Sons of Leitrim
Army Branches Served in.
Total 196
Where They Served: Arms and Branche
The 196 Leitrim-born soldiers who fought in the American Civil War served across all branches of the military, though the overwhelming majority found themselves in the infantry—the branch that bore the heaviest casualties throughout the war.
Distribution by Branch:
-
Infantry: 158 soldiers (81%) - The foot soldiers who formed the backbone of both armies, enduring forced marches, trench warfare, and frontal assaults that produced staggering losses.
-
Cavalry: 18 soldiers (9.2%) - Mounted troops who served as scouts, raiders, and shock forces, requiring both horsemanship skills that many rural Irishmen possessed from agricultural life.
-
Artillery: 11 soldiers (5.4%) - Gun crews who operated the cannon batteries that dominated Civil War battlefields, a technically demanding role that required mathematical skill and steady nerves under fire.
-
Navy: 3 soldiers (1.5%) - Sailors who served on Union gunboats and warships, enforcing the blockade of Southern ports and supporting river operations.
-
Engineers: 2 soldiers (1%) - Specialized troops who built fortifications, bridges, and siege works—crucial but often overlooked contributors to military campaigns.
-
Sharpshooters: 1 soldier (0.5%) - Elite marksmen selected for exceptional shooting ability, serving in specialized units that targeted enemy officers and artillery crews.
The distribution shown in the table below reflects the realities of Civil War military organization: infantry formed the vast majority of both armies, and immigrants—including those from Leitrim—were typically assigned to these regiments where manpower needs were greatest and survival rates lowest.
Services by State
State | Infantry | Cavalry | Engineers | Artillery | Navy | Sharp Shooters | Unknown | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
California | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Connecticut | 5 | 1 | 6 | |||||
Georgia | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
Illinois | 17 | 17 | ||||||
Kentucky | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Louisiana | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Massachusetts | 76 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 85 | |||
Michigan | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Missouri | 1 | 1 | ||||||
New Hampshire | 4 | 4 | ||||||
New York | 41 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 57 | |
Ohio | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||||
Pennsylvania | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Rhode Island | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||
State Unknown | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||
Texas | 1 | 1 | ||||||
West Virginia | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Wisconsin | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Totals | 158 | 18 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 196 |
Branch Distribution by State
The Far West
Even distant California, reached by arduous sea voyage around Cape Horn or overland trek, contributed one Leitrim soldier—a reminder that Irish immigrants participated in the Gold Rush and western expansion.
The Southern Regiments
Three Leitrim men fought for the Confederacy:
-
Georgia: 2 soldiers—testament to the fact that Irish immigrants settled throughout the South, not just the North. One joined the infantry and the other the artillery.
-
Louisiana: 1 soldier—Patrick Tighe who did at Gettysburg
-
Texas: 1 soldier— Francis Croal joined the Union 2nd Cavalry in Texas in October 1860
Branch Distribution by State
The data reveals interesting patterns in how different states utilized their Irish recruits:
Massachusetts provided the most diverse military contribution—75 infantrymen, 5 cavalrymen, 2 artillerymen, and 1 sailor, plus 1 man whose branch remains unknown. This reflects the Commonwealth's large-scale military mobilization and the versatility required of its regiments.
New York similarly showed diversity—41 infantrymen, 8 cavalrymen, 2 engineers, 3 artillerymen, 2 sailors, and 1 sharpshooter. The state's massive military contribution and its role as a recruiting center for specialized units is evident in this distribution
Illinois sent all 17 of its Leitrim men into the infantry—typical of Midwestern states that raised primarily foot soldier regiments for the Western theater campaigns.
Unknown Origins
For 12 soldiers (6% of the total), the state of enlistment remains uncertain. These men's records are incomplete or ambiguous, though their Leitrim birth is confirmed. Nine of these soldiers have unknown branch assignments as well, reflecting the challenges of researching incomplete nineteenth-century military records.
The Pattern of Settlement and Service
This geographic distribution mirrors the broader pattern of Irish immigrant settlement in antebellum America. The heaviest concentrations appear where three factors converged: major ports of entry (Boston, New York), industrial employment opportunities (textile mills, factories, construction), and established Irish communities that could absorb and assist new arrivals. When these communities mobilized for war, the Leitrim men among them stepped forward—some motivated by loyalty to their adopted country, others by economic necessity, and many by both.
From the textile mills of Massachusetts to the prairie farms of Illinois, from the docks of New York to the gold fields of California, Leitrim's scattered sons answered the call. They served in nineteen different states, wearing both blue and gray, united only by their common origin in a small Irish county they had fled to escape starvation.
The table below shows the complete breakdown of service by state and military branch for all 196 identified Leitrim-born Civil War soldiers.