Little is known about Bridget’s life in the years leading up to the Civil War, other than that she was born in Ireland and followed her husband to the front when he enlisted in the 1st Michigan Cavalry. The 1st Michigan would become famed as part of George Armstrong Custer’s Michigan Brigade, which were known as the Wolverines. It has become difficult to unpick the reality of Michigan Bridget from the myth; one of the most dramatic accounts of her time at the front is attributed to the Battle of Fair Oaks in 1862:

Suddenly the Union line gave way and retreated in part, leaving the wounded exposed to merciless fire. One soldier, prone upon the ground with a shattered leg, raised his hand after the retreating troops. From the horde of fugitives dashed “Irish Biddy,” soiled by the bullets that had swept through her clothing. On her head rested a regulation Army cap, fastened with the necessary feminine hatpin. Her hair had escaped from its confinement and was whipping about her face, that was begrimed as her clothing. “Irish Biddy” reached the side of the wounded soldier- who was her husband. He was too feeble to help himself. The woman raised him to his feet and… she half dragged and half carried him across the battlefield. [Returning to the regiment] “Irish Biddy” stood and looked at them. Her eyes were blazing with scorn. Pulling her battered cap from her head, and waving it high as she could reach, she shouted: “Arrah, go in, boys, and bate the bloody spalpeens, and revinge me husband! Go in, and God be with ye!”. Three thundering cheers for “Irish Biddy” rang through their regiment as it plunged into the maelstrom of death. (1)

Although a superb story, it seems unlikely that the woman referred to in this account could actually have been Bridget Diver, as the 1st Michigan Cavalry were not engaged at Fair Oaks. It is possible that it refers to the actions of another Irish woman, as a number of accounts do survive which suggest at least some took an active part in the 1862 campaigns (see for example previous posts here and here).

‘Michigan Bridget’, Bridget Diver, as she was portrayed in post war illustrations (From Livermore 1889)

Despite the doubts cast over her presence at Fair Oaks, other accounts bear testament to how universally loved she was not only in her own unit but in Custer’s entire brigade. She became a ‘vivandiere’ or daughter of the regiment, and accompanied the 1st Michigan wherever it went. Her roles were many and varied, ranging from cooking and washing to acting as a sanitary commission agent, nurse, hospital steward and ward master. She is even said to have looked after the men’s spiritual well-being, seeking papers and books from the Christian Commission on their behalf. (2)

As well as performing her other roles, Bridget was also not averse to picking up a musket when the opportunity presented itself. Mary Livermore, who worked for the United States Sanitary Commission during the war and afterwards was a well-known advocate of women’s rights, said of the Irishwoman that: ‘Sometimes when a soldier fell she took his place, fighting in his stead with unquailing courage. Sometimes she rallied retreating troops- sometimes she brought off the wounded from the field- always fearless and daring, always doing good service as a soldier.’ (3)

Some of those who came into direct contact with Bridget have left a record of their impressions. Charlotte E. McKay, a Civil War nurse, recorded meeting Bridget at City Point, Virginia on 28th March, 1865:

‘Bridget- or as the men call her, Biddy- has probably seen more of hardship and danger than any other woman during the war. She has been with the cavalry all the time, going out with them on their cavalry raids- always ready to succor the wounded on the field- often getting men off who, but for her, would be left to die, and, fearless of shell or bullet, among the last to leave. Protected by officers and respected by privates, with her little sunburnt face, she makes her home in the saddle or the shelter-tent; often, indeed sleeping in the open air without a tent, and by her courage and devotion “winning golden opinions from all sorts of people.” She is an Irish woman, has been in the country sixteen years, and is now twenty-six years of age.’

Charlotte went on to describe a conversation she had with Bridget regarding the whereabouts of a little horse that she had seen in her possession the previous year, which amply illustrates the risks that Biddy took: ‘”Where is the nice little horse you had with you at the hospital last summer, Bridget?” “Oh, Moseby captured that from me. He came in while I was lying asleep on the ground, and took my horse and orderly. I jumped up and ran away.”‘ (4)

Another woman who met Bridget was Rebecca Usher; she recorded the story in a letter home on 7th April 1865. It illustrates not only why Bridget was so beloved by the men of the regiment, but also indicates that she had made friends in high places:

‘A few days ago I saw Bridget, who came out with the First Michigan Cavalry, and has been with the regiment ever since. She had just come in with the body of a captain who was killed in a cavalry skirmish. She had the body lashed to her horse, and carried him fifteen miles, where she procured a coffin, and sent him home. She says this is the hardest battle they have had, and the ground was covered with the wounded. She had not slept for forty-eight hours, having worked incessantly with the wounded. She is brave, heroic, and a perfect enthusiast in her work. Bridget said to me, in her earnest way, “Why don’t you ladies go up there, and take care of those wounded men? Why, its the worst sight you ever saw. the ground is covered with them.” “We should like to go,” I said, “but they won’t let us.” “Well, they can’t hinder me,”  she said; “Sheridan won’t let them.”‘ (5)

Although she was adored by the Wolverines, there was certainly one man who was not pleased to make Bridget’s acquaintance during the war. A fascinating record of the incident survives in a report Bridget made on 11th July 1863, while based in Washington D.C., and which demonstrates how seriously she took the cause of Union:

Washington D.C. July 11th 1863

Mrs. Deavers, attached to the 1st Michn Cavalry.

States at a house on D Street between 6th and 7th, a man named Shaw, said if the Yankee soldiers should enter Richmond, he hopes every one of them would be sunk in the lower pits of Hell, and all he wanted was to get across the lines, to take up arms, and he would kill and poison every man, woman and child, belonging to the Yankees, that he would come across. I told him he ought to be struck dumm in the morning on the side walk, he said if I did not hold my tongue he would strike me. He said his heart and soul was for the south, and he wanted to go there. He was requested by a Captain and a Paymaster (boarding in the same house) to come to Provost Marshals, He said there was no Yankee he would take an oath for. Shaw was arrested yesterday by a citizen, he said there was nothing done to him. Mrs. Deavers boards with Mrs. Sutton on E Street one door from 6th St. West. (6)

The report of Bridget Deavers (Diver) regarding Shaw’s Southern sympathies. Note her mark in the bottom right corner (Fold 3)

Aside from revealing her patriotism, this document also provides another piece of information about Bridget; she was unable to write. The bottom right of the report bears her mark, indicating she could not sign her name. Her fate after the war remains obscure, although it is thought that she followed her husband (and the army) west to continue her service attached to the military. Other than this no further details are known about her later life.

Despite the sketchy knowledge we have of Bridget, it is clear that she left a lasting impression on all those she encountered during the war, particularly the men of the 1st Michigan and Custer’s Wolverines. For half a century after the war’s conclusion newspaper reports and publications on women during the Civil War regularly carried Bridget’s story, telling of different aspects of her wartime career, such as her narrow escape from the clutches of the enemy at the Battle of Cedar Creek, how she rallied a wagon train of retreating soldiers, and her decision to spend a purse of $300 given for her comfort on the men of her regiment. An 1892 article described ‘Michigan Bridget’ to their readers: ‘She was Irish, with all the Irish characteristics as to features and form, and though she had a temper as warm as her hair was red, she was jolly and full humor, which made her a most acceptable companion at all times.’ So little is known of Bridget’s life that it remains a mystery if this is an accurate description of her appearance. What is certain is that she was one of the most notable Irish women to serve at the front during the course of the American Civil War. (7)

* Bridget’s name is also variously given as Divers, Deaver(s) and Devens

(1) Oregonian 4th June 1911; (2) Hall 1993: 28, Moore 1867:109; (3) Livermore 1889:116-119; (4) McKay 1876:125; (5) Moore 1867: 461-462; (6) Union Citizen Files; (7) Moore 1867: 109-112, Washington Evening Star 21st September 1892;

References

Oregonian 4th June 1911. Heroic Women at the Cannons Mouth in the Civil War

Washington D.C. Evening Star 21st September 1892. Irish Biddy

Hall, Richard. 1993. Patriots in Disguise: Women Warriors of the Civil War

Livermore, Mary A. 1889. My Story of the War: A Woman’s Narrative 

McKay, Charlotte E. 1876. Stories of Hospital and Camp 

Moore, Frank. 1867. Women of the War

The furling of a Civil War era flag at the Martin McHugh Ceremony, April 21, 2012 (Photograph: Paula Hurst)

I was recently contacted by a reader of the site, Paula Hurst, to let me know that Martin was going to be remembered in a ceremony at his gravesite in Danville, Illinois on 21st April last. Having lain in an unmarked grave for 117 years, the Irishman was finally to receive a marker befitting his wartime service. Martin’s grave was discovered following an enquiry by Medal of Honor Historical Society researcher Ray Johnston to Machelle Long of the Vermilion County Clerk’s Office. Ray is working to locate as many Medal of Honor burial sites as he can, and together with Machelle their efforts helped to identify Martin and his wife Catherine’s grave in Resurrection Catholic Cemetery. The Federal government supplied a marker for the site, and a ceremony was arranged to mark the occasion by Larry Weatherford. This consisted of a one hour memorial service at the Church, and a dedication at the graveside with speeches from the Mayor, County Board Chairman, State Senator and State Representative. The event drew to a close with a reception at the local war museum.

The Martin McHugh Information Panel (Photograph: Paula Hurst)

The efforts of individuals like Ray Johnston and Machelle Long, combined with the dedication of the people of Danville, have helped this forgotten Irishman to be appropriately recognised. It is humbling to see such efforts taking place in the United States, particularly when the majority of these men remain little-remembered in the country of their birth. It is to be hoped that over the coming years this will change, and the example of the people of Danville will be followed in Ireland.

The Marker for Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Martin McHugh (Photograph: Paula Hurst)

*I am greatly indebted to Paula Hurst for alerting me to this ceremony and for supplying details of the event. Paula also kindly gave permission for her photographs of the dedication to be reproduced here.

References

Broadwater, Robert P. 2007. Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients

Proft, R.J.(ed.), 2002. United States of America’s Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and their Official Citations, Fourth Edition

The Donegal man had been captured on 12th October 1863 in Jefferson, Virginia, during the action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. In December 1863 he found himself in the Pemberton prison in Richmond, Virginia. Located opposite the notorious Libby prison in the Confederate capital, the Pemberton building was a large former tobacco warehouse that was thirty feet wide and ninety feet deep, with three floors. During Dougherty’s time there it accommodated some 700 Federal prisoners.  The Irishman recorded the harsh conditions of life as a prisoner of war, although by his own admission ‘no one can form an idea of what suffering there is here, and no pen can describe the hardships we have to endure.’ (1)

Michael Dougherty kept a prison diary during his confinement to pass the time. On 1st December 1863 he recorded that his room contained 300 men, kept in a space of 30 by 90 feet, lying all over the floor. They were treated ‘more like hogs then men’ and they were packed so tightly that it was impossible to move around. To pass the time the half-naked soldiers spent much of the day catching lice, with mealtime offering the only distraction. The rations they received were often paltry- on the 9th December the men received only two biscuits and four ounces of pork each. As conditions worsened a large proportion of the prisoners began falling ill, and were removed to hospital. The 12th December was Dougherty’s two month anniversary as a prisoner, and he already estimated his weight loss at 25 pounds. Those who became sick could not lift themselves from the floor in the cramped conditions, and risked the additional injury of being trampled by other inmates. (2)

Michael Dougherty, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, in later life

On the 20th December the Confederate Quartermaster called the prisoners together, telling the men that boxes had arrived for some of them. A month previously, on 23rd November, the 19 year old Donegal man had written to his mother in Bristol, Pennsylvania, asking her to send him a Christmas present with some ‘shirts and notions’ in it. Now was the time Michael would find out if his mother had been successful. All the men remained silent and expectant as the names of those lucky few who were to receive boxes was read out. At last, Michael’s name was called; the Irishman recorded in his diary: ‘Oh! how glad I was when I heard that name!’ (3)

Delighted, the young man went to receive his parcel, which was being checked by the guards. One of the Confederates decided to keep a book for himself, ‘The Collegians of Ireland’ but Dougherty said nothing, as that would guarantee that all of the contents would be confiscated. Afterwards, the unfortunate men who had not received any packages crowded around to see what treats the Irishman had received. His mother had sent him a large sweet cake, tea, coffee and sugar, salt, pepper, ham, beef tongues, writing paper and envelopes, two pairs of drawers and shirts and some stockings. According to the cavalryman this Christmas present was ‘more appreciated than any I ever received.’ (4)

Some of the men’s packages were stolen that night, but luckily Michael’s remained safe. Prisoners from his company took turns in keeping watch on his prized possession. On the 21st December he shared some of his tea with the sick men around him, while wishing he had enough for everyone to enjoy. Luxury came at a price, however. In his emaciated state Michael ate too much, and by the 23rd December he had become sick as a result. That night, Webb and Gallagher, fellow prisoners from the 13th Pennsylvania, kept watch on Michael’s box. On Christmas Eve the Donegal man was sufficiently well recovered to stand sentry over it himself, accompanied by another comrade named Culberson. Starving prisoners attempting to steal any food they could get their hands on made such precautions necessary. (5)

Eventually Christmas Day arrived. Michael Dougherty recorded the day in his diary:

Christmas Day, 1863, and still in the Confederacy. Thinking of our friends at home, enjoying themselves, and condition we are in. The most barbarous country would hardly treat a prisoner thus. One of my regiment died last night. It was a relief to a great deal of suffering. There was a hole under his arm large enough to put your fist in. Rations two biscuits, half a loaf of corn dodger and two spoonfuls of molasses, for our Christmas present, but I will attend to my box to-day. The Richmond papers state that the stench from the prison is endangering the health and the lives of all in the City, and it would be well to remove those “Lincoln hirelings” to where scant fare and cold weather would reduce them in number; consequently we will be removed to Bell Isle. (6)

Michael Dougherty and his comrades were removed to Belle Isle prison, and would later be taken to the most notorious camp operated during the American Civil War- Andersonville. The Irishman was so ill in Christmas 1864 that he could not record his thoughts in his diary, as he was close to death and confined to the camp hospital. Miraculously he survived, and the hardy trooper would get the opportunity to spend Christmas 1865 with his family and loved ones in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, many of his comrades who crowded around his parcel in Richmond that December night in 1863 were not so fortunate; for many, that miserable winter in Pemberton was to be their last.

(1) Dougherty 1908: 9, 14; (2) Dougherty 1908: 14-17; (3) Dougherty 1908: 11, 18-19; (4) Dougherty 1908:18-19; (5) Dougherty 1908: 19; (6) Dougherty 1908: 20;

References

Dougherty, Michael (edited by James T. Navary) 2009. The Prison Diary of Michael Dougherty: Union Survivor of Two Years Confinement in Confederate Prisons (1st Edition 1908)

MIchael Corcoran of the 69th New York State Militia at Bull Run, where he was captured (Currier & Ives)

James Haggerty’s parents could not have envisioned that their son would one day participate in such a momentous battle when he was born in rural Glenswilly, Co. Donegal around the year 1816. His early years were spent in his native county, where he took a position as an apprentice house carpenter. It was not until he was in his late twenties that he first left Ireland, moving to Scotland in 1844 where he plied his trade for a number of years. The horrendous conditions in Ireland during the famine of the 1840s undoubtedly played a part in his decision to emigrate with his brother Bryan to the United States in 1849. (1)

James spent time in Philadelphia before settling in New York, where he established his own business in 1856 as a house carpenter and builder, setting up his office at 70 Bleeker Street. He also started a family around this time, marrying Elisa Bentley from Limerick. His first daughter, Anne died when she was only three days old in 1858. Another daughter Rosina was born in 1859. The Federal Census called to the Haggerty household on the 18th June 1860, just over a year before the Battle of Bull Run. James is recorded as a 40 year old carpenter living with 23 year old Elisa and one year old Rosina in the 1st District of the 17th Ward. (2)

James Haggerty 'Carpenter', his wife Elisa and infant daughter Rosina as they appear on the 1860 Census, just over a year prior to Bull Run (Image via Footnote)

The Donegal man was a dedicated Fenian, as were many other Irishmen in the city. Some chose to join New York State Militia units to gain military experience for a planned future rebellion in Ireland. Haggerty had already served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 75th Regiment prior to its disbandment in 1856. When Michael Corcoran was made Colonel of the 69th New York State Militia in 1859, he brought James Haggerty on board as Captain of Company A. He was a popular officer and a strict disciplinarian, and his command earned the nickname ‘Haggerty’s Bullies’. When the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861 and President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers, James Haggerty and the 69th New York State Militia answered. (3)

The Irish New Yorkers went off to war on 23rd April 1861. After a week guarding a railroad junction they were sent to Arlington Heights, Virginia, where they constructed Fort Corcoran (named for the regiment’s commander) overlooking the Potomac. A smaller fort was also built to provide cover to the southern slope of this position, and was christened Fort Haggerty. On the 16th July the 69th moved out from their fortifications, as the campaign that would culminate in the Battle of Bull Run had begun. (4)

Officers of the 69th New York State Militia pose beside one of the guns in Fort Corcoran prior to the Battle of Bull Run (Library of Congress)

The 69th formed part of Colonel William Tecumseh Sherman’s brigade for the duration of the campaign. James Haggerty was to serve as acting Lieutenant-Colonel for the regiment during the days ahead, as Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Nugent had been injured following a fall from his horse. He did not have to wait long to prove his worth. On the 18th July an engagement at Blackburn’s Ford took place, a fight in which the Union troops were forced to retreat. As the 69th advanced to support the attacking units, they encountered another Union regiment moving in the opposite direction. Mistaking their comrades for Rebels, the Irish were about to fire on them when Haggerty ‘dashed along the line and struck the bayonets up with his sword,- his keen eye, which never ceased its watchful care, having detected the error of his men’. During a subsequent artillery barrage the men of the 69th were ordered to lie down, but Haggerty chose to set an example, standing erect on the right of the line.*(5)

The 21st July 1861 arrived, and Haggerty and his men were about to face their first serious engagement. In the early phase of the Battle of Bull Run they preformed a holding role at Stone Bridge while a strong Union force moved to flank the Confederate left by crossing at upstream fords. The fight had already been raging for some time when the Irishmen eventually got the order to cross Bull Run creek. They were to form a junction with the already engaged main attacking force; to do so Sherman’s brigade had to negotiate Rebels who were in the process of retreating from their positions on Matthews Hill to a new line on Henry Hill. The march of the 69th was bringing them up on the right and right-rear of some of these withdrawing Confederates.

Having crossed the creek the Irishmen moved into a meadow, and found the woods to their front filled with a number of retreating Rebels. William Tecumseh Sherman describes what happened next: ‘Lieutenant- Colonel Haggerty, of the Sixty-ninth, without orders, rode out and endeavored to intercept their retreat. One of the enemy, in full view, at short range, shot Haggerty, and he fell dead from his horse.’ Perhaps incensed at what had just happened, the 69th opened fire on the retreating Rebels, who replied in kind. Sherman ordered the firing ceased as he was determined to move his brigade up to join in with the main attack. Captain James Kelly of the 69th related that Haggerty was ‘killed by a Louisiana Zouave, whom he pursued as the latter was on his retreat with his regiment into the woods, and several of our men were severely wounded.’ If Kelly is right in his assessment then it is possible that Haggerty fell at the hands of a fellow Irishman, as many of the Louisiana zouaves were of Irish origin. (6)

James Haggerty's Civil War Pension Index Card, recording his widow's claim for a pension (Image via Footnote)

The 69th succeeded in joining with the main attack, and many more of the regiment would die as they unsuccessfully charged the Confederate positions on Henry Hill. The day ended in defeat for the Union, and the war would continue for four bloody years. We can only speculate as to why James Haggerty so exposed himself in an effort to capture the fleeing Rebels. Perhaps he felt confident they were routing, or suffered a rush of blood to the head in what was his first battle. Maybe as he had shown in the past he was eager to set an example for his men.

James Haggerty was the first man of the 69th New York State Militia to die in the Battle of Bull Run. His experience of combat lasted a matter of minutes before he was killed, leaving behind a widow and infant daughter. Later in the year Thomas Francis Meagher, Captain of Company K (Meagher’s Zouaves) of the 69th and future commander of the Irish Brigade, said that of all the regiment’s dead at Bull Run Haggerty was ‘Prominent amongst them, strikingly noticeable by reason of his large, iron frame, and the boldly chiseled features, on which the impress of great strength of will and intellect was softened by a constant play of humor and the goodness and grand simplicity of his heart- wrapped in his rough old overcoat, with his sword crossed upon his breast, his brow boldly uplifted as though he were still in command, and the consciousness of having done his duty sternly to the last still animating the Roman face -there lies James Haggerty- a braver soldier than whom the land of Sarsfield and Shields has not produced, and whose name, worked in gold upon the colors of the Sixty-ninth, should be henceforth guarded with all the jealousy and pride which inspires a regiment, wherever its honor is at stake and its standards are in peril. (7)

(1) McLaughlin 1992; (2) McLaughlin 1992, 1860 Census (3) McLaughlin 1992, Shea 1861: 104; (4) Shea 1861: 105; Conyngham 1867: 24, 26, McLaughlin 1992; (5) Conyngham 1867: 28, Shea 1861: 106; (6) Official Records: 369, 372 (7) New York Times

*It should be noted that James H. McLaughlin’s book, quoting Thomas Francis Meagher, places this incident on 21st July at the Battle of Bull Run itself. However, Sherman’s brigade was subjected to artillery fire at Blackburn’s Ford on the 18th, and neither he nor Kelly make reference to a sustained barrage prior to Haggerty’s death on the 21st. On that basis the account in The Fallen Brave has been followed here.

References & Further Reading

Conyngham, David Power 1867. The Irish Brigade and its Campaigns

Davis, William C. 1977. Battle at Bull Run

McLaughlin, James H. 1992. James Haggerty of Tir Conaill

Shea, John Gilmary (ed.) 1861. The Fallen Brave

Official Records Series 1, Volume 2, Chapter 9. Report of Col. William T. Sherman, Thirteenth U.S. Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, First Division

Official Records Series 1, Volume 2, Chapter 9. Report of Capt. James Kelly, Sixty-ninth New York Militia

New York Times 30th August 1861 ‘The Monster Festival; Aid for the Widows and Orphans of the Sixty-ninth Regiment’ 

Fort Haggerty Memorial Marker

Captain James Haggerty Memorial, Calvary Cemetery, New York

69th New York State Volunteers Historical Association

Civil War Trust Battle of Bull Run Page

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Michael Dougherty in later life

Michael Dougherty was born on 10th May 1844 in Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, emigrating to the United States in 1859. At the age of 18 he decided to enlist, and on the 8th August 1862 he mustered into the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry for three years service. It is no surprise that Dougherty chose this unit to serve in, as it had a distinct Irish character; indeed it had initially been intended to serve as a squadron with the Irish Brigade. The unit was to be known as the ‘Irish Dragoons’ when it was formed by James A. Gallagher of Philadelphia in September 1861. Further authority was received to increase its size beyond that of a squadron, and it became the 117th Regiment (13th Cavalry) with Gallagher becoming its first Colonel. (2)

The capture that led to Dougherty’s 1864 diary entry was not his first taste of life in Confederate prison. On 26th February 1863 his regiment was based in the Shenandoah Valley at Winchester, Virginia, when they were ordered to engage what appeared to be some Confederate foragers. They secured a number of the enemy and drove the remainder into the camp of the 11th Virginia at Woodstock, some twenty miles away from their base. With their horses exhausted they turned for home, but as they approached Fisher’s Hill they were engaged by a body of Rebels, who were positioned on both of their flanks. After a fight which lasted for half an hour the 13th Pennsylvania had lost 108 men killed, wounded and captured. The Donegal man was among the latter, and he was taken to Libby Prison in Richmond. Dougherty was exchanged on 26th May 1863 and was able to rejoin his comrades at Winchester; his first experience as a guest of the Confederacy had been mercifully brief. (3)

As 1863 continued the Irishman was quickly becoming a veteran, and he was engaged in his first major battle at Second Winchester that June. During the fighting Dougherty was responsible for carrying dispatches, a role he executed so well that he was presented with a gold medal for bravery by Co. Wexford native Colonel Michael Kerwin. Kerwin had succeeded to command of the 13th Pennsylvania shortly after the battle, replacing Colonel Gallagher. Following Second Winchester the regiment became part of the Army of the Potomac, joining the 2nd Brigade of Brigadier-General David McMurtrie Gregg’s 2nd Division. On 12th October of that year the 13th Pennsylvania was on picket duty at Jefferson, Virginia, on the south side of the Rappahannock opposite Sulphur Springs. At about 6 o’clock that morning the Confederates attacked their positions, driving in the unit’s pickets. Heavy skirmishing continued throughout the day, and the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry moved up to support their comrades from the Keystone State. During this fighting the young Donegal native once again showed his worth when he dashed across an open field at the head of some men from his company, forcing the Confederates to abandon one of their positions in an unoccupied house. Michael and his comrades then took possession of the building themselves, and fought off repeated attacks against it for a number of hours. The Rebels were not finished, however, and that afternoon they attacked the cavalrymen’s positions with increased force. By 5 o’clock the 13th and 4th had been driven back, but many men were cut off and could not escape across the river. The 13th Pennsylvania lost 163 men killed, wounded and captured, the vast majority being forced to surrender. Once again Private Michael Dougherty found himself a prisoner, and this time it would be for the remainder of the war. (4)

Andersonville on 17th August 1864. Dougherty’s diary for that day records: ‘No prisoners left here today or yesterday. Alfred Friend, Co. F, 12th N.Y.C., has just informed me that he is the only man alive out of 53 of his regiment.’

From 12th October 1863 to 12th April 1865 Dougherty was to spend his time in Confederate prisons. Throughout this time he kept a diary charting his experiences in prisons such as Libby, Pemberton and Belle Isle in and around Richmond, with a recurring theme being the constant hope and endless rumours regarding prisoner exchange. On 8th February 1864 he boarded a train away from Richmond with 600 others, but it was not for the purpose of his release. The train travelled south to Georgia and arrived at its destination, Camp Sumter, on the 15th February. This was a new prison, and it would soon be known by another name, one that still conjures images of death, suffering and cruelty- Andersonville. Of the 45,000 Union prisoners held there during the 14 months of its existence, 13,000 of them would never leave. (5)

Michael tried to occupy himself by visiting the different parts of the camp and recording any events in his diary. It is a stark record of the human misery he and others experienced during his time in the exposed 26 1/2 acre compound. Unsurprisingly, the main topics include new prisoners, the deaths of comrades, and rations:

18th April 1864: About five hundred more prisoners came in to-day from Cahaba, Alabama. Bernard Tolen, Co. D, died to-day.

15th May 1864: We can see wagons haul away bodies from the dead-house, like so much dirt; as many as twenty bodies piled on one wagon. Upwards of fifteen hundred men have died since we came here.

20th July 1864: One hundred and thirty prisoners died yesterday; it is so hot we are almost roasted. There were 127 of my regiment captured the day I was, and of that number eighty-one have since died, and the rest are more dead than alive; exposure and long confinement is doing its work among us.

Dougherty makes reference to an interesting incident from an Irish perspective on the 13th November 1864: All the Irish who could walk were called to the gate this afternoon by a Col. McNeill of the 10th Tennessee (rebel) regiment, to see if any of them would take the oath to join the rebel service. Not an Irishman enlisted, but two Yankees did, one from Connecticut and the other from a New York regiment; so you see the Irish are the most loyal. The following day Dougherty added: Webb called on me to-day; we had a talk over the excitement caused by the appeal to the Irish; he says McNeill is no true Irishman or he would not try to degrade Ireland and her people by making such a proposition. The 10th Tennessee had been formed of Irishmen from Nashville in 1861, and ‘Col. McNeill’ was in fact Colonel John G. O’Neill. The remnants of the unit surrendered with the Army of Tennessee in 1865 following its defeat at the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. (6)

The ‘Sultana’ ablaze in the Mississippi following the explosion of one of her boilers

Michael Dougherty’s visit to the Andersonville hospital in late 1864 should have been fatal, but he somehow managed to survive. Incredibly, having experienced the American Civil War and the worst prison conditions in the nation’s history his tribulations were still not at an end. On 23rd April 1865 at Vicksburg, Mississippi, he boarded a ship called the ‘Sultana’ along with between 2,200 and 2,400 others, many also former Andersonville prisoners. They were steaming up the Mississippi for St. Louis, Missouri, and had arrived in Memphis, Tennessee on 26th April. Early in the morning of 27th April one of the boilers on the vessel exploded, enveloping the boat in flames. Some 1,800 of the passengers lost their lives, in what remains the worst maritime disaster in United States history. (7)

The Irishman had again beaten the odds and survived. He returned to Bristol, Pennsylvania and his mother and sisters on 27th June 1865. He would go on to marry Rose Magee with whom he had 12 children. In the post war years he worked at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and served as a Bristol Council Member between 1880 and 1882, as well as being an active member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Michael Dougherty was awarded the Medal of Honor on 23rd January 1897 for his actions on the day of his capture on 12th October 1863. His citation read: ‘At the head of a detachment of his company dashed across an open field, exposed to a deadly fire from the enemy, and succeeded in dislodging them from an unoccupied house, which he and his comrades defended for several hours against repeated attacks, thus preventing the enemy from flanking the position of the Union forces.’ The Falcarragh native published his prison diary in 1908, providing an invaluable insight into the terrible conditions experienced by Union troops in Andersonville. Having survived such trials in early life, Michael Dougherty went on to live well into his 80s. He died on 19th February 1930, and is buried in Saint Marks Roman Catholic Churchyard in Bristol, Pennsylvania. (8)

(1) Dougherty 1908: 66; (2) AOH Bristol, Bates 1870: 1267 & 1306, Taylor 1913: 172; (3)  Dougherty 1908: (i)- (ii), 1; (4) Taylor 1913: 172, Bates 1870: 1269, Dougherty 1908: 72; (5) Dougherty 1908: 1-28, Andersonville National Park Service Website; (6) Dougherty 1908: 40, 43, 54, 65;  (7) Dougherty 1908: 68-71; (8) Dougherty 1908: 71, AOH Bristol, Medal of Honor Society, Broadwater 2007: 64-65;

References & Further Reading

Bates, Samuel Penniman 1870. History of Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861-5 Volume 3

Broadwater, Robert P. 2007. Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients: A Complete Illustrated Record

Dougherty, Michael (edited by James T. Navary) 2009. The Prison Diary of Michael Dougherty: Union Survivor of Two Years Confinement in Confederate Prisons (1st Edition 1908)

Hand, Harold 2000. One Good Regiment: The Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry (117th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment) 1861-1865

Taylor, Frank Hamilton 1913. Philadelphia in the Civil War 1861- 1865

Ancient Order of Hibernians Division No. 1 Bristol, Pennsylvania: Michael Dougherty Page

Andersonville National Park Service Website