New Book Explores The Life Of The Founder Of The Civil War Irish Brigade

09:44

March 18, 2016

This photo shows a scene from the Battle of Fredericksburg. The battle, which took place on Dec. 13-15, 1862, was a victory for the Confederate troops under Gen. Robert E. Lee. This photograph is the first taken of the American Army in combat. (Mathew B. Brady/AP)

The Irish potato famine killed thousands and drove more than 1 million people to emigrate, many to the United States. Thomas Meagher became a part of the Irish diaspora after leading an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow British rule on the islands.

Once in the U.S., Meagher formed the Irish Brigade, one of the fiercest fighting units in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Egan about his new book, “The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became An American Hero.”

Guest

Timothy Egan, author and New York Times columnist. He tweets @nytegan.

This segment aired on March 18, 2016.