Michael Corcoran - the First Commander of the Fighting 69th and his song

 A recent book by Timothy Egan on Thomas Francis Meagher (which is an excellent read btw) was titled "The Immortal Irishman".   If the title were not already used, I would have titled this article, and a few to follow on Michael Corcoran the same.   If not for a freak accident which killed him in 1863, he might have been the most well known and beloved of all the Irish who fought for the Union Army.   

Corcoran was born in Carrowkeel, Ballymote - son of an officer in the British Army married to an Irishwoman. At the age of 19, he joined the revenue police in Donegal where his job was to bust illegal poitín stills.  While in Tir Conaill he joined the Ribbonmen - a secret society dedicated to protecting Catholic and tenant rights.  In 1849, Corcoran may have been forced to leave  Ireland because of his involvement in that secret society.   He  sailed for America, and got a job as a clerk in Hibernian House, in New York City,  and married the owner's niece, Mary Heaney. 

Corcoran was instrumental in the founding of the Fenian Brotherhood in the US in the 1850's, and his interest in forming the 69th NY Militia rose from his strong political beliefs. He and many other members of the Brotherhood believed that by forming Militia groups in the US, they were  aiding Ireland in its fight for freedom.   

During these times the Brotherhood in Ireland was very close to the Fenians in the US.  They thought that their objective, a free Irish State, would be accomplished by developing  a strong military presence in the US that could ultimately be used against England.  It's interesting to speculate how the Fenian Raids of 1866 and beyond would have turned out if a seasoned and sensible commander like Corcoran had survived the Civil War.  

Corcoran was the first commander of the 69th, and  achieved fame in the Irish Community in NY and throughout the US for his refusal to allow the 69th to march in a parade honoring the visiting Prince of Wales.  “Although I am a citizen of America, I am a native of Ireland,” Corcoran said. “In the Prince of Wales I recognize the representative of my country’s oppressors.”   

When the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, he was under Court martial.   His indiscretion was quickly forgiven as Lincoln called for soldiers to fight the war, and the 69th was eager to put an end to the Southern insurrection to show their loyalty to the US and their military prowess.    He proudly led the 69th as they marched down Broadway on their way to Washington to join the fray, cheered on by thousands, marching to traditional Irish tunes such as the Minstrel Boy.

Corcoran was captured at the First Battle of Bull Run, and during his capture he kept a journal of his imprisonment.   It was published in 1862,  It's an interesting read, and considering he was under an order of execution, amazing that he could keep a journal.   He was held for a year, and released in a prisoner exchange.   

Because of his celebrity, he was the topic of news and speculation as the folks  in NY City were very interested in hearing of his imprisonment and well-being.   So naturally a song was written and published during those times.  (I have yet to find the name of the author)  This was to be sung to the tune "The Union Cockade".  Enjoy.

                   Richmond Jail

     (Dedicated to Michael Corcoran of the Irish Brigade.)

This southern rebellion has raised a mighty fuss,

And before it ends I fear it will make things a great deal worse,

With Stonewall Jackson at their head they threaten us to whale,

And every man they take from us to lodge in Richmond Jail.

Chorus: come boys, come I know you ain't afraid,

We'll go down to rebeldom with Corcoran's Brigade.

That traitor old Jeff Davis thinks that we are near whipped,

But we'll show him that like Lawrence we will not give up the ship,

John Bull with intervention thinks our gallant boys to scare,

But he'll soon find out we can't be beat or sent to Richmond Jail. 

Chorus

Foremost among all others the 69th did go,

To meet their southern foemen in response to Lincolns call,

The gallant Corcoran at their head as they marched down Broadway,

Not thinking then how soon he'd be locked up in Richmond Jail. 

Chorus

That ever memorable day of the battle of Bull Run,

Bold Corcoran was in the field and showed the rebels fun,

Protecting our army's rear mid cannonball like hail,

Twas then that he was taken boys and lodged in Richmond Jail.

Chorus

It was while this in bondage they offered him parole,

But he nobly did refuse it saying I would not sell my soul,

Your parole of honor you may keep I'd rather much remain,

Yes and rather die than take it to get out of Richmond Jail.

Chorus

At length, the glorious day came on which he did return,

And many a gallant Irish heart with noble ardour burned,

They flew unto his standard and swore they would not fail,

To avenge his foul imprisonment way down in Richmond Jail.

Chorus

Soon this gallant Irish corps to rebeldom will go,

To confront with man and musket Stonewall Jackson's rabid horde,

At the point of the bayonet for which they are so famed,

Once more he'll go to Richmond boys but not to Richmond Jail.

Chorus

Then give me your attention I'm about to end my song,

The few words I've to say to you will not detain you long,

When next they meet our Corcoran the rebels raid will quail,

And skedaddle back to Richmond from that man of Richmond Jail.  

In next months article we'll take a look inside his journal and share his thoughts, observations, and insights - and the ironic circumstances of his untimely end.  

Father William Corby - the Fighting Irish Priest

One of the more interesting Irishmen who served in the Civil War was Father William Corby. Corby’s father Daniel emigrated from County Offaly in the early 1800s. Father Corby was a priest at Notre Dame University when the war broke out. He describes his decision to volunteer his services to the Irish Brigade as a result of his patriotic zeal and his desire “to give salvation to those destined to fall” in battle. In his book Memoirs of Chaplain Life he describes his feelings as he took a train from Chicago to New York to meet the soldiers he would serve with, “It was much like getting married. We made the engagement for better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do us part.”

At that time Father Corby did not know how many partings he would endure, how many dying men he would comfort, or how many wounded he would tend to. His book is one of the best first-person accounts of the everyday life of the soldiers in the Civil War that I have read. He knew some of the great personalities of the era, as well as hundreds of common soldiers.

Although he served in the 88th regiment, he was quite impressed with another regiment of the Irish Brigade, the Fighting 69th. His description of Thomas Francis Meagher, commander of the 69th – “He had a superior intellect, a liberal education, was a fine classical writer, and a born orator. He was very witty but more inclined to humor; was fond of witty or humorous persons and admired those who possessed those gifts. He was a great lover of his native land, and passionately opposed to its enemies; strong in his faith, which he never concealed, but on the contrary, published it above board; and where ever he went he made himself known as a Catholic and an Irishman”.

In the 1860s in America, it was a bold position to take as discrimination raged against both Irish and Catholics. Corby also met personally with President Lincoln during the war. He was asked by the soldiers to plead for clemency for a popular member of the regiment who was court-martialed for abandoning his post, getting drunk, and committing a serious crime. The soldier was sentenced to death. He describes approaching the White House – “I felt like a fresh blushing Lieutenant”. He writes that Lincoln was “a very tender-hearted man” and he told the president he was leaving the man’s life in his hands. Lincoln responded, “Chaplain see here! I will pardon him if General Meade will.” Unfortunately, the generals in the field felt Lincoln was too kindhearted in pardoning so many, and Meade refused to overturn the court-martial. When Father Corby returned to camp, he gave communion to the condemned man and comforted him up to the time of his execution.

Corby is probably most famous for his giving absolution to the Irish Brigade before they entered the battle of Gettysburg, and there is a statue there of him in the spot where it occurred. From Colonel St. Clair Mulholland – “There are yet a few minutes to spare and the time is occupied by one of the most impressive religious ceremonies I have ever witnessed. The Irish Brigade stood in a column of regiments, closed in Mass. The chaplain of the brigade, Rev. William Corby, proposed to give a general absolution to all the men before going into the fight. This was perhaps the first time it was ever witnessed on this Continent. Father Corby stood on a large rock in front of the brigade. He explained that each one could receive the benefit of absolution by making a sincere act of contrition and firmly resolving to embrace the first opportunity to confess his sins. As he closed his address every man, Catholic and non-Catholic fell on his knees as Father Corby pronounced the words of absolution.”

As this was occurring the soldiers could hear the sounds of the nearby battle as it raged close by. Corby intended the absolution to cover all the fighting men, north and south. He knew many of those who were kneeling before him were soon to die or suffer serious wounds on the battlefield. He had been with the brigade when it was 3,000 strong and at Gettysburg the unit was down to 530 men. Of the men in the brigade Father Corby absolved that day, 27 were killed, 109 were wounded, and 62 were listed as missing.

Father Corby’s recollections were famous and appear in many historical accounts of the Civil War, past and present. After the war, Corby returned to Notre Dame where he served two terms as its president. During his tenure, the school grew, admitted more students, and added the School of Law. It may also be that the name the “Fighting Irish” came about because of the priest who served as chaplain of the Irish Brigade. 

His Gettysburg statue was duplicated for Notre Dame University and is located outside Corby Hall.    There the football crazy students have been known to call him “fair catch Corby”.

Setting the Stage

The music and history of the Civil War have been one of my passions since my college days. Recently, along with my musical partner Amanda Straney, I’ve put together a program we call “Soldiers Joy” — a musical and oral history of the North, South, and Irish in the Civil War. We have a program for each, which includes readings from letters and diaries, newspaper accounts, and our playing of the music of the era. Amanda sings and plays fiddle, while I sing and play guitar and banjo.

Researching and writing the programs for Soldiers Joy allows me to do a deep dive into the stories of the men and women who fought and served via their letters, journals, and newspaper accounts – history as told by their voices. It has led me down many rabbit holes. One of those is the role the Irish played in the war, not only in the many contributions to the music of the era but to the major role they played in the battles and the many, many stories that deserve a retelling. Most of what we uncover is next to impossible to recount in our typical one-hour presentation. So I’ve decided to write a series of articles from our efforts.

To set the stage – the 1860 US Census showed that 1,611,304 people were listed as Irish, out of an official total of 31,443,322. Most of these were recent arrivals as a result of the famine years and a general lack of work for the young men in Ireland during the 1840s and 1850s. The census noted that just over 740,000 Irish Immigrants arrived in the country between 1850 and 1860. The census also showed that about 60% of the Immigrant population were males.

 

There are different estimates of how many Irish fought in the war. The generally accepted number is about 150,000 on the Union, and 20,000 for the Confederacy. Just over 18% of the Irish immigrants fought in the war, compared to about 10% of the general male population! 

Consider that this was the time of the “Know-Nothing Party” in the northern states, whose platform was anti-immigration, anti-Catholic, and fueled the No Irish Need Apply attitude of business establishments in the Northern States. And yet the Irish turned out like no other to volunteer their services.

The Irish were there at the beginning. The only fatality of the US Marines when they ended John Brown’s raid in October 1859 at the Arsenal in Harpers Ferry, VA, was an Irishman. Luke Quinn, of Brooklyn, a 24-year-old veteran of four years of service, was shot as he was one of the first marines who entered the Arsenal.

The first soldier killed in action was an Irishman as well, private Daniel Hough, a farmer who emigrated from Tipperary.  A ten year Army veteran when the war began, he was stationed at Ft. Sumpter when the shooting started.   It was an accidental death, his cannon exploding as they were intending to fire a salute to the flag as the garrison lowered its colors in surrender.  

A Southern Irishman, Patrick Cleburne from county Cork, was one of only six Irish born Confederate Generals. He was known as the Stonewall of the west. In 1864, sensing that the cause of the Confederacy was lost, he made the recommendation to Richmond that slaves be allowed to fight in exchange for their freedom. The recommendation never saw the light of day and was only made known after the war’s end.

And the Irish were there at the end. Major James O’Beirne, who served throughout the war and was wounded in battle, was Provost Marshall of the District of Columbia in 1865. He was in charge of Lincoln’s deathbed and decided who had access to the room. He also was put in charge of the effort to capture the assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

These are just a few examples of the many stories of the Irish in the Civil War that deserve a retelling. I’ll be sharing them with you in the months to come. And we hope you will join us in the future when Soldiers Joy presents one of our musical programs at the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley.

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