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Did you realize that hundreds of thousands of Irishmen participated in the American Civil War? You can now find those fighting Irish in over six million Civil War records recently released online by findmypast.

 Quick facts on Irish-Americans in the Civil War:

  • The first 2 casualties of the Civil War were Irish - Private Daniel Hough from Tipperary and Private Edward Galway from Cork
  • The 69th New York State Volunteers, a Union regiment, flew a green flag with a golden harp on it, symbolizing Ireland.
  • Around 150,000 Irish served for the Union, significantly fewer for the Confederate side.
  • A regiment on the Confederates side was known as "the Sons of Erin."

Findmypast has recently published online over six million Civil War records for you to trace your warring ancestors. The records include Civil War soldiers, sailors, prisoners and Medal of Honor recipients and cover the duration of the war (1861-1865). You’ll find entries for both Union and Confederate sides. The records can provide you with tremendous detail on your ancestor including enlistment details and physical descriptions.

Discover your Civil War ancestors’ story, including the many Irish who were involved, now on findmypast.

Findmypast is working in partnership with IrishCentral to create expert content around Irish family history. With the largest collection of Irish family history records online and a team of expert genealogists, findmypast is the best place to discover your Irish heritage.