North America

Quick Link | Mass murder now suspected of Irishmen at Duffy’s Cut | IrishCentral

~ Eoin Purcell ~ Leave a comment

This is an interesting story the story of the Mass Grave at Duffy’s Cut. As I recall an Irish production company made a film about this a few years ago. UPDATE: Yup it was Tile Films and there’s a video too.

In the summer of 1832 a group of 57 Irish immigrants came to the area west of Philadelphia to work on the construction of the railway line. Within six weeks the men, mainly from Donegal, Tyrone and Derry, were all dead and anonymously buried in a mass grave outside the town of Malvern.

For some time it was thought that the mass grave was due to an outbreak of a dangerous disease such as cholera and this was simply a way of dealing with infection. However, the new evidence paints a different picture. While the two skulls found more recently show signs of violence and a bullet hole the previous skulls unearthed also showed trauma.

via Mass murder now suspected of Irishmen at Duffy’s Cut – SEE VIDEO | Irish News | IrishCentral.

UPDATE: There’s a video of the Documentary:

An Indian finds himself on the Emerald Isle

~ Eoin Purcell ~ Leave a comment

Very interesting article on the connection between Ireland and the Choctaw Indians, by way of the famine:

White Deer has just spent two days traipsing around the city with a filmmaker from Dublin, working on a documentary about the Choctaw-Irish connection. Among other places, they have visited the Irish hunger memorial garden in lower Manhattan, a quarter-acre grassy hill with the remnants of a famine-era stone cottage imported from Mayo. Etched into the stone base is a reference to the generous donation by “the Children of the Forest, our Red Brethern of the Choctaw nation.”

via An Indian finds himself on the Emerald Isle.

A Video Review – The Training Ground: Grant, Lee, Sherman and Davis In The Mexican War 1846-1848

~ Eoin Purcell ~ Leave a comment

A short video review of The Training Ground: Grant. Lee, Sherman and Davis In The Mexican War, 1846-48 by Martin Dugard (ISBN: 978-0-316-16625-6).

I mention that I enjoyed the writing style but felt the short chapter structure was an annoying feature.
I also mention my bigger issue which was the absence of proper detail on the military aspects of the campaign and the fact that the Mexican side of the story is mostly ignored except for a very cursory analysis.

I encourage people to read the book however as is an enjoyable read despite its problems.

Defying Empire: Trading with the Enemy on Colonial New York

~ Eoin Purcell ~ Leave a comment

Eoin Purcell

Great books deserve better reviewers than I
So I was recently sent a review copy of Thomas M. Truxes’, Defying Empire: Trading with the Enemy in Colonial New York which was published by Yale University Press in 2008. Needless to say I completely failed in my mission to read the book and write a review in any kind of decent timeframe.

But I did read it and it is wonderful. The book covers a fascinating period in Colonial history when the British Empire was fighting a war with the French Empire and American merchants were intent to benefit from the trading opportunities despite the heavy presence of British soldiers and the fact that in name at least they were engaged in treason.

A book that creates and sustains a brilliant portrait of 18th Century New York and brings to life the intriguing political and mercantile world of that city under British rule. Well worth reading, 7 out of 10.
For some more detailed review on the book, try here, here, here or here.
I also decided to try something I have been toying with for a while, a video review. It is my my first such effort and is decidedly patchy, but here, in honour of along delayed review it is.

I hope someone enjoyed that!
Eoin

Some Monday afternoon history links

~ Eoin Purcell ~ Leave a comment

Eoin Purcell

A quick round up of ten historical subjects that warrant a movie being made about them. This is fascinating stuff and the blog is well worth reading.

A fascinating Wall Street Journal article that is designed to calm newspaper executives nerves but I think is more interesting for those with an interest in History.

Military History books still selling in the US, despite the downturn! Good news I think.

Not a bad day today,
Eoin