Colonel Richard Byrnes (Donahoe’s Magazine)

Richard asked Father Corby to hear his confession, and afterwards handed the priest a slip of paper. It contained instructions on what he wanted done with his effects following his death. He also asked that the following letter be delivered:

May 17, 1864.

My Dear Ellen,

I am well. No fighting yesterday; but we expect some to-day. Put your trust and confidence in God. Ask His Blessing. Kiss my poor little children for me. You must not give up in despair- all will yet be well. My regiment has suffered much in officers and men. I am in good health and spirits. I am content. I fear nothing, thank Heaven, but my sins. Do not let your spirits sink; we will meet again. I will write you soon again; but we are going to move just now. Good-by, good-by; and that a kind and just God may look to you and  your children is my fervent prayer.

Richard. (2)

Richard Byrnes handed the pencil-written letter to Corby, asking him to send to his wife if, as he expected, he fell in the coming battle. But Richard did not die on 17th May. He survived Spotsylvania to take command of the Irish Brigade in time for their next battle, at Cold Harbor, Virginia. Here, just over two weeks after his feeling of impending death, Richard Byrnes was mortally wounded. He was transported to Washington, where Ellen was able to see him before he died a few days later. The correspondence he had handed to Father Corby remained in the Chaplain’s possession- although the foreboding felt by Richard Byrnes had ultimately proved well founded, the need for the letter’s delivery was overtaken by events. (3)

(1) Corby 1893: 237-8 (2) Ibid. (3) Ibid.

References & Further Reading

Corby, William 1893. Memoirs of Chaplain Life: Three Years in the Irish Brigade with the Army of the Potomac

Civil War Trust Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Page

Civil War Trust Battle of Cold Harbor Page

150 years ago this week the Battles of Second Bull Run and Chantilly were fought in Virginia. The engagements are amongst the least well-known of the 1862 clashes in the Eastern Theater, overshadowed as they are by the battles such as the Seven Days, Antietam and Fredericksburg. However for the 28th Massachusetts Infantry these fights took centre stage, as the Irishmen suffered brutal casualties across two bloody days on 30th August and 1st September. How did their families hear news of their loved ones fate?

During the American Civil War some family members were fortunate to hear news of a loved ones wounding or death from a friend or relative, but for many it was a harrowing trawl through the casualty lists of the local newspaper that brought them the information they feared. Many of the larger newspapers had correspondents travelling with the armies, and following an engagement these men would visit units from their native State to record the names of the fallen. Such accounts often included the type of wound the soldiers sustained, and whether it was considered slight or severe. It would have been a nerve-wracking but all too regular routine for relatives and friends to check this lists after news of a big engagement, each time hoping they had been spared the worst.

The 28th Massachusetts Infantry were an Irish regiment initially intended for service in the Irish Brigade. However circumstances intervened and the 28th did not join up with the famous brigade until November 1862. Amongst the Irishmen’s most severe tests before this time was at Second Bull Run and Chantilly, where they suffered heavy losses in fighting on 20th August and 1st September respectively. During two days of fighting across just three days the regiment sustained over 200 casualties. Below is the sobering casualty report exactly as it was presented one week later in the Boston Daily Advertiser of 8th September 1862. For many family members, it must have been while reading these lines that the first horror of what Second Bull Run and Chantilly had cost them was realised. The names of many of the men in the list have been misspelt (e.g. Captain ‘Carahu’ should read Caraher) and it is likely that at least some of the details regarding the severity (or slightness) of the soldiers wounds was inaccurate. However, it provided vital information for those at home trying to deal with the worry and anguish that was the lot of those left behind.

Pension application for Margaret Gibbons, the widow of Barney Gibbons of Company K. Margaret would have received the news in September 1862 that her husband had been killed at the Battle of Chantilly. (Fold 3)

LOSSES IN MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENTS

The Journal’s correspondent furnishes the following list of the casualties in the New England regiments under General Burnside, which participated in the recent battles in Virginia:

List of killed, wounded and missing of the 28th Mass. Volunteers, commanded by Major George W. Cartwright, in the engagement of Aug. 30, near the old Bull-Run battle ground:

Killed.-Co.A- Corporal William Casey.

Co.C- Lieut. Wm. H. Flynn, corporal M. J. Coffee (color-bearer.)

Co.F- Bartholomew Durrant, Oliver H. Hodgeden.

Wounded.- Co.A- Sergt. John J. Cooley, in arm; Corporal John Cross, in foot; Thos. Donohoe, in breast; John Murphy, in leg; Garrett Barry, in arm; Hugh McIntire, in arm; Charles Doherty, in breast; Thomas Kenedy, Jr., in arm.

Co.B- Jesse Pollard, in hand; Corporal Patrick N. Bird, in shoulder; John Fitzgerald, in breast, severely; Philip Donohoe, in leg; Thomas Maloney, in leg; Robert Swain, in leg; Keyron McCoy, in breast; Corporal Wm. Ryan, in breast; John Meagher, in breast; M. Vey, in breast; Thomas Condon, in breast; Patrick Carr, in breast; John How, in breast; Asa Snider, in breast.

Co.C- Sergeant James Hotten, wounded and missing; Sergeant J.P. Quigley, slightly; Corporal N.J. Donally, wounded and missing; Corporal Wm. O’Neil, wounded and missing; James Cahill, wounded and missing; Gerrett Collins, wounded and missing; Henry Barton, wounded and missing; Wm. Corwin, wounded and missing; Edward Dwyer, slightly in neck; Martin Kirk, in leg; Edward McGrony, wounded and missing; Thomas Wheeler, wounded and missing; Patrick McSweeney, wounded and missing.

Co.D- Lieut. Buckley, in leg, severely; Acting Lieut. John Still, arm, slightly; Sergeant Patrick Dwyer (color bearer), legs, severely; Corporal Andrew Colligan, in leg; Hugh Mitchell, in leg; Wm. Clory, in leg; John Shanley, in leg; Robert Lesley, in leg; Cornelius Slatterry, in leg; George Brunt, in leg; Bernard Mullen, mortally.

Co.E- Corporal Miles E. Ferguson, wounded and missing; James McNall, wounded and missing; James Goonen, wounded and missing; Laurens F. Langley, bullet in neck, not serious; James Burns, Thomas Huger, Charles McVey, Steven Regan.

Co.F- Sergeant Thomas Hurley, in groin; Corporal Joseph F. Phillips, in thigh; Corporal Wm. H. Prey, in thigh; Michael Fosbery, in thigh; Thomas Lubray, in hand; James Daley, in bowels, serious; Hugh Campbell, in leg; John Murphy, in head; Patrick Power, in bowels; Patrick Erwin, in mouth.

Co.G- Orderly Sergeant E. O’Brien, in hip, slightly; Corporal A.G. Weller, in hand; P. Hews, in arm; P. Hanlon, in neck; Henry McDavitt, in leg; John Healey, in head; John Seymour, in hand; Simon Walsh, in thigh;

Co.H- Patrick Stinson, in thigh; John Concannon, in leg; John Hickey, in neck; Michael Dolon, in leg; James Flynn, arm broken; Patrick Golden, in legs; Cornelius Murphy, in leg, missing; Michael Spencer, arm, missing; William H. Chatfield, arm, missing.

Co.I- Sergeant Wm. Bert, wounded and missing; Albert M. Blair, slightly in leg; Michael Galvin, slightly in leg; Phillip Galligan, slightly in leg; Patrick Hurley, slightly in knee; Daniel Kilcher, severely in head; Thomas Sellon, severely in leg; Timothy McCarty, in knee; Phillip Rand, in leg; William Walsh, in finger (taken prisoner and parolled.)

Co.K- G.F. Kenney, M. Millon (both missing); Lieut. Kilhon, slightly in thigh; Sergt. Maguire, in leg; Patrick Kenney, in side; Michael Levin, in hands, severely; R. Mullon, in thigh; Thomas Shine, in leg and body; David Rosch, in jaw, severely, and missing; Wm. O’Donnell, thumb; Timothy McCormack, arm, severely.

Surgeon P.A. O’Connell and Assistant Surgeon George W. Snow were taken prisoners, they volunteering to remain in hospital and attend the wounded.

Major Cartwright, wounded in head by piece of shell; Capt. Carahu, (acting Major,) slightly, in head.

Killed, wounded and missing in same regiment, Sept. 1, Capt. A.P. Carahu commanding, in consequence of Major Cartwright being wounded:-

Killed. Co.A- Patrick Callahan, shot through head; Timothy Kent, Patrick McCole, James Phillips, shot through heart.

Co.B- Serg’t Timothy Cookey, private Timothy Leary.

Co. C- George W. Hall.

Co.F- Patrick Mitchell; Lieut. Alexander Barrett was wounded in breast, supposed mortally;

Co.K- Barney Gibbons, Patrick C. Sullivan.

Wounded. Co.A- Sergeant James A. McIntire, in shoulder and hand; Corporal Jeremiah Murphy, severely; Corporal Michael Carnes, in leg; Thomas Clark, in leg; John Crocker, in arm, slightly; Morris Cahill, in leg, slightly; John Duffy, in head; Dennis Day, in hip; Chas. Fennon, in arm; Bernard McIntire, in hand, slightly; Corporal Patrick Riley, in breast, severely.

Co.B- Charles Mahon, in leg; Sergeant Gibbons, in leg; Bernard Manning, in breast; Michael Hanley, in wrist; Sergeant Gray, wounded and missing; Bernard Wren, wounded and missing.

Co.C- Michael O’Donnel, wounded and missing; Hugh Maginnis, wounded and missing; Daniel Hanley, same; Corporal Daniel McGrath, wounded in hand; Thomas O’Brien, in arm; Jeremiah O’Brien, in head; Michael Cavanaugh, severely; Michael Carey, severely.

Co.D- Sergeant John Fitzpatrick, severely; Sergeant John Hannagan, severely; Patrick Powderly, slightly, James Heberts, severely; Stepehen Cronan, severely; Wm. Dolan, severely; Robert Lowder, slightly; Andrew Gilaly, slightly.

Co.E- Corporal Wm. Boynton, severely; Joseph A. Shirley, severely; Corporal Charles Goulding, Patrick Looby, James Daley, Michael Cotey, Patrick Higgins, James Taylor, David Corkloud, Michael Casmon, Lieut. James McArlde, in arm.

Co.F- Lieut. Alex Barrett, in breast; Sergt. Phillip Cavanaugh, in leg; Sergt. Geo. H. Farnham, in leg; Pat Gainer, in leg; David Tyler, in thigh; James McAboy, in head and arm; Henry Shoefer, in knee; James Coyle, in foot; Michael Coyle, in hand; Edward Sergeant, in mouth, severely; John Luth, in ankle; Peter Ready, in knee.

Co.G- W.H. Frizzle, in hand; Andrew Caswell, in hand; David S. Webber, in hand; Jas. Winn, missing.

Co.H- Jas. Short, breast, severely; John Meagher, severely; John Turner, arm broken; Thomas Blanchard, in groin; James McSweeney, in leg; Wm. Hallegen, in arm; Peter Ring, in side.

Co.I- Charles Flannegen, seriously in leg; Lewis L. Crosby, slightly in side; Corporal John Tifft, severely in shoulder; John Killien, slightly in hand; John Kelly, in side; John Chadbourn, in chin; Noah Linacott, in leg; Richard Powers, severely in leg; Laurens Clark, in arm; James Goodwin, missing.

Co.K- John Griffin, finger off; Thos. Curly, same; John Moore, in thigh slightly; John Mahon, in side slightly; Barney Baxter, in leg slightly; Maurice Condon, in leg slightly; Patrick Lowrey, in thigh; Edward Farrell, in thigh.

References & Further Reading

Boston Daily Advertiser 8th September 1862. Losses in Massachusetts Regiments

Civil War Trust Battle of Second Bull Run Page

Civil War Trust Battle of Chantilly Page

One of the green flags carried by the 28th Massachusetts Infantry (Wikimedia Commons)

Peter Welsh appears to have been a born soldier, and on St. Patrick’s Day 1863 he had his proudest moment when he was promoted to carry the regiment’s green flag. His letters are in the main written to his wife, Margaret, and many seek to allay her concerns for his safety and to justify his service in the army. When she expressed her fears that he would be even more of a target when carrying the colors, Welsh wrote a detailed explanation to counter this, telling her ‘there is no such thing as taking shure aim in the battlefield’ and that ‘those on either side of the colors…are more likely to get struck then the color bearer’. His attempts to protect his wife as much as possible from the brutal reality of warfare are heart-warming. (2)

Peter Welsh fought with the 28th Massachusetts from South Mountain to Spotsylvania. On 15th May 1864 he wrote the following letter to Margaret:

Washington May 15th/64

My dear wife

i write those few huried lines to let you know that i got slightly wounded on the 12th  it is a flesh wound in my left arm  just a nice one to keep me from any more fighting or marching this campaign  we have had a prety tough time of it  we had been 8 days constantly fighting before i got hit  that was the greatest battle of the war  we licked saucepans out of them  My dear wife i think i can get sent to new york to hospital  if not i will get a sick furlow to go home  Dudly Burns has lost the first finger of his left hand  James was all right when i left the front  my dear wife do not be uneasy about me  i am all right here  give my love to all our friends  God bless and protect you  write to me as soon as you get this and send me five dollars if you can  good by for the present

your loving husband

Peter Welsh 

Pieces of Peter Welsh's left ulna removed during surgery, with the deformed bullet at top (Medical and Surgical History)

Margaret rushed to her husband’s side. He had been sent to Carver Hospital in Washington, where on 14th May Surgeon O.A. Judson reported his injury as a ‘gunshot wound of left forearm, by a conoidal ball, producing compound comminuted fracture of inferior third of left ulna. On 17th May, two days after Welsh had written to his wife, Acting Assistant Surgeon J.S. Wentz operated on his injury, removing broken pieces of his ulna and the bullet. After the procedure he was apparently doing well, but his health began to deteriorate on 20th May. It transpired that he was suffering from pyaemia, a type of blood poisoning. Color Sergeant Peter Welsh died on 28th May 1864. Margaret, who must have been distraught, sent a telegram to her uncle in New York; it read simply ‘HE IS DEAD AND WILL BE IN NYORK IN MORNING’. Peter Welsh is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens, New York. His war letters remain, providing us with some of the most insightful and poignant information on the Irish experience of the American Civil War. (3)

(1) Welsh 1986: 4, 81; (2) Welsh 1986: 156 (3) Welsh 1986: 156-157, Otis 1876: 959;

References

Otis, George A. 1876. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of Rebellion, Part 2, Vol. 2, Surgical History

Welsh, Peter (edited by Lawrence Kohl with Margaret Cossé Richard) 1986. Irish Green and Union Blue: The Civil War Letters of Peter Welsh, Color Sergeant, 28th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers