In 1889 William F. Fox published his Regimental Losses in the American Civil War. It has become famed for listing the 300 Union units which suffered the highest casualties during the conflict, but Fox also charts the losses of those Federal formations with casualty rates outside those fabled 300. Although certain elements of the work have been revised, it still stands virtually alone as a single source for detailed Union casualty figures from the American Civil War.

Although the majority of Irishmen served in non-Irish units during the conflict, there were still a large number of ‘Irish’ regiments. The list below reproduces Fox’s figures for 21 of these regiments. Despite being interesting in and of itself, the list necessarily needs to be treated with caution. It excludes what might be regarded as non-infantry ‘Irish’ units (such as the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry), infantry regiments that were designated as Irish but did not have large Irish numbers in the ranks (such as the 15th Maine Infantry) and infantry regiments that despite not been termed ‘Irish’ did have large Irish numbers in the ranks (such as the 42nd New York Infantry).

The 21 infantry regiments suffered a combined total of 4,808 fatalities during the American Civil War. Of these 2,277 were combat related, with a further 2,531 being due to other causes, such as illness or accident. The 69th New York of the Irish Brigade was the regiment that suffered the most fatalities, with 401 deaths. The 69th also suffered the most combat casualties, but it was the 30th Missouri that sustained the most deaths due to disease, with a staggering 280 deaths. The 9th Massachusetts and 88th New York were the most dangerous regiments to serve in as an officer, with both losing 18 officers during the conflict. Not all of the men represented by these figures were Irish, and as stated above the statistics are ultimately of somewhat limited use when studying the Irish experience of the conflict. However they do present an interesting ‘at a glance’ review of some of the more famous Irish units, and perhaps most starkly highlight the role of disease as the greatest killer of the American Civil War.

*KIA (Killed in Action), DoW (Died of Wounds), DoD (Died of Disease).

References

Fox, William F. 1889. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War 1861-1865.

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.

Some of the men are already well known, but many others have not received much prominence. Although the amount of information varies from officer to officer, what is apparent is that many led extraordinary lives both before, during and after the American Civil War. Amongst their number are Irishmen who fled their native country following the 1848 Rebellion, served in the British Army, fought in the war of 1812 and the Mexican War, or joined the Papal forces in the Italian War of 1860. During the war itself many rose to the command of regiments and occasionally brigades, be they in the Eastern or Western Theater. One spent the war fighting Native Americans on the frontier. Some went on to be awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions, while another saw his son join the Confederate forces and yet another was dismissed for stealing Government funds. Careers in politics and the legal profession followed the war for many, while others stayed in the military, became marshals or went into business. Some went on to hold more unusual roles and the list includes one U.S Ambassador to Colombia, and one ‘Commissioner Extraordinary in the United States for President Kruger of the Boer Republic’.

Details are also available (thanks to the work of Hunt and Brown) on the burial places of these Irishmen, and it is perhaps surprising that a small number are buried in graves with no marker to commemorate them. If you are interested in exploring the page it can be accessed through the Brevet Generals tab at the top of the page or by clicking here. It is intended that the Generals page will also be updated in the near future with further information added on each of those men where possible.

Regular visitors to Irish in the American Civil War will be familiar with the Books page, where you can access a bibliography of publications pertaining to the Irish experience of the Civil War. As a result of the Internet Archive facility it has been possible to hyperlink 20 of these titles directly to an online version of the text. Amongst these are some important works such as Conyngham’s The Irish Brigade and its Campaigns, Mulholland’s Story of the 116th Regiment and Corby’s Memoirs of Chaplain Life, to name but a few. Given the focus on out of print books, many of the texts available on Internet Archive offer personal accounts of the experiences of men who were directly involved in the fighting, providing insights not only into life between 1861-65 but also of the post-war period and their motivation in committing their memories to print.

In addition to the Irish-related information available on the site there is also a wealth of other important publications on the Civil War which are of great assistance to those interested in researching the conflict. There are literally hundreds of 19th century publications relating to the Civil War to explore, including many key state and national sources, examples of which include classics such as Fox’s Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, the Confederate Military History volumes and Lindsley’s Military Annals of Tennessee.

Using the resource is exceptionally easy; the user enters their chosen keywords into the Internet Archive search function, selects ‘texts’ from the dropdown menu and presses ‘go’ to view the results. Authors names and keywords will help you to narrow your search. There are a number of options available when viewing the texts, which are dependent on their original contributor and the method of upload to the internet. A read online facility means it is not necessary to download each document, but for those who wish to do so options include PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Daisy, Full Text and DjVu. At their source many of the manuscripts are also searchable, which is of great use if you are viewing a particularly large volume. Aside from texts the site also holds many other media types, including moving images and audio.

The Internet Archive is without doubt one of the best resources available to those interested in the Civil War on the web today. It allows access to a wide range of sources without the expense of purchasing original copies or travelling to a major repository of publications. This is of particular value to those of us located outside the United States. No matter what your level of interest, a visit to the site is strongly recommended, and remember if you want a look at some of the Irish titles available check out the Books page at Irish in the American Civil War.

A number of the posts over the past few months have involved photo records of sites related to American Civil War individuals in Ireland. To centralise this a new Irish in the American Civil War flickr page has been created and will be updated to coincide with each post. As with the facebook page you can access that site here or in the blog’s sidebar. The first photos on the page relate to Thomas Francis Meagher and Patrick Ronayne Cleburne.

I hope you enjoy the new media; the blog itself will soon have further resources added to it as I am currently working on compiling the after-action reports of the Irish Regiments, which I will be launching in the coming days and adding to over time.

A series of unfortunate events has led to the destruction of virtually all of our census information for Ireland in the 1800s; the National Archives note that the returns for 1861 and 1871 were destroyed soon after being taken, the 1881 and 1891 census information was pulped during World War One, and the vast majority of the 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 data was lost in the Four Courts fire of 1922, a result of the first action of the Irish Civil War. This has left the 1901 and 1911 census returns, now published online, as our earliest source of comprehensive census information.

Thus it is to Griffith’s Valuation that we must turn if we are to find a resource that can be used as a tool for studying the Irish who would later serve in the American Civil War. Otherwise known as the Primary Valuation of Ireland, the work was carried out to ascertain the value of property in Ireland and was overseen by Richard Griffith, the Commissioner of Valuation. It contains a range of information that can be used for genealogical purposes. It is arranged by county, Poor Law Union, electoral parish, civil parish and townland. Each property listed also has a map reference number to correspond with the first-edition six-inch ordnance survey mapping, the name of the occupier, name of the person from whom the property was leased, a description of the property, its size and its value.

The Valuation has been placed online at the Ask About Ireland website and can be accessed here, where it is possible to search by family name or place name with options to select the barony, union or parish. It allows researchers to check for specific names to determine where families lived and what type of property they held or rented. Of course, many of the Irish who would eventually become involved in the American Civil War had left Ireland prior to the commencement of the Valuation, but it can nonetheless be of use in indicating if any family members remained in a locality subsequent to their relatives departure. The Valuation can also function as a tool to locate places that may be associated with well known individuals who served in the Civil War. If you have family who lived in Ireland during this period but subsequently emigrated to the United States, be sure to check out this resource as a first step to discover if there is any information on your ancestors.

References & Further Reading

National Archives of Ireland

National Library of Ireland

Ask About Ireland

The fundamental goal of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System is to provide basic information on the 6.3 million records for soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War. Run by the National Park Service and their partners, to date over 6,000,000 soldier’s names have been added, while 18,000 African-American sailors names are also recorded. There are other searchable elements still under development including regiment histories, battle histories, and listings of national parks to name a few.

Despite the number of records, it is estimated that the actual number of soldiers who fought in the Civil War is closer to 3.5 million. The extra records relate to those who served in more than one regiment, who served under more than one name, or to those who have had their name spelt a number of ways. The main information on the soldiers is derived from their General Index Card, which lists their name and rank at time of enlistment on the first card and the date and rank at which they left the service on the last card. These were compiled after the war from muster rolls to help determine pension entitlements.

So how does it work? The Search by Soldier Name function allows you to enter different information depending on what data you have. The fields allow you to enter the first and last name, whether you want to search Union or Confederate forces, identify the State and number of the unit, and specify the arm of service. However, often the most enjoyment comes from putting your surname in the system and seeing what comes out! As an example, there are 36 records for the name ‘Shiels’ in the Civil War. As Damian wasn’t a very common name back then, lets look at the ‘John Shiels’ entries, as that is my middle name. There are six records, two Confederate and four Union. One served as a Private with Company G, 5th Regiment, Florida Infantry, a formation in the Army of Northern Virginia that fought at battles such as Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. It is also possible to look at all the other soldiers names recorded for this regiment to see if, for example, it had a distinctly Irish flavour. Of course if you are fortunate enough to have a more common Irish name you can spend significantly more time searching through the system; for example ’Patrick Murphy’ produces 551 entires, ‘John McCarthy’ 339 entries and ‘Michael O’Brien’ 360.

If you are using the Soldiers and Sailors System to look for specific individuals, or as a source for the entire make up of a regiment, you do need to do so with caution. It is inevitable that there remain some errors in the database, most commonly in terms of misspelled names. These are principally a result of errors in the post-war period, when the index cards were created from the original muster rolls. For the researcher who wants to delve deeper and, for example, research one of the Irish regiments, it is always a good idea to look at these original muster rolls if possible to be confident of your information. As a starting point though the Soldiers and Sailors System is a superb achievement and a wonderful resource, which provides everyone with an opportunity to see what their family was up to in the American Civil War.

Reference

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System