished nation is worthless. The Confederacy was extinguished in 1865. So the men who fought this war risked not only life and limb, but bank account also. What a terrible irony for many of the Irish. To have been given a bounty by the wrong army. Meaning being honestly paid, but rewarded with a handful of disappearing smoke if given "bounties" of paper money or land grants. Life just wasn't fair. Best Regards, Phil "McNulty, Eamonn" wrote: > A chairde > > Thanks for all the interest in my question regarding inducements to Irish in > the Federal side. > > I think what you are saying is it is true that land was offered, but payment > - cash - could be taken in lieu, and cash probably was generally preferred. > Is that right. > > The figure of two thirds of all casualties being Irish sounds > extraordinarily high. Can anybody give me a source for this figure, > preferably a published source. > > Eamonn. > > Medical Illustration > Princess Margaret Hospital > Perth > Western Australia 6059 > > ==== CIVIL-WAR-IRISH Mailing List ==== > "Remember Ireland and Fontenoy!" > Irish War Cry > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog

----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip Lindsey" <galloglas@pars.net> To: <CIVIL-WAR-IRISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 1:01 AM Subject: Re: [Civil-War-Irish] Two Thirds > Eamonn and List, > > I am not sure we have seen (yet) onlist any evidence of an "a priori" > guarantee, of the "quid pro quo" of land for arms borne in service. There are > many instances of after the fact benefits (including land), conditional or > otherwise. But no actual guarantee of land for signing up, have we? If so, I > missed it. > The cash is an interesting point, however. It should logically have a > preference, but one's choice would have to correct. Confederate money became > worthless and the Union was plagued by "greenback dollars" after the war. The > following explanation of "greenbacks" is at > http://www.friesian.com/money.htm . > So the Civil War often created times where the phrase "There are many > options. And none are good." held true in many situations. Though it may not > have been at the > forefront of most folks minds with a war raging around them, but paper money > issued by an extinguished nation is worthless. The Confederacy was extinguished > in 1865. So the men who fought this war risked not only life and limb, but bank > account also. > What a terrible irony for many of the Irish. To have been given a bounty by > the wrong army. Meaning being honestly paid, but rewarded with a handful of > disappearing smoke if given "bounties" of paper money or land grants. > Life just wasn't fair. > > Best Regards, > > Phil > As the war dragged on, the casualties mounted. Men who joined early on, & were still alive, started to desert or not re-enlist. (They had seen enough atrocities) The United States government sent recruiting men over seas to entice foreign born men to immigrate & join the service. They usually were able to entice men by offering bounty money. At first, the amount was low, but as the war dragged on, it was increased. The Homestead Act of 1862 was passed to help entice these foreign born men to come to America & join the war effort. The act declared that any citizen or intended citizen could claim 160 acres -- one quarter square mile -- of surveyed government land. Claimants must "improve" the plot with a dwelling and grow crops. After five years, if the original filer was still on the land, it was his property, free and clear. Historians claim that Lincoln passed the act to help settle the West. Which is partly true, but Lincoln was no fool, he saw that after Bull Run, the war was not going to be won without the loss of many a life. Getting the act passed was primarily an enticement for immigration into the country. I have talked to descendants of soldiers who say that their ancestor was approached, offered bounty money & had their passage paid for by the recruiters. Why kill American citizens when you could enlist Irish, Germans, British Etc. If they survived their enlistment's, then they had earned the right to settle, besides, Lincoln had to replenish his ranks & this was one way to draw in the manpower he needed. When Lincoln blockaded the American coast, he was breaking International laws & the South thought for sure that the European nations would rise & condemn the practice, but why would they. Their outlook was if our citizens are leaving to become American citizens, then they are no longer our responsibility. (They are the poor & unwanted) If Lincoln was successful in his movement, then there would be a precedent set & the European nations could use blockades as well, to justify their own ambitions of spreading their empires. If it looked as though Lincoln's plan of blockading the coast was going to fail, then the European nations could then voice their condemnation, it was a winning proposition for them. By cutting off the South's ability to trade it's major staple, cotton, Lincoln squeezed off the financial support. Thousands on the Island starved because the textile industry there crashed, due to the lack of the incoming cotton trade & the governments there allowed it because they had future plans. It helped purge their countries of overpopulated poor. Of course, the passing of the Homestead Act almost bit Lincoln in the behind, because those who were tired of the war being fought in their backyard, picked up & moved Westward. This enraged the Indian tribes & forced the Sioux uprising. Lincoln was now facing fighting the South & the Indians in the West. He solved this by enlisting the imprisoned Confederate soldiers, who were dying in prison camps. They were offered their freedom by going West & fighting Indians. They were referred to as the Galvanized Yankees. Even with the increasing bounty money, the war dragged on & once a man found out what battle was like, he just wanted to get out alive. The exchange of prisoners stopped because Lincoln knew it would drain the South of manpower. He started enlisting Blacks, because it was a good pool to draw from. Lincoln was underestimated by many, still is by some, but he was by no means stupid. Desoto Joe/The Record Man

This came in to me Thought it might be of interest to the list. Ann http://irishculture.about.com/library/week/aa052701a.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip Lindsey" <galloglas@pars.net> To: <CIVIL-WAR-IRISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 2:01 AM Subject: Re: [Civil-War-Irish] Two Thirds > Eamonn and List, > > I am not sure we have seen (yet) onlist any evidence of an "a priori" > guarantee, of the "quid pro quo" of land for arms borne in service. There are > many instances of after the fact benefits (including land), conditional or > otherwise. But no actual guarantee of land for signing up, have we? If so, I > missed it. > The cash is an interesting point, however. It should logically have a > preference, but one's choice would have to correct. Confederate money became > worthless and the Union was plagued by "greenback dollars" after the war. The > following explanation of "greenbacks" is at > http://www.friesian.com/money.htm . > So the Civil War often created times where the phrase "There are many > options. And none are good." held true in many situations. Though it may not > have been at the > forefront of most folks minds with a war raging around them, but paper money > issued by an extinguished nation is worthless. The Confederacy was extinguished > in 1865. So the men who fought this war risked not only life and limb, but bank > account also. > What a terrible irony for many of the Irish. To have been given a bounty by > the wrong army. Meaning being honestly paid, but rewarded with a handful of > disappearing smoke if given "bounties" of paper money or land grants. > Life just wasn't fair. > > Best Regards, > > Phil > > > "McNulty, Eamonn" wrote: > > > A chairde > > > > Thanks for all the interest in my question regarding inducements to Irish in > > the Federal side. > > > > I think what you are saying is it is true that land was offered, but payment > > - cash - could be taken in lieu, and cash probably was generally preferred. > > Is that right. > > > > The figure of two thirds of all casualties being Irish sounds > > extraordinarily high. Can anybody give me a source for this figure, > > preferably a published source. > > > > Eamonn. > > > > Medical Illustration > > Princess Margaret Hospital > > Perth > > Western Australia 6059 > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR-IRISH Mailing List ==== > > "Remember Ireland and Fontenoy!" > > Irish War Cry > > > > ============================== > > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > > your heritage! > > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR-IRISH Mailing List ==== > "Remember Ireland and Fontenoy!" > Irish War Cry > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > >