#OnThisDay 1865 General Lee surrendered to General Grant ending the American Civil War. Roughly 200,000 Irish born men served in this war with that number probably reaching 250,000 if including Irish-Americans. The war’s first deaths are two Irish men at Fort Sumter (Private Daniel Hough died during the 100 gun salute after the Fort surrendered not during the initial attack. The cannon he was loading exploded killing him outright & another Irish man who died days later.) & Brigadier General Tom Smyth from Ballyhooly, Cork was the last General to die in the conflict. He passed away the morning General Lee surrendered, having been mortally wounded by a sniper days earlier.
For more on the Irish involvement in the American Civil War listen to the interview I had with Damian Shiels here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-irish-at-war/id1365677620
