Despite its Irish connections, Notre Dame was actually founded by a French member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Father Edward Sorin CSC. In 1842 he was given permission to establish the college on the site of an abandoned missionary outpost in northwest Indiana. By the time war broke out in 1861 over 200 students were in attendance. The college was later joined in the area by St. Mary’s Academy, when the Sisters of the Holy Cross moved their girls school near to Notre Dame in 1855.

At the outbreak of war, many of the student body elected to take up arms. Schmidt tells us the stories of men such as Illinoisan William F. Lynch, who drilled the schools pre-war militia the ‘Continental Cadets’ and served in the ranks of James Mulligan’s 23rd Illinois- the ‘Irish Brigade’, before recruiting and becoming Colonel of the 58th Illinois. Another was Lieutenant Frank Baldwin of the 44th Indiana, who was killed at Stones River and whose father later commissioned a magnificent memorial to his son and all the veterans from Elkhart, Indiana. Past-pupil Lieutenant Orville T. Chamberlain of the 74th Indiana was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry at Chickamauga and wrote poignantly about the low prospects of him surviving the conflict later in the war.

From an Irish perspective perhaps the best known contribution of Notre Dame to the Civil War was her chaplains. Seven of her priest’s went to minister to the troops during the course of the conflict, and Notre Dame and the Civil War explores their contribution in detail. These included Father James Dillon who joined the 63rd New York, Irish Brigade, Roscommon native Father Peter Cooney who served with the 35th Indiana ’1st Irish’, and of course Father William Corby of the 88th New York, Irish Brigade, famed for his conditional absolution of the Irishmen at Gettysburg. Amongst the lesser known of the Notre Dame chaplains examined in the book is Father Paul E. Gillen from Co. Donegal. Father Gillen initially chose not to affiliate himself with a specific regiment, instead procuring a horse and buggy so he could travel amongst the Army of the Potomac offering mass as he went. When civilians and unauthorised vehicles were forbidden Father Gillen saw out the war as chaplain to the 170th New York, part of Corcoran’s Irish legion. The Sisters of the Holy Cross were also active in assisting the war effort, and the author examines their efforts to aid the sick and wounded, which included running hospital wards and providing the first three female nurses to be carried on a United States Navy hospital ship.

This book is far more than just a run through of those individuals from Notre Dame who served in the Union ranks. Many other aspects of the University’s war and post-war experience are provided, and the author’s research has even uncovered two of the student body who threw in their lot with the Confederacy. The school continued to accept students throughout the war, and perhaps surprisingly many were from the South. This inevitably led to tensions on campus between ‘Union’ and ‘Confederate’ pupils, ill feelings that lingered on into the post-war student body. Notre Dame also played host to the children of some of the famous men of war, including William and Robert Pinkerton, sons of the Union spy Allan Pinkerton. Also amongst this group were William, Maria and Thomas Sherman, children of General William Tecumseh Sherman who was to develop a close rapport with the University. A further section of the book examines life on the campus after the war, including the establishment in 1897 of the University of Notre Dame Grand Army of the Republic Post 569, which had Father Corby as its first commander.

This book is written in a logical and easily digestible style, and is well illustrated throughout. The author has carried out extensive research on all aspects of the University’s involvement and experience of the conflict, and has produced a fine record that goes beyond a simple narrative of its combat veterans. It successfully provides a sense of the effects of the war on the community of students, staff, past-pupils and families associated with the school in Indiana. Notre Dame and the Civil War is a book that should attract a wide readership, not least amongst those interested in the Irish experience of the American Civil War. To find out more about the book and the author, visit James Schmidt’s blog Notre Dame in the Civil War.

References

Schmidt James M. 2010. Notre Dame and the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory. 142pp.

General Rosecrans rallies the Union troops at Stones River; Kurz and Allison 1891 (Image via Wikipedia)

The 272 men of the 35^th Indiana seemed to be spending most of the Battle of Stones River out of harms way. The fighting had been ongoing since 31^st December, when a Confederate force had smashed into the Union army’s right flank, almost winning a stunning victory for the Rebels. The Irishmen were positioned on the Army of the Cumberland’s left, and their only involvement on the 31^st was to help stem the flow of fugitives from the Confederate onslaught and fight off some enemy cavalry. The 1^st January also passed with little action, although there was some sharp skirmishing that night. The third day of battle found the 35^th placed with their brigade on the east side of Stones River, where they were positioned on a strategic hill commanding McFadden’s Ford. As the day wore on it looked like they would once again escape heavy fighting. Then, around 4 p.m., with only 44 minutes of daylight remaining on the 2^nd January 1863, the men of Major-General John C. Breckinridge’s Confederate division surged forward to the attack. Outgunned and outnumbered, the Indiana Irish were in for the fight of their lives.

As the regiment’s skirmishers fell back they described an ‘immense force’ of Rebels advancing en echelon towards their position. Colonel Bernard Mullen, commander of the 35th, promptly ordered his men to lie down and fix bayonets. The 51^st Ohio and 8^th Kentucky regiments to the Hoosier’s right were engaged first, and it was not long before the Confederates were almost on top of the 35^th’s position. The Irish calmly let them advance to within 30 or 40 paces of their line before they rose with a cheer and delivered a devastating volley into the right flank of the Rebels. The Confederate line seemed to stagger, and before it could recover Mullen and his men had reloaded and were firing again. The attackers fell in droves. Despite their initial shock, the Confederate’s responded, and the 35^th began to suffer from artillery fire, particularly solid shot which ploughed through the left of their line. The two sides hammered away at each other from close range for some twenty minutes, but Mullen was aware that the sheer weight of enemy numbers would force him to retreat without support from the second line. He went to the 99^th Ohio positioned behind the Irishmen to request their assistance and attempt a bayonet charge, but they would not come forward to the 35^th’s support. Instead the 99th fell back to the main Federal positions on the west side of the river.

As the bloody exchange continued the entire brigade line was now at risk of collapse; the 79^th Indiana to the Irishmen’s left were also heavily engaged and the 51^st Ohio and 8^th Kentucky to their right were being forced back. Colonel Mullen takes up the story: ‘At the end of forty-three minutes of a desperate and unequal contest, I found the enemy completely around my flanks. To prevent a useless destruction of life, or entire capture of my regiment, I gave the order to retire. I was obliged to repeat it, and even then the brave fellows complied reluctantly-many refused, and they were either killed or captured.’

Part of the ground through which the Confederates attacked on 2nd January 1863 (Photo: Angela Gallagher)

The 35^th fell back to the river some 400 yards to the rear, where Mullen rallied the men. Despite the initial Confederate success, the assault was an ill-advised one due to the nature of the terrain. Breckenridge had been aware of this before the attack, but had been forced to proceed with it on the express orders of General Bragg. Having already sustained heavy casualties as a result of the resistance of the 35^th and their comrades, they had taken the hill which was their objective. Now they not only faced fresh Union regiments, but no less than 45 artillery pieces arranged hub to hub by Captain John Mendenhall on the river’s west bank to fire into their exposed position (1). The maelstrom of shot and shell which ensued devastated the Confederate attack. The reformed remnants of the 35^th contributed to this fire and together with their comrades surged forward with a cheer in pursuit of the retreating Rebels. Along with men of the 51^st Ohio the Irishmen succeeded in capturing one of the Confederate batteries.

Mullen was full of praise for his men after the fight: ‘I feel obliged to call attention to the splendid conduct of my adjutant, John Scully. His escape was a miracle, freely exposing himself, and cheering the men throughout the action to deeds of valor. Serg. Major Robert Stockdale fought desperately, but coolly; he deserves particular mention, not only for his conduct on this field, but for the faithful and cheerful manner he has ever performed his duties. To Dr. Averdick, my surgeon, I must acknowledge valuable services; brave and defiant on the field, he is kind and attentive in the hospital wards. Quartermaster Igoe was on the field, attentive to the wounded, using every effort to have them carefully transported to the rear. By 10 o’clock that night not a wounded man of the Thirty-fifth could be found on the field. To Father Cooney, our chaplain, too much praise cannot be given. Indifferent as to himself, he was deeply solicitous for the temporal comfort and spiritual welfare of us all. On the field he was cool and indifferent to danger, and in the name of the regiment I thank him for his kindness and laborious attention to the dead and dying.’ The regiment left 22 men dead on the field and 115 men wounded, captured or missing, testament to the savage nature of the fighting. Mullen was asked to ascertain if any individuals were conspicuous in their gallantry or if any had disgraced themselves through cowardice. In his report he states that he asked for a list of names from each of the Company commanders, but received but one response, that all in the regiment were ‘a body of heroes.’

The Army of Tennessee retreated from Stones River on the night of 3^rd January, and the Union had won the field. The campaign for Middle Tennessee was not over, but an important step had been taken. Soon the Union would be able to look beyond Tennessee and towards Atlanta and the Deep South. There was to be much hard fighting ahead however, and the Irishmen of the 35^th Indiana would be in the thick of it throughout.

(1)   Cozzens 1991:191

References & Further Reading

Official Records  20 (Part 1). Report of Colonel Bernard F. Mullen, Thirty-Fifth Indiana Infantry

Cozzens, Peter 1991. No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River

McDonough, James Lee 1980. Stones River: Bloody Winter in Tennessee

Civil War Preservation Trust Stones River Page

Stones River National Battlefield

For more on the 35th’s Chaplain Father Cooney see:

Schmidt, James M. 2010. Notre Dame and the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory and the Notre Dame in the Civil War Blog

The Battle of Lookout Mountain, Kurz & Allison lithograph 1889 (Image via Wikipedia)

Amongst Whitaker’s Brigade were the 168 officers and men of the 35th Indiana Infantry. The unit was also known as the ’1st Irish Regiment’ and was under the command of Irish-American Colonel Bernard F. Mullen. Many of the men would still have worn their distinctive green kepis that they had been issued with to distinguish them as an Irish unit in 1861. The task facing the Irish Hoosier’s was not lost on Colonel Mullen. Having crossed the creek and formed line of battle on the centre-right of the Brigade’s first line he began to realise the challenges he faced: ‘Now for the first time I understood our business to be to sweep the Lookout Valley and carry the enemy’s works on the mountain by storm. The route across the spurs of the mountain was exceedingly rough, deep gorges, rugged ascents, and sharp projecting rocks rendering the march toilsome and tedious’.

The Craven's House, Lookout Mountain, where the 35th Indiana were heavily engaged (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

The Irishmen set off and eventually found themselves advancing along a ledge known as the ‘bench’ which skirted the mountain about two-thirds of the way to the summit. They marched through the mist for almost three miles behind a New York Brigade under Colonel David Ireland, whose troops along with other units cleared much of the western bench of Confederates, before rounding the point of the mountain and stalling at a Rebel position located at a homestead known as the Craven’s House.  As the fighting intensified, the moment of action had arrived for Whitaker’s Brigade and the 35th Indiana. They had been subjected to sporadic fire from skirmishers and Confederate sharpshooters on the summit during their long march, and now the opportunity had come for them to fully engage the enemy. After 1pm Whitaker’s Brigade reached Ireland’s positions at the Craven’s House and yard. After pausing momentarily, Colonel Mullen sent his men in shouting ‘Up bullies with a cheer! Charge at a run! Steady! Steady! Thirty- fifth!’. The troops roared ‘Faugh-a-ballagh!’ (Clear the Way) and sprang forward (2). Mullen ordered the charge as he felt he could not preserve an ordered line under the severe enemy fire. The men entered the first set of enemy works successfully without firing a shot. After a short pause they charged once again and secured the Confederate’s second line. The Irishmen captured a number of prisoner’s and secured two piece’s of enemy artillery, with the latter being turned over to the 40th Ohio (3). General Whitaker then instructed the Irish to hold what they had gained; Mullen ordered Sergeant Jim Somers, the Regimental Color Bearer, to plant the flag on the enemy works. The 41st Ohio passed through the 35th Indiana’s line to keep up the pressure on the Confederates.

The summit of Lookout Mountain in 1864; the difficult terrain is apparent

The foggy conditions on the mountain now reduced visibility to almost nothing, and both sides settled down to trading shots in the mist. As evening approached the 35th again moved forward to the front, relieving troops who had run out of ammunition. The Irishmen in turn expended their ammunition in firing at the invisible foe, and another unit moved up to replace them and hold the line. Their fighting completed for the day, Mullen and his men settled down for the night on the ground they had won.

The Confederates had no wish to renew the fight the next morning, as their position had now become untenable. They pulled their troops out during the night. The following morning the flag of the 8th Kentucky, part of the same Brigade as the 35th, flew from the summit of Lookout Mountain. The Irishmen went on that day to assist in the assault on the main Confederate positions on Missionary Ridge, which completed the defeat of the Army of Tennessee, and opened the door for an advance towards Atlanta.

The 35th Indiana’s part in the ‘Battle Above the Clouds’ was a significant one. They escaped with relatively few losses (they suffered 10 men wounded during the Chattanooga battles), though Captain James Fitzwilliams of Company G was shot through the arm and Private James Kearns of Company A was shot through the lungs. Mullen singled out Major Dufficy, Adjutant Gallagher, First Lieutenant John Maloney and Sergeant-Major John Powers for their conduct during the attack.

(1) Cozzens 1996: 168; (2) Ibid 1996: 184; (3) Ibid 1996: 186

References & Further Reading

Cozzens, Peter 1996. The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga

Spruill, Matt & Forbes, Lowell 2003. Storming the Heights: A Guide to the Battle of Chattanooga

Official Records 31, Pt. 2. Report of Brigadier-General Walter C. Whitaker, U.S. Army, commanding Second Brigade

Official Records 31, Pt. 2. Report of Colonel Bernard F. Mullen, Thirty-Fifth Indiana Infantry

Battles for Chattanooga Museum

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Civil War Preservation Trust: Chattanooga

Indiana War Memorial (The 35th Indiana National Flag is preserved here)

Father Corby Statue (Image via Wikipedia)

A recent post told the story of Father Corby’s absolution of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg in 1863. A statue of the chaplain was erected at the battlefield on the 29th October 1910, and will soon celebrate its 100th birthday. To commemorate the occasion the Father William Corby Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, based in Fairfax Station, Virginia, are planning to visit the monument on the 29th October 2010. The event will take place at 1pm and will involve a color guard presenting the colors to the statue, as well as some music and a talk about Father Corby. Details of the event are available here.

Major St. Clair Mulholland, who commanded the 116th Pennsylvania and was present at Gettysburg, describes what happened: ‘Father Corby stood on a large rock in front of the brigade. Addressing the men, he explained what he was about to do, saying that each one could receive the benefit of the absolution by making a sincere Act of Contrition and firmly resolving to embrace the first opportunity of confessing his sins, urging them to do their duty, and reminding them of the high and sacred nature of their trust as soldiers and the noble object for which they fought. The brigade was standing at ‘Order arms!’ As he closed his address, every man, Catholic and non-Catholic, fell on his knees with his head bowed down. Then, stretching his right hand toward the brigade, Father Corby pronounced the words of absolution…the scene was more than impressive, it was awe inspiring. Near by stood a brilliant throng of officers who had gathered to witness this very unusual occurence, and while there was profound silence in the ranks of the Second Corps, yet over to the left, out by the peach orchard and Little Round Top, where Weed and Vincent and Hazlitt were dying, the roar of the battle rose and swelled and re-echoed through the woods, making music more sublime than ever sounded through cathedral aisle. The act seemed to be in harmony with the surroundings. I do not think there was a man in the brigade who did not offer-up a heart-felt prayer. For some, it was their last; they knelt there in their grave clothes. In less than half an hour many of them were numbered with the dead of July 2. Who can doubt their prayers were good? What was wanting in the eloquence of the priest to move them to repentence was supplied in the incidents of the fight. That heart would be incorrigible, indeed, that the scream of a Whitworth bolt, adding to Father Corby’s touching appeal, would not move to contrition.’

Father Corby has also left us an account of his feelings as he addressed the men: ‘In performing this ceremony I faced the army. My eye covered thousands of officers and men. I noticed that all, Catholic and non-Catholic, officers and private soldiers showed a profound respect, wishing at this fatal crisis to receive every benefit of divine grace that could be imparted through the instrumentality of the Church Ministry. Even Maj.-Gen. Hancock removed his hat, and, as far as compatibile with this situation, bowed in reverential devotion. That general absolution was intended for all- in quantum possum- not only for our brigade, but for all, North and South, who were susceptible of it and who were about to appear before their Judge. Let us hope that many thousands of souls, purified by hardships, fasting, prayer, and blood met a favorable sentence on the ever memorable battlefield of Gettysburg.

Following the absolution, the Irish Brigade advanced into the now infamous ‘Wheatfield’ at Gettysburg. By the end of the day, 198 of the Brigade’s 530 men had become casualties. In 1910 a statue of Father Corby was placed on the battlefield to commemorate this event.

Further Reading

Corby, William (edited by Lawrence Kohl) 1992. Memoirs of Chaplain Life: Three Years in the Irish Brigade with the Army of the Potomac (1st Edition 1893)