James McGavock Sr. was born in Glenarm, Co. Antrim in Febuary 1728. Around the year 1750 James sold his holdings to his brother, Randal, and left for America. The year of his passage or the ship's name is not known. James was able to pay for his passage and it is written that he paid for four young Irishmen's passage to keep them from becoming indentured servants. Starting with one pound he worked at manual labor threshing grain and ditching. He eventually purchased a wagon and team and hauled provisions for the army. In 1757 he bought a tract of land in Augusta County, VA and became a Virginia farmer. In 1760 he married Mary Cloyd also of Scots-Irish background, her family from Derry. During the American Revolution James McGavock was commissioned Militia Captain and served as a quartermaster. By the end of the century he had helped establish a courthouse, jail, church and a schoolhouse. He was able to give his 10 children a good education by bringing an Episcopal minister and teacher into his house. He sent his sons, David and Randal to the Cumberland Settlement at Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN) and with their education and background were able to acquire and defend land in the name of James McGavock. Randal William McGavock a great grandson wrote that James McGavock had a 'great vivacity of temper' and was a fearless citizen beholden to none. He died in 1812.
The Randal William McGavock mentioned would fight and die in the American Civil War. Randal William McGavock was born on August 10, 1826, in Nashville, Tennessee. His father would fight alongside the American President Andrew Jackson whose parents were from Carrickfergus. Randal would travel Europe, Asia and Africa working as a journalist before returning to Tennessee, even serving as Mayor of Nashville. Prior to the outbreak of Civil War in April 1861, McGavock already had command of a company of Militia which was predominantly Irish. During the war, he organized, outfitted, and served as lieutenant colonel of the 10th Tennessee Infantry ("Sons of Erin") in the Confederate States Army. In 1862, he succeeded to command of the 10th Tennessee at Fort Donelson when its colonel, Adolphus Heiman, was given command of a brigade. He was captured in the ensuing siege and imprisoned in Fort Warren on Georges Island in Massachusetts for five months. He was paroled in September 1862 and re-elected lieutenant colonel when the regiment was exchanged and reorganized. Upon Heiman's death from illness in November, McGavock became colonel of the 10th Tennessee and was killed in action leading a counter-attack at the Battle of Raymond in Mississippi on May 12, 1863.
To this day his portrait hangs in the Nashville Public Library.
From the nearby area we also have Lt-Colonel James Edward McGee who was born in Cushendall in 1830 and served as an officer in the famous 69th New York part of the unit organised by Irish exile, Thomas Francis Meagher who brought us the modern Tri-colour.
From the nearby Larne came Captain James Flemming of the 16th New York Volunteer Cavalry, who was the only officer of the 16th NYVC to be killed in combat.
From Belfast came Colonel Robert McMillian who served as the organiser and colonel of the 24th Georgia, who when fighting Union Irish shouted "Here comes Meagher's Brigade. Give it to them now boys!"
These are a select few from a list I have spent around a year researching of men from the counties that constitute Northern Ireland and their service in the American Civil War.
To close out is a poem penned by an unknown Ulster-Scots soldier of the 24th Georgia called "Green Admist the Blue and Grey"
As the dawn breaks, the sky is as yellow as hay
But on the ground, the only colours are blue and gray
The only sound to be heard, is praise of the one and the bird
But the sound of peace will soon be o’er, as the guns fire and cannon roar
Then they come, wave after wave, Irishmen all, the fool and the brave
As a scythe cuts through grass and weed, hundreds and hundreds fall down dead
Through the smoke, all that can be seen, amidst the blue is a flag of green
Here in the new world, who would have thought that Irish against Irish stood and fought.
For where they from is our home to, Irish is all both gray and blue
On they charged like their father's before, warriors them all from Erin's green shore
On we fight amidst the din, brother against brother what a sin
Then came the sound that filled our heart with fear, the sound of their steel, they must be near
We hold our ground, oh what folley, up we stand and fire one more volley
Down they fall as the buzzards feed, their blood soaked the earth like crimson seed
At last they turn, the battles done, but we all have lost, nobody has won
As the noise dies down and the smoke gives way, I can still see the green amidst the blue and the gray.