40th New York Infantry-- Part 1: 'The Mozart Regiment' A Regiment of Three States

From Wikipedia.

Also known as the  "Mozart Regiment" and "Constitution Guard."

During the war, this regiment had the second highest number of casualties in the Union Army, only behind the famed 69th New York Infantry out of the Irish Brigade.

They were mustered in  to service at Yonkers, New York, on June 27, 1861, sponsored by the Union Defense Committee of New York City by special  authority of the War Department.  Originally the regiment  was to be raised as the United States Constitution Guard by Col. John S. Cocks of the 2nd New York, but that organization was not completed.

With additional sponsorship by the Mozart Hall Committee, it adopted the name Mozart Regiment.  despite being a New York regiment, only the original Constitution Guard group were New Yorkers.

The regiment was completed by taking four Massachusetts companies and two from Pennsylvania.

On September  6, 1862, the 40th New York absorbed the enlisted men of the 87th New York Infantry Regiment.  Thomas Aumack was in the 87th New York.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 6: FDR and JFK's Visit

After Theodore Roosevelt's visit to Antietam, several years passed before the next presidential visit.  It wasn't until September 17, 1937, the 75th anniversary of the battle, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered an eloquent speech in front of an estimated crowd of 50,000, including some Civil War veterans with whom he shook hands.

Since 1944, only two U.S. presidents have visited Antietam Battlefield:  John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.

Kennedy toured the battlefield with his wife, Jackie and brother Ted, on April 3, 1963, just six months before his fateful ride in Dallas.  They made the trip from Camp David to the battlefield in a helicopter.  Of particular interest to the Kennedys were stories of the Irish Brigade and the role of Massachusetts soldiers.

--Old Secesh

The Famed Irish Brigade

Of course, this consisted mostly of men of Irish descent.

It consisted of five regiments, but originally was made up of three regiments:

69th New York
63rd New York
88th New York

It was later joined by the 29th Massachusetts who disliked having to fight alongside Irish and after the Battle of Antietam was replaced by the 28th Massachusetts and then the 116th Pennsylvania were added.

--Old Secesh

The Irish Brigade's Father William Corby

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday's post about the Mort Kunstler painting featured Father William Corby.

Born October 2, 1833, Died December 28, 1987

Attached to the Irish Brigade during the Civil War.  Born in Detroit, Michigan and enrolled at the then ten-year old Notre Dame College in South Bend, Indiana.  Wonder if he was able to get tickets to the game.

Ordained there and then taught there and returned to the school after the war and stayed there the rest of his life.

He is best known for giving General Absolution to the Irish brigade the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.  This absolves you of your sins.  The Irish brigade brought 5,000 into the battle and only 500 remained after it.

A statue of Father Corby was erected at the Gettysburg Battlefield in 1912.

--Old Secesh

Mort Kunstlers's 2015 Civil War Calendar for September-- Part 2

While the 2nd Corps lost more men in the Civil War than any other unit in the Federal Army, they continued to fight bravely.

Many of the men were practicing Catholics (a big surprise among Irish) and the brigade chaplain, Father William Corby, would regularly perform the act of "Last Rites" before going into battle in anticipation of lives lost.

Even during battle, Father Corby was present, offering spiritual strength, guidance, and peace of mind to soldiers through absolution.

--Old Secesh

Mort Kunstler's 2015 Civil War Calendar for September-- Part 1

ABSOLUTION BEFORE VICTORY

Members of the Irish Brigade are lines up off a road, holding their hats in the air while a mounted officer holds his sword aloft and a priest does absolution, I'm guessing, also from horseback.  The U.S. flag is being held alongside the famous green harp flag.

IRISH BRIGADE AT ANTIETAM, SEPT. 17, 1862.  The Irish Brigade served in the 1st Division of the 2nd Corps in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.  The men bravely fought and suffered many casualties in difficult assignments, as was displayed when the 2nd Corps was assigned to a position later called "Bloody Lane" during the Battle of Antietam.

--Old Secesh

One Man's Introduction to the Civil War

From the June 30, 2013, PhillyBurbs.com "150 years ago: the battle that saved the Union" by Jerry Jones.

He was introduced to the Civil War back in 1938, when Sister Mary Lambert at Our Mother of Sorrows School would read tales of heroics from "The Boys in Blue" and "The Boys in Gray." She had had relatives fight in the war.

Then, his maternal grandmother Sarah Laughrey Dillon, who came to the United States in the 1890s from Ireland, would show him a photo of her uncle who came to the United States as a young boy in the 1840s, attended Villanova College and was an officer in the 116th Pennsylvania, part of the famed Irish Brigade and fought at Gettysburg.

Then, there was the 75th anniversary of the battle July 1-3, 1938, attended by some 8,000 members of both armies in a week-long ceremony. Their average age then was 94, much like our World War II veterans now. They had a three-mile parade, heard a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and shook hands across the Stone Wall at Bloody Angle.

In July 1963, Jerry Jones introduced his own kids to Gettysburg at its centennial, only this time, the soldiers were re-enactors.

Carrying On the Tradition. I Wonder If His Kids Took Their Kids to Gettysburg? --Old Secesh

Dogs in the Civil War-- Part 1

From the June 2012 Dog Press by Fred Lanting. It was sad that the editors chose to note that the photo of Mr. Lanting posing as a Southern Rebel was appropriate for his column. It is a sad day when we have to come to that.

The article had several photos. One shows "Irish Wolfhound sleeps beneath a Celtic Cross commemorating The Irish Brigade. Another shows the symbol of "The Grayhounds" and another of "Sallie" on the 11th Pennsylvania statue. I have already written about her.

In addition to dogs at war, the 8th Wisconsin Infantry had the eagle "Old Abe" which had been given them by an Indian.

--Old Secesh