Many of you will have noted that I have become consumed- to an ever-increasing degree over recent months- by the lives of the ordinary men, women and children impacted by the war. The poignancy of many of their stories, told through documents such as census returns, widow’s pension files, wartime memoirs and newspaper articles is often very difficult to read and can be even harder to write. I normally spend quite a number of hours each week looking at these cases. I find it hard to do this type of research without being deeply affected by it. Somewhere along the way this has developed into an extremely strong feeling of responsibility, bordering on obligation, to tell as many of these people’s stories as I can. Perhaps this has grown out of the fact that their stories have been largely forgotten in Ireland. Interest in their history was ‘left at the port’ when they emigrated. Many are only represented as numbers used to demonstrate the depopulation of this country during the Famine and it’s aftermath, their later lives are thus decoupled from their experiences in Ireland and by extension become almost an irrelevancy in the story of Ireland’s history. This realisation has grown hand-in-hand with a rising despondency about the continuing failure of the Irish Government to take serious steps to acknowledge the effect of the American Civil War on the hundreds of thousands of Irish people in America (and indeed a wider lack of serious recognition of the history of the Irish diaspora worldwide). It would now seem that the sesquicentennial may slip by with no serious efforts to commemorate any of these people in Ireland. I find this is all the more poignant when one considers that many Civil War soldiers took special efforts not to forget the people at home, even when facing the prospect of imminent death themselves.

The blogging world can take you down some unexpected paths. One the completely unexpected outcomes of setting up the blog was the invitation last year from The History Press Ireland to write a book based on some of the stories covered in it. I was delighted to take them up on the offer, particularly as only a few months previously some portions of the site had been plagiarised, one of the risks inherent in putting research up on the internet. The plagiarism in question appeared in a self published book (which you can see here) that contained a number of posts directly lifted from the site. Everyone who starts publishing material on the internet knows that such an occurrence is a possibility, and there is little that can be done about it- however in my view the rewards of blogging more than outweigh the risk. The work in question is no longer available from the major online bookshops, and in the meantime as a result of that History Press offer I have had an opportunity to publish in book form some of this work myself.

My book, titled the Irish in the American Civil War, came out towards the end of February and I am delighted to say it has already sold out. It is currently the subject of a reprint which will be completed by the end of this month. Many thanks to all of you who have already purchased it (I hope you enjoyed it!). It has received excellent coverage on a number of national radio stations (including RTE Radio One, Newstalk and Today FM) and also positive reviews in national newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Irish Independent. It seems to be having a positive effect on raising the profile of the conflict in Ireland. One drawback is that the book is not as yet available on bookshelves in the United States; we are currently seeking publication options there and hopefully this can be rectified in the coming months.

The site has also brought me the opportunity to present a number of talks about the American Civil War around the country (you can seen an example of one of these presentations here). As anyone who knows me is aware, I love to prattle on about historic topics, none more so than the Irish in the American Civil War. I find that these talks often present opportunities to reach a different audience to those who read the blog. It also provides a forum to champion the case for greater awareness of the conflict and highlight the huge number of people from individual localities who were affected by the war, which in turn can heighten a sense of connection with those who emigrated in the nineteenth century. This is also something a number of colleagues and I (Robert Doyle, James Doherty and Ian Kenneally) are trying to achieve through the Irish American Civil War Trail initiative.

One other major benefit this site has bestowed on me is an increased knowledge of social media, its applications and its potential. When I sat down at my computer three years ago I had only the vaguest idea of what a blog was. The intervening years have taught me to fully embrace the potential of the internet and social media as an educational tool; it is undoubtedly the most powerful form of mass communication available to us today. I have been able to bring the lessons learned at Irish in the American Civil War to other blog sites I have set up that focus on heritage businesses and community heritage projects (by the way if you are interested in any of them, they are the Rubicon Heritage Blog, Bere Island Heritage Project, Midleton Archaeology & Heritage Project and the Know Thy Place Blog).

Perhaps the most significant lesson of all though is a simple one. I have discovered that I love the writing style that blogging engenders. Blogging can be all things to all people. There are no rules as to how you write, or to how many, or indeed few, writing conventions you choose to adhere to. Having written many papers in refereed and academic publications over the years (and such publications have their value and their place), I have found in blogging an opportunity to try to write in an engaging style for a general audience while still trying to be rigorous in the use of referencing. It is perhaps not the most usual of blogging styles (and can certainly be a bit time-consuming), but I hope it allows the site to stand up more as an educational resource. Blogging also allows you to mix and match; thus I try to combine the personal story aspect of the site with a strong resource component for those interested in the Irish in the American Civil War, with pages providing more detailed information on aspects such as Books, the Medal of Honor, Generals and Regimental Nativity.

Over the past three years this site has been a central part of my life, and I imagine and hope that it (and the Irish experience of the American Civil War in general) will remain so for many years to come. If it were possible I would quite happily spend all of my time researching and telling the stories of the Irish in nineteenth century America, but alas I have to be contented with a few hours at evenings and weekends. For those of you who read this blog, thanks for coming along on the journey so far, and for helping to make it so much fun!

New York Irish-American, Saturday, April 19, 1862

Information Wanted, Of Patrick McCue, a native of Killrain, parish of Innishkeel or Glenties, county Donegal, Ireland. He is twenty years old, and will be in this country three years next May. He went to peddle with a man of the name of Neal Keeney. When last heard from he was in Missouri, with a farmer by the name of O’Donnell, from the county Donegal; heard since that he enlisted in the Union Army in Missouri. Any information of him, dead or alive, will be thankfully received by his mother, Rose McCue, 126 Mott street, New York. Missouri papers, please copy.

A Patrick McCue is recorded as serving in the 11th Missouri Infantry and the Missouri Marine Brigade. He survived the conflict, passing away in Bismarck, North Dakota on 13th December 1924.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, April 19, 1862

Information Wanted, Of a soldier named John Dunn, son of Mary Dunn, formerly of Clonduff, Queen’s County, Ireland. When last heard from, November 1856, he was in the 6th Regiment of Infantry, U.S.A. Co. H, Captain Henderson, Newport Barracks, Kentucky. Any information concerning him will be thankfully received by his mother, Address Mrs. Mary Dunn, Mecklenberg, Schuyler county, New York.

A John P. Dunn is recorded in the 6th U.S. Infantry as a Sergeant. He died on 10th September 1917 in Bismarck, North Dakota.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, August 2, 1862

Information Wanted, Of Master Walter Dignan, son of Walter Dignan, leader of the Manchester Cornet Band, now with Fourth Regt., N.H.V., stationed at St. Augustine, Fla. He left his home, at Manchester, N.H., Friday, June 6; is 14 years old, light complexion, light brown hair, dark hazel eyes: rather tall and slim of his age. Was dressed when he left in a spencer of drab cloth with a black velvet collar, dark trowsers, small blue and black check, blue cap, Congress boots. Appears when in conversation rather shy and diffident. Any information of him will be gladly received his mother, Eliza Dignan, Laurel St., Manchester, N.H.

Walter survived the war and would later receive a pension for his services in the 4th New Hampshire Infantry.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, August 2, 1862

Information Wanted, Of John Scannel, a native of the parish of Carrigaline, county Cork, Ireland, who left there about twenty years ago. When last heard from he was in Cape Cod, State of Massachusetts; he is now supposed to be in the United States service, in the 9th Massachusetts Regiment. Any information of him will be thankfully received by his brother, Thomas Scannel, Wapella, De Witt county, State of Illinois.

John Scannel, from Carrigaline had been a 26-year-old married shoemaker when he enlisted in 1861. He lived in North Bridgewater. His brother Thomas had not heard from him because John had died of wounds on 1st July 1862, from wounds received at the Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, April 2, 1870

Information Wanted, Of Allen McKenna, of Company L, Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, who was wounded at the Battle of Coal [sic.] Harbour. Any person who can prove the same will be handsomely rewarded by giving information at this office, or by writing to James H. Driscol, Toms River, N.J.

It is not known why James Driscol wanted to get in touch with Allen. Perhaps they had been pre-war friends or one-time comrades. If he ever did receive the relevant information, it would have told him that Allen McKenna had died on 12th June 1864 of the wounds he received at the Battle of Cold Harbor.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, April 2, 1870

Information Wanted, Of Alexander Scarff, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who sailed from Liverpool in the ship Great Western, under the name of Arthur Shaw; arrived at Castle Garden on 5th November 1862; was then 19 years of age; has not since been heard of by his friends or parents; is supposed to have joined the U.S. Army. Any information of him will be thankfully received by his aunt, Mrs. J.D. Clinton, Bath-North, Greenbush, Rensselaer County, N.Y.

No Alexander Scarff appears in Union service, but an Arthur Shaw does, serving with the 174th New York Infantry. The details suggest he was in fact Alexander. He enlisted aged 19 on 6th November 1862 (the day after Alexander had arrived in New York). He mustered in as a Private in Company B on 13th November 1862 for three years. The reason he had not been heard from in seven years is that he had been killed in action on 13th July, 1863 at the Battle of Ascension. It is unknown if his parents at home in Ireland ever learned of his fate.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, December 25, 1875

Information Wanted, Any person who can certify to the death of Edward Sweeny, who was killed in the second battle of Bull Run, will please communicate with James Sweeny, Hunter’s Point, P.O., N.Y.

James was clearly looking for confirmation of Edward’s death, 13 years after it occurred.

New York Irish-American, Saturday, December 25, 1875

Information Wanted, Of Daniel Sullivan, a former inmate of the Soldier’s Home, Washington D.C., who left that place about March 1st, 1875, and when last heard from was living under the care of the Sisters of Charity connected with St. Patrick’s Church, New York city. Any information of him will be thankfully received by John P. McCloskey, P.O. Box 211, Washington D.C.

Daniel Sullivan was presumably a veteran of the war, who had fallen on hard times. There were a large number of Daniel Sullivan’s in the homes, as yet he has bot been firmly identified.

These are just a handful of the classified ads brought out both during the war and in the years that followed. They offer a glimpse of the real cost of war. It illustrates that even where men survived unscathed, families were often separated or estranged for long periods. Mothers such as Eliza Dignan desperately sought news of their sons- presumably some like Walter had run away to enlist. Others spent years trying to find out the ultimate fate of friends or family who had been killed or wounded. Some, like the parents of Alexander Scarff, were still searching for news of their loved one’s fate in the 1870s, no doubt still clinging to hopes that their son was alive and might return to them one day in Dublin.

References

New York Irish-American

New York Regimental Rosters

Union Pension Index Cards and Muster Rolls

The majority of the military donors handed over anything between $1 and $5 for the Relief of the Irish Poor, with officers generally contributing greater amounts. All would have been forgiven for concentrating on their own situation, rather than concerning themselves with the plight of those still in Ireland. The desire for units to have their contribution recorded in newspapers such as the Irish-American allows us to examine the profile of some of these men, and explore what became of them during the war. This is an undertaking not without limitations; for example further work is required to discover what became of those men of the 4th United State Infantry and the sailors of the USS Kennebec.

Thousands of military personnel gave funds to assist the destitute poor of Ireland during the American Civil War (Image via Wikipedia)

The men recorded here predominantly served in the Eastern Theater, with notable exceptions being units such as the 10th Ohio and the telegraph builders from the Army of the Cumberland. It also highlights the high numbers of Irish in non-Irish formations, such as the regulars of the 4th U.S. Infantry, although traditional Irish regiments such as the 63rd and 88th New York of the Irish Brigade are also present. The Fenians clearly played a major part in organising some of these fund raising efforts, particularly those that took place in 1862 (such as the collection among the 10th Ohio Infantry). Elsewhere the drive appears to have been taken up at Company level, and it may be the case that in such situations almost everyone was expected to contribute something. The fact that a number of non-Irish names are included among the contributors demonstrates that it was not only emigrants from Ireland who felt a need to help out those they perceived as less fortunate.

The table below looks at 871 of the donations made by serving military in 1862 and 1863. Together they made a contribution to the Irish poor well in excess of $2,500. Although far from a complete list of those who contributed, it does provide a snapshot of some of the men who put their hands in their pockets to help hungry people across the Atlantic.

By attempting to cross-reference each name with available unit rosters, it has been possible to uncover some further detail of the service of many of the men listed. At least 78 did not survive the war- some fell on battlefields such as Gettysburg and Petersburg, while others perished in prison camps like Andersonville. Given the difficulty of tracking information on units like the 4th United States Infantry, the mortality rate amongst the donors is certainly much higher. Of those who did survive, more than 120 were wounded at some point during the conflict. At least 62 of the men saw desertion as their only escape from the carnage. More than fifty of them experienced life in Rebel hands, having been captured at some point during the war.

The majority of the money was collected only a few short weeks before the Chancellorsville and Gettysburg Campaigns. It is likely that the funds had not even arrived in Ireland before those two great battles had wounded 39 of the men, caused 14 to become prisoners, left a further two missing, and ended the lives of 29. Of the 182 men of the 42nd New York Infantry (Tammany Regiment) who made contributions, at least 35 subsequently died during the war- 13 of them as a result of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Two of the donors would go on to receive the Medal of Honor. Second Lieutenant Edward M. Knox of the 15th Independent New York Light Artillery, who contributed $20 for the Irish poor, earned his award for his actions at Gettysburg on 2nd July 1863. Private Michael Madden of the 42nd New York, who had given $5, would receive his award in recognition of the gallantry he had displayed at Mason’s Island, Maryland, on 3rd September 1861.

The contributions made by these men undoubtedly made a difference in the efforts to assist the destitute in Ireland. Many of them ended up in early graves, victims of a fate that through financial aid they had sought to spare others. Today the contributions they made in 1862 and 1863 are virtually forgotten. These men deserve to have their names remembered, and to be recognised for the help they provided at a time of great need.

Key: (W)- Wounded; (D)- Died; Disability- Discharged for Disability; (KIA)- Killed in Action; (MW)- Mortally Wounded; (POW)- Prisoner of War; (MIA)- Missing in Action; (DD)- Died of Disease.

References

Rosters of New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania

Irish American Weekly 2nd August 1862 ‘Aid for Father Lavelle’

Irish American Weekly 14th February 1863 ‘Impending Famine in Ireland’

Daily National Intelligencer 9th April 1863 ‘The Suffering Poor of Ireland. Relief Meeting- Speech of Gen McClellan’

New York Herald 29th April 1863 ‘The Irish Relief Fund’

Irish American Weekly 2nd May 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland from the Army of Rosecranz’

Irish American Weekly 2nd May 1863 ‘Relief from the Irish Brigade’

New York Irish American 9th May 1863 ‘Relief From the Tammany Regiment’

Irish American Weekly 9th May 1863 ‘Irish Relief Fund. Charity in the Camp’

Freeman’s Journal 15th May 1863 ‘American Sympathy for Irish Distress’

Irish American Weekly 23rd May 1863 ‘Irish Relief Fund’

Irish American Weekly 23rd May 1863 ‘Fourth United States Infantry’

Irish American Weekly 6th June 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland, from the Irish Brigade and 94th N.Y. Vols.’

Irish American Weekly 27th June 1863 ‘The Central Relief Committee’

Boston Herald 5th August 1863 ‘Soldiers’ Contribution for the Relief of Ireland’

Irish American Weekly 1st August 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland’

Irish American Weekly 8th August 1863 ‘Contributions in the Diocese of Boston’

Irish American Weekly 29th August 1863 ‘Irish Central Relief Committee. Full and Final Report of Its Operations’

Battery M of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery during the 1864 Meridian Campaign (Photographic History of the Civil War)

The average visitor to the small rural cemetery of Cappincur, 2km outside of Tullamore in Co. Offaly, is unlikely to notice the unassuming headstone of the Cavanagh family. The inscription commemorates three of its members, and reads as follows:

IHS

LORD HAVE MERCY ON THE SOUL OF

NICHOLAS KAVANAGH

DIED AUGUST 9 1859 AGED 72 YEARS

AND HIS WIFE

MARY

DIED NOVEMBER 17 1871 AGED 82 YEARS

AND THEIR SON PETER

DIED MARCH 10 1871 AGED 45 YEARS

RIP

ERECTED BY THEIR SONS JOHN AND PAUL CAPPINCUR

The Cavanagh Family Headstone, Cappincur, Co. Offaly (Michael MacNamara)

This epitaph belies Peter Cavanagh’s extraordinary journey, which took him from Offaly to the United States and back again. Peter’s Great-Grandson Michael has painstakingly pieced together his ancestor’s life. Born in 1824, the family still posess Peter’s exercise book from his time in an Offaly Hedge School between 1844 and 1848. At some point after this he decided to try his luck in America. His port of embarkation was most likely Cork, as that county is erroneously listed as his birthplace on his enlistment papers.

Peter next appears in 1860, when he took the fateful step of joining the regular army on the eve of the American Civil War. His place of enlistment was given as Newport, Kentucky, where he joined Battery F of the 2nd U.S. Light Artillery. He was one of a group of soldiers transferred to the Missouri Union forces following the Confederate victory at Wilson’s Creek in 1861, with the new unit becoming Battery M of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery. It was with the 1st Missouri Light that Peter would serve for much of the war, travelling all over the South. Just prior to the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, Peter, now a Sergeant, petitioned along with a number of his regular comrades to be transferred back to the 2nd U.S. Light Artillery, a request which was granted. He remained in the military after the Confederate surrender, seeing service on the west coast at Fort Point in San Francisco and in Fort Vancouver in Washington, from where he returned to Ireland in July 1867.

The petition signed by Peter and his comrades in 1864 requesting a return to the regular service (Michael MacNamara)

Why did Peter choose to return home? Michael’s research has discovered that the Irishman fell ill with ‘miasmatic fever’ in 1863, contracted while on campaign in Mississippi. He recovered aboard the hospital ship Woodford, but it seems likely that he was sickly from this point forward. Apart from failing health Peter had at least one more pressing engagement at home in Ireland- having departed the United States in July of 1867 he was married to Offaly girl Margaret Tiernan that September. The marriage to Margaret may well have been the driving force behind his decision to return to his native land.

Peter and Margaret were not destined to enjoy their life together for long; Peter died of tuberculosis on 10th March 1871, to be followed to the grave only eight months later by his mother. Margaret long outlived her husband, claiming a pension for her husband’s military service which she received until her own death nearly sixty years later, in 1930. Peter Cavanagh brought home to rural Offaly memories of some of the hardest fighting of the American Civil War. His discharge prior to his 1864 re-enlistment in the 2nd U.S. Light noted the staggering array of engagements he had participated in up to that point:

1861: Capture of Camp Jackson, Battle of Boonville, Skirmish at Forsyth, Battle of Dug Springs, Battle of Wilson’s Creek;

1862: Battle of New Madrid/Island No. 10, Siege of Corinth, Skirmish at Farmington, Skirmish at Blackland, Battle of Iuka, Battle of Corinth, Skirmish at Hatchie River, Skirmish at Jonesboro, Skirmish at Tallahatchie;

1863: Battle of Fort Pemberton, Fight at Forty Hills, Battle of Raymond, Battle of Jackson, Battle of Champion Hill, Siege of Vicksburg, Siege of Jackson;

1864: Meridian Campaign, Red River Campaign, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain;

Peter’s 1864 discharge paper, charting the impressive list of actions he had been in engaged in up to that point (Michael MacNamara)

Peter served through the remainder of the Atlanta Campaign, and later fought with the ‘Rock of Chickamauga’, General George Thomas, in Tennessee. His last major battle of the war was fought at Nashville in December 1864, when he and his comrades destroyed the Confederate Army of Tennessee. It seems incongruous that someone who had survived so much hardship would enjoy such a short life back at home in Co. Offaly, but such was Peter’s lot. Thanks to the efforts of his Great-Great Grandson Michael MacNamara his remarkable service is remembered, as is his position as one of the very few Irish-born American Civil War soldiers who spent their final years in the land of their birth.

The Pension Certificate of Peter Cavanagh, claimed by his wife Margaret until her death in 1930 (Michael MacNamara)

*Many thanks to Michael MacNamara for providing both the images and the history that relates to the remarkable career of his Great-Grandfather. If anyone has any additional information that they think may add to Peter’s story Michael would be eager to hear from you.

The USS Hetzel. The crew donated $25 to the Irish Relief Fund during the American Civil War (United States Navy)

Irish soldiers were also quick to put their hands in their pockets to help out those less fortunate. Irishmen in the British army of India collected rupees for the appeal, while those soldiers stationed in Shanghai, China sent on £108 sterling. The Irishmen in Union blue were no different to their red-coated brethren. Even so, it is remarkable that despite the ongoing hardships of life at the front, thousands were willing to contribute to ease the suffering of the Irish poor.

The 1863 efforts were unfortunately not unique, as conditions in Ireland in 1862 had also seen the need for assistance for the most impoverished. In that year the Fenian movement played a leading role in coordinating collections across the U.S., with the money being passed to the clergy to ensure that it reached those who needed it most. However the relief efforts of 1863 were coordinated on a grand scale, and vast sums were gathered. By the time the central Irish Relief Committee in Ireland took stock of the contributions it had received at the end of August that year, the contribution of the Irish in America was clear:

Table 1. Contributions to the Irish Relief Fund by country as of August 1863.

The Irish in the United States, perhaps because they were so aware of the consequences of Famine, were by far the biggest respondents. The Irish-American community made sure that they used their Democratic Party connections to pull in some big attractions in support of the relief efforts, and they didn’t come much bigger than George McClellan. In April 1863 the former commander of the Army of the Potomac and future Presidential candidate addressed a crowd at New York’s Academy of Music on the topic. The charismatic leader knew how to please his audience:

I knew that you had assembled for the noblest of all purposes- that of charity towards suffering brethren in a distant land. I came here simply to evince my sympathy in your cause; for I have strong and peculiar reasons for feeling an intense sympathy for and interest in all that relates to Ireland and the Irish [Great applause.] I sprung myself from a kindred race. I have often seen the loyalty of the Irish to their Government and to their General proved . I have seen the green flag of Erin borne side by side with our own Stars and Stripes through the din of battle. [Cheers.] I have witnessed the bravery, the chivalry, the devotion of the Irish race, while I was a boy, on the fields of Mexico, and in maturer years on the fields of Maryland and Virginia. [Loud cheers] It has often been my sad lot, pleasant withal, to watch the cheering , smiling patience of the Irish soldier while suffering from disease or ghastly wounds; and I have ever found the Irish heart warm and true. [Cheers].

Many of the relief fund donations were recorded in contemporary American newspapers, identifying the individuals and groups within the community that had contributed. This record also allows us to build a picture of the different military units who made donations, and how much they were able to give. The table below provides a list of some of these military contributions as recorded in publications such as the New York Irish-American Weekly.*

Table 2. Military Contributions to the Irish Relief Fund by military group (identified to date).

This information provides a fascinating insight into the distribution of Irishmen throughout the Union military, and undoubtedly represents just a small portion of the actual contributions made by the North’s armed forces. One of the typical letters accompanying these donations was that compiled by the 4th United States Infantry:

Camp of the Fourth U.S. Infantry,

Near Falmouth, Va., May 8, 1863

To the Editors of the Irish-American

Gentlemen- You will very much oblige the members of this regiment by publishing in your next issue of the Irish-American the enclosed list of contributors to the Irish Relief Fund, with the amount contributed by each party opposite their respective names. The money was transmitted some time since, by the Treasurer, to Archbishop Hughes, and has by this time, I presume, been handed to the proper parties appointed to receive it in New York. The sum of $318.50 was collected by Sergeants John Riley, P.H. McCarthy, Dennis Kelly, and John W. Rolands. Hoping you will grant the desired favor. I remain, very respectfully yours,

Thomas F. Quinn

Drum-Major 4th Infantry, Secretary.

The 42nd New York ‘Tammany Regiment’ memorial at Gettysburg. Of the 182 men who contributed to the Irish Relief Fund only two months before, 13 would die as a result of this battle (Photo: J. Stephen Conn)

Such letters clearly show the strong Irish character that remained a characteristic of the regular regiments of the United States army during the Civil War. They also form important historical documents, as included with the letter are the names of the 114 soldiers of the regiment who contributed, together with the amount each put forward. Interestingly these men were not all Irish, or even members of the Irish-American community. A number of those who donated bore German names, and clearly felt empathy for the suffering of their fellow Europeans.

These men who handed over anything between $1 and $10 would have been forgiven for not concerning themselves with the plight of those still in Ireland. They were in a position where death could come at almost any time, and indeed many of them would not live to hear of the contribution they had collectively made to the Relief Fund. Of the 182 men of the 42nd New York Infantry (Tammany Regiment) who made contributions, at least 35 of subsequently died during the war- 13 of them as a result of the Battle of Gettysburg fought that very summer.

The survival of these documents provide us with the names of hundreds of soldiers and sailors who gave money to the Irish Relief Fund. Part 2 of this post will look at these names and attempt to identify the ultimate fate of some of these men, who took time during the bloody year of 1863 to think not of the war that surrounded them, but of the potential Famine that loomed across the Atlantic, and those they perceived to be less fortunate than themselves.

*The paper articles looked at for the compilation of this list are shown below. Please note that there were undoubtedly many other military contributions- it is intended that this information will form part of the ‘Resources’ section on the site and will be added to over time.

**Names have been transcribed using spellings as they appeared in the contemporary newspapers. Given the vagaries of print in 1863 some of the names and sums donated were difficult to discern, making some errors unavoidable.

References

Irish American Weekly 2nd August 1862 ‘Aid for Father Lavelle’

Irish American Weekly 14th February 1863 ‘Impending Famine in Ireland’

Daily National Intelligencer 9th April 1863 ‘The Suffering Poor of Ireland. Relief Meeting- Speech of Gen McClellan’

New York Herald 29th April 1863 ‘The Irish Relief Fund’

Irish American Weekly 2nd May 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland from the Army of Rosecranz’

Irish American Weekly 2nd May 1863 ‘Relief from the Irish Brigade’

New York Irish American 9th May 1863 ‘Relief From the Tammany Regiment’

Irish American Weekly 9th May 1863 ‘Irish Relief Fund. Charity in the Camp’

Freeman’s Journal 15th May 1863 ‘American Sympathy for Irish Distress’

Irish American Weekly 23rd May 1863 ‘Irish Relief Fund’

Irish American Weekly 23rd May 1863 ‘Fourth United States Infantry’

Irish American Weekly 6th June 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland, from the Irish Brigade and 94th N.Y. Vols.’

Irish American Weekly 27th June 1863 ‘The Central Relief Committee’

Boston Herald 5th August 1863 ‘Soldiers’ Contribution for the Relief of Ireland’

Irish American Weekly 1st August 1863 ‘Relief for Ireland’

Irish American Weekly 8th August 1863 ‘Contributions in the Diocese of Boston’

Irish American Weekly 29th August 1863 ‘Irish Central Relief Committee. Full and Final Report of Its Operations’

Corporal Louis [Lewis] Wilson, 17th New York Infantry- Co. Dublin

Louis Wilson was granted a pension of $24.00 a month from November 1865 for the loss of his right thigh. He had served in the Western Theater with the 17th New York Infantry, having enlisted for three years on June 22nd at the age of 29. He had initially served in the 11th New York Infantry from September 2nd 1863, before transferring to Company E of the 17th New York on 1st October that year. Louis was promoted to Corporal on 26th January 1864, before receiving the wound that would take his leg at Jonesboro, Georgia on 1st September, 1864. He was discharged from service due to disability on 9th June, 1865.

Private George Church, 17th New York Infantry- Co. Cork

George Church enlisted for three years in the 17th New York at the age of 39, on 25th September, 1863. As a Private in Company G he accompanied his unit to the Western Theater, where he was wounded on 1st September 1864 at the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign (the same battle that took Louis Wilson’s leg). His wound resulted in the loss of his left arm, and George was discharged for disability on 30th December 1864 in New York. Returning to Ireland he was in receipt of a pension of $24.00 a month in Cork city, which started in June 1865.

The Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia in 1864. Louis Wilson of Dublin and George Church of Cork both lost limbs here while serving with the 17th New York Infantry. (Currier & Ives)

Private Simon Dowling, 164th New York Infantry- Co. Roscommon

Simon Dowling was in receipt of a pension of $6.oo a month which was granted in 1872, and delivered to his home village of Kiltoom, Co. Roscommon. Simon was 38-years-old when he enlisted in New York on the 12th October, 1862 to serve three years in Corcoran’s Irish Legion. He mustered in as a private in Company G on 19th November, 1862, but was discharged for disability on 27th August, 1863. The disability for which he received his pension was caused by an injury to the abdomen. He was also borne on the rolls under the name Michael Dowling.

Corporal John Pigot, 42nd New York Infantry- Co. Derry/Londonderry

John Pigot collected his pension of $8.00 a month at the post office in Magherafelt. He had been granted the sum in March 1865 for a wound he had received in his right thigh. Pigot has joined the ‘Tammany Regiment’ on 1st June 1861 to serve for three years. The 30-year-old quickly rose to Corporal in Company E, a role he took up on 22nd June 1861. He received the wound that led to his disability at Bristoe Station, Virginia on 14th October, 1863. He was transferred to an unassigned battalion of the Veteran Reserve Corps in 1864.

Private Jasper Stafford, 170th New York Infantry- Co. Wexford

Jasper Stafford lived in Screen, Co. Wexford after the war, where he was in receipt of a pension of $18.00 a month. He had enlisted in the 170th New York on 10th September 1862 at the age of 34. Mustering in as a private in Company D on 7th October, 1862, he was wounded with Corcoran’s Irish Legion at Petersburg, Virginia on 16th June 1864. This injury led to the loss of his right arm. Jasper was discharged for disability on 27th June, 1865.

Sergeant Richard Chestnut, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry- Co. Donegal?

Richard Chestnut lived in Ashippun, Wisconsin when he enlisted in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry on 19th October 1861. He served in Company D as both a Corporal and a Sergeant before being discharged due to disability on 11th November 1864. He suffered from paralysis to his right side, for which he received a pension of $12.00 per month from October 1866. This was delivered to his address in ‘Kilcare’ [Kilcar, Co. Donegal?] in Ireland. Chestnut had spent his service in the west, where his regiment had been engaged in battle at locations such as Prairie Grove and Honey Springs. His service would have brought him into contact with Native American forces fighting for both the Union and Confederacy.

Private Patrick Forrester, 99th Pennsylvania Infantry- Co. Derry/Londonderry

Patrick Forrester mustered into service with the 99th Pennsylvania on 12th October 1861. He was a member of Company F, recruited in Philadelphia. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia on 13th December 1862, he was seriously wounded and as a result lost his left leg. Patrick received a pension of $23.00 per month to his home in Derry/Londonderry from October 1873.

Private Phaley Cunningham, 83rd Ohio Infantry- Co. Down

Phaley Cunningham entered into service in Company C of the 83rd Ohio Infantry on 13th August, 1862 for three years service. He was discharged on 9th March 1863 at Nashville, Tennessee on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability. The reason for his discharge was the loss of his left arm, which he most likely sustained during either the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi in December 1862 or the Battle of Arkansas Post, Arkansas in January 1863. Cunningham would eventually return home to Newry, Co. Down where he received a pension of $18.00 for his disability, payment of which started in December 1863.

References

A variety of sources were utilised for these biographies including Civil War Pension Index Cards, Index to Pension Files 1861-1934 and rosters of various  regiments. A full reference list will be included when the resources page is completed.

It is difficult to find veterans of the American Civil War in Ireland. One tool is to examine the 1883 ‘List of Pensioners on the Roll’ which contains a section on those individuals claiming a United States pension in foreign countries. A total of 91 men are recorded as receiving a pension in Ireland for service in the United States forces. That number is increased when widows and dependants are included, and they will be the subject of later posts. Over the coming months a new resource section will be added to this site which will provide brief details on these men and women, in the hope of discovering and recording their final resting places in Ireland.

Not all of the men receiving a United States pension in 1883 had seen service in the American Civil War- some served afterwards, be it in the Navy or in the regular army. Despite this, the majority of the 91 men listed earned their pension for services between 1861 and 1865. They most likely had varying reasons for returning home; perhaps some were disillusioned following the war, or found that their disabilities stifled their hopes for making their way in America. For many it may simply have been that they could now afford to go home, as they were in receipt of a pension that helped to support their journey. Below are short profiles of the first ten of these men examined.

Increase in pension for Seaman Peter Keefe for the loss of his leg, to be directed to a Post Office in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny (Fold3)

Private John A Donnelly, 3rd New York Cavalry- Co. Armagh

John Donnelly received a pension of $14 a month in 1883, which he collected at Armagh Post Office in Co. Armagh. This was for an unspecified disability which he had sustained as a result of service in the 3rd New York Cavalry. He was not a young man when he was enlisted in New York on 4th December 1863, being 37 years of age. Serving in Company F he was discharged on 15th June 1865 from Balfour General Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. During his service John would have seen service in the Eastern Theatre, notably around Petersburg.

Private William Connor, 6th New York Heavy Artillery- Co. Cork?

William Connor received a pension of $24 which the List of Pensioners states was collected in Ballyhoold Post Office. This may be Ballyhooly, in Co. Cork. The then 43 year old had enlisted at Cortland on 21st August 1862, as part of Company I (originally 135th Infantry) to serve for three years. The Irishman had experienced the horrors of the Overland Campaign in 1864 before he and his regiment arrived before Petersburg in June. On the 20th of that month Connor received a wound which necessitated the amputation of his left arm. He was discharged for disability on 11st September 1865 at De Camp General Hospital in New York.

Captain Archibald Wilson, 25th New York Cavalry- Co. Antrim

Archibald Wilson collected $17 per month from Belfast Post Office as a result of varicose veins in his left leg. As a 21-year-old he had enrolled on 16th May 1864 at Hart’s Island, mustering in as a First Lieutenant in Company K on 16th May 1864 for three years. His most notable service came with his regiment in the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Archibald was promoted to Captain of Company F on 28th March 1865, mustering out on 27th June the same year.

Seaman Peter Keefe, U.S. Brig Perry- Co. Kilkenny

Peter Keefe went to his local Belline Post Office each month to receive a pension of $24. He had enlisted in New York on 12th October 1863, and on board the Perry he was part of the Federal blockade of southern ports. In late 1864 she was patrolling of Murrell’s Inlet in South Carolina, when a number of the crew were sent ashore to burn a Confederate schooner. Keefe was captured by the Rebels, and in attempting to escape was shot in the left leg. This resulted in the amputation of the limb above the knee. Peter was honorably discharged on 12th November 1864.

Private Hugh O’Brien, 170th New York, Corcoran’s Irish Legion- Co. Tyrone

Hugh O’Brien received $18 a month which he collected at Castlecaulfield Post Office in Co. Tyrone. As a 32-year-old he had enlisted in the 170th New York on 26th September 1862 in New York. Assigned to Company C, he fought with the Legion at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor before receiving a sever wound during the 16th June assault on Petersburg. This necessitated the amputation of his left leg. He was still in hospital when his Company mustered out at the end of the war.

Corporal Patrick Connolly, 70th New York Infantry- Co. Meath

Donaghmore Post Office was where Patrick Connolly went to claim his $18 a month. As a 22-year-old he had enlisted in Newark, New Jersey on 20th April 1861. He initially became a Private in Company K of the 70th New York, being promoted to Corporal on an unknown date. His served throughout the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 at battles such as Seven Pines, Savage Station and Malvern Hill, before he was wounded at Bristoe Station on 27th August, 1862. As a result of the wound his left foot was amputated. He was discharged for disability on 13th August, 1863.

Private Owen Devine (also Divine), 37th New York Infantry ‘Irish Rifles’- Co. ?

The List of Pensioners states that Owen Devine collected his $6 a month pension at ‘Dramscridian’ Post Office, an as yet unidentified location in Ireland. He had enlisted as a 40-year-old on 9th May 1861 at Ellicotsville for a period of two years. As a Private in Company I he was captured at the Battle of Chancellorsville on 3rd May 1863, being paroled ten days later. Owen was mustered out with his Company on 22nd June 1863 in New York; he would later develop varicose veins in his left leg as a memento of service.

Private Thomas Beatty, 4th New York Heavy Artillery- Co. Louth

Thomas Beatty received $18 a month for the loss of his left leg, collecting his pension at Drogheda Post Office. His roster records are somewhat confused, but he may have served in the 6th New York Infantry in the early part of the war. He enlisted in the 4th New York Heavy Artillery on 2nd March 1864 in New York, and presumably received the wound which took his leg during the 1864 Overland Campaign or around Petersburg. He was discharged for disability on 26th January 1865 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Private Michael Buird (also Bird), 161st New York Infantry- Co. Donegal?

The unfortunate Michael Buird received $31.25 a month to assist him due to his disability, which was complete blindness. He collected this from ‘Ramerton’ (Ramelton?) Post Office. As a 23-year-old he had enlisted in the regiment at Dix to serve one year, mustering in as a Private of Company G in September 1864. The cause of his blindness remains a mystery- he was absent sick in hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when the Company mustered out.

Private Richard Brooks, 72nd New York Infantry- Co. Waterford

Richard Brooks received $4 a month at Waterford Post Office due to a wound received at one of the most famous battles of the war. Richard had enlisted as a 29-year-old in New York City on 7th July, 1861. While serving in Company C he fought with his regiment at the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13th December, 1862. He lost his right thumb during the action, and on 5th June 1864 he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps.

References

A variety of sources were utilised for these biographies including Civil War Pension Index Cards, Index to Pension Files 1861-1934 and rosters of various New York regiments. A full reference list will be included when the resources page is completed.

The ten companies of the 23rd Illinois were organised at different locations, as set out in the table below. Some of the companies, such as the Shields Guards, had their origins in Irish dominated pre- war militia formations. It is apparent that there were Irish-born soldiers present throughout the regiment; unfortunately due to a lack of nativity data for some of the companies, such as Company D, it is not possible to state with certainty the total number within each unit.

What is clear is that there were substantial numbers of Irish-born in companies such as B, K and F, and most likely numbers were high across much of the regiment. But where in Ireland were these men from? Of the 682 men recorded as having been born in Ireland, additional information on the town or county of birth was available for 496 of them. Interestingly, there was at least one man from each of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland in the ranks of the 23rd Illinois. The number per county and concentrations can be seen in the map below.

Map of Ireland showing nativity of members of the 23rd Illinois Infantry- click to enlarge (Sara Nylund)

While every county is represented, what is immediately noticeable is a concentration of men from the west and south-west of the country. Although these regions did suffer badly during the Famine of the 1840s, leading to increased emigration, this alone is not sufficient to explain the distribution pattern we see within the ranks of the 23rd.

As can be seen from the graphic highlighting population reduction in Ireland between 1841 and 1851, many other areas were also devastated by the Famine, but some of these have relatively low representation in the 23rd Illinois. It is interesting to consider if there were any community aspects at play; emigrants from the same locale often found themselves sharing the same community in the United States, and it seems probable that small groups of men from the same place in Ireland may have then joined up to fight together. There is some evidence of this when we look for concentrations of men within the 23rd Illinois company structure. Most notable are Company F, which had at least 37 men born in Kerry amongst its number, while Company B had a minimum of 23 Tipperary men in the ranks.

The strong Irish-born presence in the 23rd Illinois was one of the elements that gave the unit its Irish character. However, analysis of the nativity data for these men suggests that they were not only Irish but were often from the same regions of Ireland; as a result large numbers of men from places like Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Cork served together in the 23rd Illinois. In many instances they not only shared a country of birth, but were often intimately familiar with the same localities as their comrades. No doubt many a campfire in Missouri and Virginia between 1861 and 1865 witnessed friendly chat and shared reminiscences about hearth and home in the farms, villages and towns of west and south-west Ireland.

*Special thanks to Sara Nylund for preparing the Ireland illustration for this post.

References

Illinois Civil War 150: ‘Civil War Units by County’

Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database