In 1878, one of the most infamous crimes in Gilded Age America stunned and captivated the nation: the corpse of Alexander Turney Stewart — an Irish immigrant turned millionaire merchant — was stolen from its grave in Manhattan and held for ransom.

What followed was a drawn out saga that dragged another Irishman into the spotlight: Patrick Henry Jones — a Civil War general, lawyer, and public servant — who found himself forced to act as reluctant go-between for the body snatchers and Stewart’s grieving widow. This is a story of grave robbing, coded newspaper ads, and the high-stakes politics of class, loyalty, and legacy in 19th-century New York. And at the centre of it all were two Irishmen — one dead, one in danger of losing everything.

We’re joined by historian Mark Dunkelman, biographer of Patrick Henry Jones and expert on the Stewart body snatching case, to dig into the truth behind the scandal that rocked Gilded Age America.

AT Stewart Dictionary of Irish Biography

Mark Dunkelman's Website: The Hardtack Regiment

Mark Dunkelman. Patrick Henry Jones- Irish American, Civil War General, and Gilded Age Politician (LUS Press, 2015).

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When most people think of American heiresses marrying into the British or Irish aristocracy, they might picture Cora Crawley from Downton Abbey—the wealthy American who brought her fortune (and a bit of drama) to an English estate. But Cora’s story wasn’t entirely fiction. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scores of American women crossed the Atlantic, bringing their wealth to some of Ireland’s most iconic estates.

In this episode, Fin and Damian explore the real-life stories behind these transatlantic marriages, as the elite of the Gilded Age wed into Victorian Ireland in its twilight years. We focus on three remarkable families who made their homes in mansions along the Wild Atlantic Way: Glenveagh Castle in Donegal, Kylemore House in Galway and Muckross House in Kerry.

Sound by Kate Dunlea.

Shownotes

Further Reading

Ita M. Murphy. Ladies of the Country House: Irish Aristocratic Women, 1870-1918.

Muckross House & Gardens

Kylemore Abbey

Glenveagh Castle

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One of the most famous Irish American organisations is the Fenians. In this episode, Damian and Fin are joined by Brennan MacDonald to explore the history of this enigmatic group. Brennan reveals how the Fenians harnessed the military experience gained in the US Civil War to challenge British rule in Ireland, and how their transatlantic networks shaped the struggle for Irish independence.

Further reading and source

John O'Mahony: Dictionary of Irish Biography

James Stephens: Dictionary of Irish Biography

Thomas Sweeny: Dictionary of Irish Biography

John O'Neill: Dictionary of Irish Biography

Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa: Dictionary of Irish Biography

Patrick Egan: Dictionary of Irish Biography

1867 Fenian Proclamation

Book Chapter: Caleb Richardson: "'The Failure of the Men to Come Up": The Reinvention of Irish AMerican Nationalism" in David Prior (ed.) Reconstruction in a Globalizing World

Book: Brian Jenkins: Fenians and Anglo-American Relations During Reconstruction

Book: Jack Morgan: Through American and Irish Wars: The Life and Times of General Thomas Sweeny

Article: Michae Kane: “American Soldiers in Ireland, 1865–1867.” The Irish Sword 23 (Summer. 2002)

Book: Jermiah O'Donovan Rossa: Rossa's Recollections on archive.org

Book: David Brundage: Irish Nationalists in America: The Politics of Exile, 1798-1998

Book: Susannah Ural: The Harp and the Eagle: Irish American Volunteers and the Union Army, 1861-1865

Book: Lucy Salyer: Under the Starry Flag: How a Band of Irish Americans Joined the Fenian Revolt and Sparked a Crisis in American Citizenship

Book: Francis Carroll: America and the Making of an Independent Ireland

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Over the course of the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Irish people moved to New York, leaving a lasting impact on the city. In this episode, Damian and Fin are joined by Dr. Elizabeth Stack and Danny Leavy to explore the legacy of these immigrants in the streets of NYC today. Danny and Elizabeth are historians and Irish immigrants living in New York, and they share unique insights into the city’s Irish past from the notorious Five Points to St. Peter's Church.

You can virtually follow along to the stops we feature in this episode by using our episode map- click on the arrows beside each stop to see a dropdown list of each location we visited which will be highlighted as you click on them. Find the map here: https://maphub.net/irishacw/transatlantic-podcast-s2-episode11-new-york-irish

Resources and Sources:

In Search of Cornelius Heeney- Video with Danny Leavy & Dr Ciarán Reilly

A.T. Stewart in the Dictionary of Irish Biography

William "Boss" Tweed in Britannica

Terry Golway Book: Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics

Tyler Anbinder Book: Five Points

Tyler Anbinder Book: Plentiful Country

Jacob Riis Profile & Images via International Center for Photography

Ronald Bayor & Timothy Meagher Book: The New York Irish

Louis Eisenstein & Elliot Rosenberg Book: A Stripe of Tammany's Tiger

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Gettysburg stands as one of the most iconic battles in American history, with thousands of Irish men fighting on both sides of the conflict. In this episode, Fin and Damian are joined by historian Harry Smeltzer to delve into the dramatic three days of the battle. Together, they uncover the pivotal roles played by Irish soldiers, share gripping stories from the front lines, and paint a vivid picture of what life was like on a Civil War battlefield.

Follow the story around the battlefield with this map (Click the arrow beside "Locations Mentioned" and "Monuments Mentioned" on the right of screen to expand the legend so you can see all the points mentioned in the show. You can follow along while listening and by clicking on each name will see where it is on the field.)

Harry Smeltzer Bull Runnings Website

American Battlefield Trust Overview and Maps of Battle of Gettysburg

Video of 69th Pennsylvania Infantry Position at Gettysburg

Photograph of James McKay Rorty

In Our Time: The Gettysburg Address

Sound: Kate Dunlea

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In 1881, Isabella Nugent wrote, “If having sexual intercourse made us man and wife, we were married.” Intimate, candid insights like this into the private lives of Irish people—both at home and abroad—are rare gems from the 19th century. Yet the private sex lives of our ancestors are just one of the many fascinating topics revealed in US Military Pension Files from that era.

After 15 years of research, Damian shares how you can unlock these invaluable resources to uncover the hidden stories of the past. From personal relationships to everyday struggles, these files offer a unique window into 19th-century lives that Irish history books often overlook.

The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America

Green & Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861-1865

Ordering Pension Files from the United States National Archives

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Ordinary people's letters provide the most immediate and intimate window into the lives of past Irish emigrants. In them are preserved their hopes, their fears and their stories. Now a new database brings thousands of these letters, written across four centuries, to our fingertips for the first time. In this episode, Damian chats with Breándán Mac Suibhne and Daniel Carey from the University of Galway's Imirce Project, discussing how it came about, how you can explore it, and what these letters reveal about the epic story of Irish migration.

Imirce Project Website

Kerby A. Miller. Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America

Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne

Professor Daniel Carey

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