Near the end of the Civil War, thirty percent of the Federal army were immigrants, mostly Irish, Scotch and German. In 1846 blight destroyed the potato which was a mainstay of the Irish diet. Families were reduced to poverty and starvation overnight. As an alternative to the hardships of surviving in their homeland, many Irish immigrated to the United States. They brought with them their culture and mores, including their musical heritage. Many of their songs were sung in Union and Confederate camps, in the evening, as a diversion from the perilous events of the day.

     One such song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", is pictured here (from the collection of Michael Yates). It was written by Patrick Gilmore who was born in Ireland and immigrated in 1849 to "Amerikay". This song became the favorite of both civilians and soldiers. Gilmore didn't get much credit for the song because he used a fictitious name, Louis Lambert. The song has a melody which is similar to several other Irish folk songs (like, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" and "Shule Agrooh"). It's thought that he brought the melody with him from Ireland.