DURING THE WAR As can be seen in the series, the Welsh took part in almost every aspect of the war, and even though they didn't have their own regiments, some regiments contained a high proportion of Welshmen, notably the 146th New York Infantry and the 56th Ohio Regiment. More than one military call up happened during the war; most in service stayed for an agreed period, some for years, others for nine months only. It has to be remembered that men were also needed to keep the heavy industry going in the North, all of which helped in the war effort by keeping exports at a high level. Men such as John Williams and John Rowlands, both members of the 14th Regiment Vermont Volunteers, and who fought at Gettysburg, were in service for nine months before returning to the quarries of Vermont in the North. The Welsh who did take part fought and died alongside other immigrants - Irish, German and Polish amongst others. It's not possible to argue that any one battle killed more Welsh than anybody else, though when a battle such as Lookout Mountain (see timeline 1863), meant heavy losses for regiments form Ohio, this inevitably meant losses also for the Welsh communities of the North. The primary sources for the documentary series come from the letters and diaries written during the war itself, with many of the entries chronicling some of the major events of the war as well as the daily grind of being a soldier. Many of the letters ended up being published in the Welsh newspapers, and the stories would also find their way across the ocean to newspapers in the mother country such Yr Herald. These primary sources are scattered across many places in the United States and Wales, but one of the largest collections can be found at the National Library in Aberystwyth, including 80 letters by a young soldier called John Griffiths Jones, originally from Penisarwaun. These can now also be viewed online as part of the Gathering the Jewels Project. Because the US postal system worked well in this period, despite the war, many letter would reach North Wales describing the adventures of this soldier in the 23rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with replies sent back from his grandfather in Llanrug. Go to the timeline for more extracts from these sources. Even though there were some very famous people in this war who obviously had Welsh roots, notably Jefferson Davis, the Confederate leader, or heroes such as William Powell in Ohio, it would be true to say that there weren't any strong military traditions amongst the immigrant Welsh communities. Instead, they were very much a reflection of life in Wales, with the chapel and the eisteddfod and working hard to look after the family being the main priorities; whilst others were more than happy to send their sons to West Point, the famous military academy where most of the generals in the war had been trained, often as contemporaries, the Welsh community was happier to see its sons successful in business or working in the pits and quarries. The American Welsh The Welsh and Slavery During the War Attitudes in Wales