I will be giving a speech at the Somerville Museum in Somerville Ma on Veterans Day, 11/11/11. It will begin at 2:00 and the entry to the museum is $5.00. the location is 1 westwood rd, Somerville MA 02143, 617-666-9810. historicsomerville.org
Here is a small excerpt:
Thomas Francis Meagher, of NY, began recruiting for The Irish Brigade. He wanted an Irish regiment from Ma. Therefore, he approached Gov. Andrew. At the same time, two local Irish businessmen also approached Andrew about the Irish Brigade. These where Patrick Donahue, the owner & editor of the Pilot, the most important Irish newspaper in the U.S. and B.S. Trainor, the editor of the Boston Irish Patriot. The biggest problem was Meagher was pushing for his friends in NY to be appointed to lead the new regiment and the locals wanted Boston Irish to lead the regiment.
Also at this time Gen. Butler had been sent back to Lowell to recruit regiments from New England for a force he was to lead to the gulf coast.
During the Civil War, the federal government would send quotas to the governor of each state for troops to be raised. The governor would than pass these down to each town. It was important for each state to meet its quota. The power to appoint officers lay with the governors and then just like now politics played an important part.
Butler was recruiting regiments of his own but also needed a regiment from the state. Trying to please everybody Gov. Andrew tried something that ended up not quit pleasing anyone. He tried to create two Irish regiments at the same time. The Twenty Eighth & the Twenty Ninth. One would have Meaghers’ New Yorkers in command and one would have local Irishmen in command. One would join the Irish Brigade and one would go to ship Island in Miss. with Butler. We all know what happens when you try to please everybody.
Ben Butler had sold this idea of coming to NE to Lincoln because he was a Democrat. The war had been a Republican war, with Republican recruits. As a Democrat, he claimed he could appoint Democrat officers and the ignored democratic recruits would come in. This sounds good on paper. Butler would make a military career marked by assuming authority he did not have and this was no exception. He over reached his authority to recruit, at the expense of Gov. Andrews quotas, and he appointed officers that the Republican governor did not approve of. Andrew complained to Lincoln about Butler encroaching on his authority to recruit and appoint. Butler accused Andrew of being a traitor for claiming he had more authority than the president did.
The Twenty-eighth & Twenty Ninth were recruited in this environment. Both regiments fell behind schedule. The state never should have attempted to recruit two Irish regiments at the same time. As recruiting, lagged Gen. Butler now accused Gov. Andrew of sabotaging his regiment by trying to recruit two regiments at once.
The appointing of officers also failed. William Monteith of NY became Col. Of the 28th. The local candidates put forward to lead the 29th were beaten out by another New Yorker, Matthew Murphy of the NY 69th. The 28th went into camp at Cameron and the 29th went to Framingham. Soon after going into camp the two regiments received an inspection from Mass. Adjutant General William Schouler. What he found was disturbing. First of all Thomas Murphy of NY had been sent instead of Matthew Murphy. Murphy was seldom in camp and the camp was better off when he was away. When he learned that the Governor was not going to give him his commission, he threatens to return to NY. This was fine with the administration. His final act was to return to his camp and give a rousing speech. This caused many to desert, most only temporarily. This was the end of Thomas Murphy in MA.
The demands of trying to recruit two Irish regiments at the same time came to a head. The governor’s office and the officers of both the 28th & 29th agreed to merge the two regiments into the 28th at Camp Cameron.
On Jan. 11th the regiment proceeded to Ft. Columbus in NY for more training.
DAN SULLIVAN
Here is a small excerpt:
Thomas Francis Meagher, of NY, began recruiting for The Irish Brigade. He wanted an Irish regiment from Ma. Therefore, he approached Gov. Andrew. At the same time, two local Irish businessmen also approached Andrew about the Irish Brigade. These where Patrick Donahue, the owner & editor of the Pilot, the most important Irish newspaper in the U.S. and B.S. Trainor, the editor of the Boston Irish Patriot. The biggest problem was Meagher was pushing for his friends in NY to be appointed to lead the new regiment and the locals wanted Boston Irish to lead the regiment.
Also at this time Gen. Butler had been sent back to Lowell to recruit regiments from New England for a force he was to lead to the gulf coast.
During the Civil War, the federal government would send quotas to the governor of each state for troops to be raised. The governor would than pass these down to each town. It was important for each state to meet its quota. The power to appoint officers lay with the governors and then just like now politics played an important part.
Butler was recruiting regiments of his own but also needed a regiment from the state. Trying to please everybody Gov. Andrew tried something that ended up not quit pleasing anyone. He tried to create two Irish regiments at the same time. The Twenty Eighth & the Twenty Ninth. One would have Meaghers’ New Yorkers in command and one would have local Irishmen in command. One would join the Irish Brigade and one would go to ship Island in Miss. with Butler. We all know what happens when you try to please everybody.
Ben Butler had sold this idea of coming to NE to Lincoln because he was a Democrat. The war had been a Republican war, with Republican recruits. As a Democrat, he claimed he could appoint Democrat officers and the ignored democratic recruits would come in. This sounds good on paper. Butler would make a military career marked by assuming authority he did not have and this was no exception. He over reached his authority to recruit, at the expense of Gov. Andrews quotas, and he appointed officers that the Republican governor did not approve of. Andrew complained to Lincoln about Butler encroaching on his authority to recruit and appoint. Butler accused Andrew of being a traitor for claiming he had more authority than the president did.
The Twenty-eighth & Twenty Ninth were recruited in this environment. Both regiments fell behind schedule. The state never should have attempted to recruit two Irish regiments at the same time. As recruiting, lagged Gen. Butler now accused Gov. Andrew of sabotaging his regiment by trying to recruit two regiments at once.
The appointing of officers also failed. William Monteith of NY became Col. Of the 28th. The local candidates put forward to lead the 29th were beaten out by another New Yorker, Matthew Murphy of the NY 69th. The 28th went into camp at Cameron and the 29th went to Framingham. Soon after going into camp the two regiments received an inspection from Mass. Adjutant General William Schouler. What he found was disturbing. First of all Thomas Murphy of NY had been sent instead of Matthew Murphy. Murphy was seldom in camp and the camp was better off when he was away. When he learned that the Governor was not going to give him his commission, he threatens to return to NY. This was fine with the administration. His final act was to return to his camp and give a rousing speech. This caused many to desert, most only temporarily. This was the end of Thomas Murphy in MA.
The demands of trying to recruit two Irish regiments at the same time came to a head. The governor’s office and the officers of both the 28th & 29th agreed to merge the two regiments into the 28th at Camp Cameron.
On Jan. 11th the regiment proceeded to Ft. Columbus in NY for more training.
DAN SULLIVAN
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