US Civil War Highland Regiments

[macneighill]

I like this thread already. Sorry, its the history freak in me :mrgreen: .

At any rate, my GGG Grandfather served as an Officer in the Confederate Army during the War Between the States (American Civil War for those that aren't too familiar with that term). Prior to the outbreak of the war, he was a blacksmith/gunsmith by trade. When hostilities began, he found himself making rifles for the Confederate Government. In 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate Army. Shortly after, he was appointed Surgeon of the 4th Georgia Infantry and, served in that position until his parole in May of 1865.

3 years into the war (1864), our family records quote him as saying " he longed for life to return to way it was prior to the war". He was no advocate for continuing the fighting. As our records state, he longed for peace and, to return to his life at home.

Records show my GGG Grandfather was born in South Carolina in 1825. We have/had family from all around where my GGG Grandfather was born. Prior to that, our records show (as we go further back in time) that, our family came from Western Scotland to Northern Ireland then, to Pennsylvania (late 1600's / early 1700's), eventually heading south into South Carolina, then finally settling in Northern Georgia in the 1830's.

[ForresterModern]

Those of fresh or remote scottish ancestry were arriving in America and settling the south from 1700 until the late 1800's, including Ulster scots (the Scots-Irish----formerly predominantly lowland scots purposely emigrated by the English in teh late 1600s to colonize Northern Ireland), lowland and highland scots in various waves driven by various religious, social, and economic forces both before and after the Civil War. Most who arrived before around 1830 settled predominantly in the south and their kin became the backbone of the Confederate Military machine, while those that arrived later did so more in the North as labor in the industirally progressive regions there. Most of them were NOT Ulster Scots but rather first generation highland and to a lesser degree, lowland , scots driven off there lands and across an ocean to find prosperity here, and bringing with them their fresh highland traditions. That is why the Union had defined Highland units, as they were "fresh from the boat" scots so to speak, verses the long entrenched southern scots who no longer considered themselves scottish for the most part, rather brothers in arms against the tyranny of a federal govt bent on telling them how to run their lives (something I beleive scots of any type just in general don't take much of a liking to).

[macwilkin]

Post deleted; reply sent via PM.

TJW

[wvpiper]

Those of fresh or remote scottish ancestry were arriving in America and settling the south from 1700
until the late 1800's, including Ulster scots (the Scots-Irish----formerly predominantly lowland scots purposely emigrated by the English in teh late 1600s to colonize Northern Ireland), lowland and highland scots in various waves driven b

The settlement of Ulster, by King James began approx 1609. A scattered few Ulster Scots, and mainland Scots, had trickled into America, but the 'Great Migration' didn't begin in earnest until 1717.

My ancestors--MacSuibhne...builders of Castle Sween on Loch Sween in Argyle (the Highlands, no?), and the oldest standing stone castle in Scotland...were, as I understand the term, Ulster Scots.

PS...one of the oldest (if the Scottish Tartan Authority is to be believed) tartans known is the Ulster which was purportedly found in a bog (somewhere in Ulster?) and supposedly dates to the early 1600's.

James excluded Highland Scots from the plantation, he didn't like the Highlanders, and didn't want to reinforce the Celtic Irish in Northern Ireland to which he was sending the planters. That said, it's not impossible that Highland Scots would have already been there(remember the Scoti came from Northern Ireland), or ever made the move, it's a short boat ride, which could also explain the Ulster tartan (which from the sounds of it could have been anything, a plaid, a women's dress, scarf, etc)

I don't dispute Lowland shepherds may have had a tartan plaid, or even that lowland men of the time may have had plaid pants (as to the pants, I 'think' it's either in The Scotch Irish or The History of Scotland by Smout. I know it's in Webb's book Born Fighting, but he cited one of the other two books ). I do dispute that they would have worn a kilt- at least in 1609 and forward.

I still agree with the main point that by the time of the civil war,they were Americans. I also agree with the assertion they didn't like being told what to do....