Series 7 - James Carlisle letter abstracts

35pp

Kerby A. Miller created his transcripts of the Carlisle letters from microfilmed copies of the letters provided by PRONI [reference number MIC 143]. The original donor of the letters was Miss D.E.E. Quin of Ballycastle, County Antrim.

[This series contains outdated attitudes or language that does not reflect the current views or positions of the University of Galway Library. Reader discretion is advised.]
Transcripts of the James Carlisle letters, a set of 22 letters written by James Carlisle between 1851 and 1892 to family in Forkhill and Newry Town in Counties Armagh and Down. Carlisle emigrated in 1850 and his letters are written from Brooklyn, New York City, Washington D. C., and various locations where he was stationed while serving in the American Civil War.
Kerby A. Miller writes, 'nearly all the letters were sent to James Carlisle's sister and brother-in-law, Eliza and William Locke', and that 'James Carlisle emigrated to America c.1850, and worked for a time as a teacher, shop assistant and travelling salesman. On the advice of friends he commenced training as a lawyer, which he successfully completed c.1856-7. He joined the Union Army as a private in 1861, became a 1st Lieutenant in 1864. At the close of the Civil War he returned to Washington and established a legal practice.' Miller also notes that Carlisle was 'an Ulster Protestant, Civil War veteran, lawyer, and newspaper editor.' Carlisle died in Chicago in 1903.
The series contains copies of abstracts for the letters written by Kerby A. Miller, along with typed transcriptions of the letters provided by PRONI.

The reference copies of the letters, along with Kerby A. Miller's extensive research on Carlisle, are located in P155/47/1.