Green and Blue - Irish Americans in the American Civil War with Damian Shiels

In this episode, Jake Wynn 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 road to Damian's new book, Green and Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861–1865.

You can purchase the book here

Jake and Damian dig into the pension files, soldiers' letters, and overlooked working-class experiences that form the backbone of the book. Along the way, they talk about Irish service beyond the famous "green flag" units, the economic realities that shaped Irish enlistment, and why immigrant soldiers have too often been pushed to the margins of Civil War history.

The conversation also turns outward - to public history, podcasting, and how the American Civil War is remembered (and misunderstood) on both sides of the Atlantic.

This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores:

• Green and Blue and what Irish soldiers' letters reveal about the Civil War
• Pension files as one of the richest untapped sources in American history
• Irish immigrants serving everywhere—not just in the Irish Brigade
• Class, economics, and why men fought (and stayed) in the Union Army
• Bounties, substitutes, and the myths around "bad" late-war soldiers
• Public history, podcasting, and why the Civil War still matters globally

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Here are some more notes:

You can find the Transatlantic podcast here

And here's Damian's Irish in the American Civil War blog