Capt. James Turner, who used the nom de plume Gallowglass, was an attorney from Jersey City, NJ. Turner was a member of the 2nd NJ militia, a 90 day unit, during the early days of the American Civil War. While in the 2nd he wrote articles for the "Irish American" under the pen name of "Jersey Blue."

It was later, however, as a Lt. in the 88th NY, Irish Brigade, assigned as a member of General Thomas Francis Meagher's staff, that he would gain fame writing of the exploits of the Brigade for the "Irish American" under the pen name of "Gallowglass."

Turner, by then a captain, was wounded at Antietam and away from the Brigade until he recovered in the spring of 1864. Unfortunately, he was shot in the head and killed at the Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864. He was buried in Jersey City, leaving a wife and small child behind.

The word Gallowglass comes from the Irish, gallóglaich, meaning "foreign warrior." Gallowglass were mercenary warriors who first came to Ireland from Scotland and the Western Isles in the 13th century. Eventually they became very Irish. From the 13th century until the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, Gallowglass made up a large part of almost all Irish armies. English writers of the time said the Gallowglass were, "valiant and hardy .... burly of body, well and strongly timbered."