'That's she! I owe my Life to her'

John Francis Maguire

The Irish in America

1868

CHAPTER XXV (11) start of chapter

As a company of Confederate prisoners were marched through Washington, a Sister of Mercy who was passing was arrested by the exclamation, 'There she is! That's she! I owe my life to her. She attended me in the hospital. Oh, Sister!' The Sister approached, and as the prisoners were passing, the one who used these words rapidly dropped something into her hand. It was less than the widow's mite—it was a regimental button! But it was accepted in the spirit in which it was offered, as a memorial; and as such, I know, it is cherished.

The Irish in America, first published in 1868, provides an invaluable account of the extreme difficulties that 19th Century Irish immigrants faced in their new homeland and the progress which they had nonetheless made in the years since arriving on a foreign shore. A new edition, including additional notes and an index, has been published by Books Ulster/LibraryIreland:

Paperback: 700+ pages The Irish in America

ebook: The Irish in America

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