Between his Civil War service in the Massachusetts regiments and the 7th Cavalry, Ryan saw many "hard sights" on some 45 battlefields. In the Civil War, he fought at Secessionville, S.C.; Manassas and Chantilly, Va.; Antietam, Md.; Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, Va.; and Gettysburg, Pa. In his last battle with the 28th on Aug. 25, 1864, at Reams Station, Va., he was seriously wounded. Yet he survived the carnage of the Civil War as well as on the Plains against Indians at the Washita and Little Bighorn rivers.

In 1876, he returned to his home in West Newton, where he lived for 50 more years. More important for history, he wrote a 600-page memoir of his military career that included 475 pages on his experiences in the Indian wars.

Another 125 pages dealt with his Civil War career and provide an extraordinary look into the life of an enlisted man in the 28th Massachusetts, one of the hardest- fighting regiments in the Union Army. Despite its sterling record, little has been published about the 28th's unique role in the Union effort against the Confederacy. That's why Ryan's chronicling of his years in the 28th is so important.

With that in mind, AST Press is proud to announce the first publication of John Ryan's Civil War memoirs in Campaigning with the Irish Brigade: Pvt. John Ryan, 28th Massachusetts. Civil War historians, Irish Brigade enthusiasts and reenactors all will find much to savor in this unique account.

6 X 9, 224 pages,
83 illustrations and map

Cloth, 0-9618087-8-0, $29.95
Special leather limited edition, $100.00
Paper, 0-9618087-9-9, $21.95
 

What the experts are saying about Campaigning with the Irish Brigade:

     Although the exploits of the Irish Brigade continue to elicit deep interest among aficionados and casual students of the Civil War alike, it is remarkable how little primary material on the unit actually exists. Well, followers of the Wild Geese can take heart. Editor Sandy Barnard expertly steps into the breech to bring us Campaigning with the Irish Brigade: Pvt. John Ryan, 28th Massachusetts, the Civil War memoirs of infantryman John Ryan. Previously, Barnard published Ryan's reminiscences as a non-commissioned officer in the 7th U.S. Cavalry on the Great Plains (Ten Years with Custer, A 7th Cavalryman's Memoirs), a satisfyingly extensive manuscript that
 climaxed on Reno's Hill at the Little Bighorn. Now the reader can discover Ryan's Civil War exploits, a tour of duty that winds from the marshes of South Carolina through the wheat fields of Gettysburg. Especially interesting are Ryan's memories of camp life, a blend of wide-eyed innocence-Ryan was 16 when he enlisted-tempered by the bloodied realities of war. And while the Irishman's words colorfully narrate his passage, editor Barnard meticulously details the nooks and the crannies of the story, creating an illuminating sweep of shade and substance. With Campaigning with the Irish Brigade: Pvt. John Ryan, 28th Massachusetts, Sandy Barnard has produced both a fascinating tale of a young man's war and a worthy addition to the undersized bookshelf of the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War.

                                                                                                        Patrick Brennan
                                                    Author, Secessionville: Assault on Charleston


     Best known to historians as a stalwart first sergeant in Custer's 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Little Bighorn, John Ryan was also a proud veteran of the Civil War. Ryan's account of those four years of service trace his evolution from naive volunteer to battle-scarred veteran in the ranks of the 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry-a regiment of the famed Irish Brigade. His recently discovered memoir is a significant contribution to the historical record of those who followed the green banner through some of the bloodiest combat of America's bloodiest conflict.
                                                                 Brian Pohanka, Historical Consultant