"The Irish Ninth in Bivouac and Battle" by Michael H. Macnamara   CHAPTER I. The Response to the President's Call. -- Colonel Cass tenders his Services to the State. -- His Offer accepted. -- The Raising of the Regiment.  -- Recruits and Recruiting. -- Drilling Difficulties. -- Election of Officers. -- Original Muster Roll. -- Removal from Boston to Long Island. THE wires that flashed the news of the fall of Fort Sumter touched with their electricity, not only the brain, but the great heart of the nation, stimulating the patriotism of a peaceful people, and awakening an energy which for a time submerged the business transactions of quiet communities in the preparations for the great and eventful struggle which was to decide the supremacy of the Federal Government and the stability of the American Constitution. The warlike proclivities of the American people became immediately manifest.  The desecration of the American flag not only fired with indignation the native, but awakened the patriotism of the foreign element, so that, in a few short hours, there were congregated on "Change" and in the public places, groups and bodies of indignant citizens, who loudly vowed the vengeance since inflicted upon the treacherous states which so grossly insulted the sacred flag, beneath whose folds so much honor had been achieved, and under the light of whose stars the American nation marched to prosperity and success. Immediately after the fall of Fort Sumter the President of the United States issued a call for seventy-five thousand men, which were rapidly supplied by the militia of the country, and sent into the field for three months.  Shortly after this the President issued a second call for three hundred thousand volunteers, and preparations upon a grand and extensive scale were immediately made for the enlistment, quartering, and equipment of the quota of the several states. The enthusiasm of the people of Massachusetts was of the first order.  Flags were flung to the breeze from public buildings and private dwellings in every part of the capital of Massachusetts; recruiting offices were opened, and large handbills posted in every place of prominence in Boston.  The excitement and enthusiasm throughout the city were intense, and enlistments rapidly progressed.  Such was the state of affairs when, early in the month of April, CAPTAIN CASS, then commanding the Columbian Association, proposed to the Governor of Massachusetts to raise an Irish regiment for three years, under the call of the President of the United States, or for a longer period if they were required. The proposition of Captain Cass was considered by the Governor of Massachusetts, and in a short time cordially accepted; and furnished with the documents authorizing the organization, Captain Cass made immediate preparations for the formation of a regiment, opened recruiting offices under the control of competent gentlemen, and in a short time the enlistments were so rapid as to give every augury of success.  Agents were despatched to very part of Massachusetts, and able speakers created an influence in favor of the great work that soon established a military ardor which places the success of the regiment beyond question.  The writer can recall many instances where men, stalwart and robust young Irishmen, travelled many miles on foot for the purpose of enlisting in "Captain Cass' Irish Regiment;" men who, having read of the glory of "The Old Brigade," felt tingling in their veins the martial ardor that actuated the Irish exiles in France, when, under the fleur de lys, they won so much glory, and shed so much blood. It is not wonderful that with material like this the "Irish Ninth" would win imperishable renown.  The writer has often noticed a distinguishing characteristic of the Irish recruit in painful contrast with the sordid exactions of some native soldiers.  An Irish recruit would enter an office, and declare his intention of enlisting; you would explain to him his obligations; he would listen as though he had not the slightest interest in your remarks; and when you had concluded, he would ask (if he could write), "Give me the pen !"  In a moment his name would be down, while on the other hand, a native would argue for an hour, discuss the terms, time of enlistment, and finally wind up the long colloquy by naively asking, what chance there was for a commission, for which he would be as well fitted as "Balls Hamilton," an "intelligent contraband," who once figured in a minor capacity with the regiment in Western Virginia, and who will enact a conspicuous part in another chapter of our work. Many of our best soldiers were men of family and position, comfortably situated, who entered the service from feelings of pure patriotism and warm affection for a government under which they had long lived and their children had been born.  To them the stars and stripes was a beautiful emblem; and if they could not love it as dearly as their own native green, they could fight for it as bravely, and shed their blood for it as freely, as any "to the manor born." The process of induction at that time was exceedingly rapid; a man was enlisted, carried before the surgeon, pronounced fit or unfit for military service; if accepted, sent to a boardinghouse, -- for the state had no barracks, -- and the next day initiated into the mysteries of the first position of a soldier, which initiation sometimes made the joints crack and provoked the innocent exclamation, "Ah ! but it's the divil's own way to stand !" and when told to be silent, would obey you by saying, "Sure I'm not spaking, sur," which, when he had concluded, would be undoubtedly true. When the recruit was perfect in the preliminary, he would be tried in the serious, and complex "right face."  This movement, in the outset, gave rise to a medley of queer turns and twists.  One would face by the left, and look with an expression of gratified pride upon his face into the eyes of his neighbor, whose position was correct, feeling perfectly satisfied that he was right and his comrade wrong.  When corrected, his face would assume a very sheepish expression, and with a droll twinkle in his eye, he would say, "Was it by the right ye mane? O, we'll do it over agin."  This time you would command "left face," and, sure enough, the gallant fellow would face by the right.  The countenance of the Irish soldier bears a very solemn expression while on drill -- more solemn than that of the Jew who declares himself swindled in the midst of his richest bargain.  The Irish recruit is, notwithstanding, a very rapid learner, and more readily grasps the principles of a movement than the soldiers of other nations. Recruiting in Boston at that time was not the dreary routine it afterwards became; the excitement was very great, and enlistments rapid; yet the recruiting officer had many serious obstacles to contend with.  Not having a proper place of security for the recruits, many of them, growing restless, would become invisible, --some for a time, and some forever, -- leaving you the genial employment of liquidating sundry board bills, and mentally reckoning the brokerage value of sundry little loans, which, when your martial heart overflowed with generosity, you had kindly transferred from your own pocket to that of the faithless invisible.  However, these were minor trials, and we all got used to them, and in a short time became, in our own conceit, "uncommonly sharp on the recruit." In the short period of three weeks the Ninth Regiment, then unnumbered and without a name, was called together at the rooms of the Columbian Association, which had been kindly tendered by that patriotic body for the purpose, and there it was equalized and formed into companies, and arrangements made for the election of officers, which took place at the rooms of the Columbian Association and at the temporary barracks in Lindal Street.  The election concluded, the officers passed the ordeal of examination -- and ordeal it was, in more senses than one -- at the State House, and in a short time received the state commissions from His Excellency, Governor John A. Andrew.  As these commissions were received by the original founders of the regiment, we feel it our duty to append the following roster of names: --   THOMAS CASS, Colonel C. G. ROWELL, Lieutenant-Colonel ROBERT PEARD, Major PETER PINEO, Surgeon PATRICK A. O'CONNELL, Assistant Surgeon. THOMAS SCULLY, Chaplain. GEO. W. PERKINS, Adjutant. MICHAEL SCANLAN, Quartermaster JAMES E. GALLAGHER, Captain, Company A. CHRISTOPHER PLUNKETT, Captain, Company B. WILLIAM MADIGAN Captain, Company C. JAMES J. PENDERGAST, Captain, Company D. M. H. MACNAMARA, Captain, Company E. EDWARD FITZGERALD, Captain, Company F. JOHN CAREY, Captain, Company G. JEREMIAH O'NIELL, Captain, Company H. BERNARD S. TREANOR, Captain, Company I. GEO. W. DUTTON, Captain, Company K. FRANCIS O'DOWD, 1st Lieutenant, Company A. PATRICK T. HANLEY, 1st Lieutenant, Company B. JOHN W. MAHAN, 1st Lieutenant, Company C. ARCHIBALD SIMPSON, 1st Lieutenant, Company D. JAMES E. MCCAFFERTY, JR., 1st Lieutenant, Company E. TIMOTHY O'LEARY, 1st Lieutenant, Company F. JOHN M. TOBIN, 1st Lieutenant, Company G. THOMAS K. ROACH, 1st Lieutenant, Company H. P. R. GUINEY, 1st Lieutenant, Company I. JAMES MCGUNNIGLE, 1st Lieutenant, Company K. M. F. O'HARA, 2d Lieutenant, Company A. JOHN H. WALSH, 2d Lieutenant, Company B. EDWARD MCSWEENEY, 2d Lieutenant, Company C. J. H. RAFFERTY, 2d Lieutenant, Company D. J. W. MACNAMARA, 2d Lieutenant, Company E. PHILIP REDMOND, 2d Lieutenant, Company F. TIMOTHY BURKE, 2d Lieutenant, Company H. RICHARD P. NUGENT, 2d Lieutenant, Company I. JOSEPH FORD, 2d Lieutenant, Company K. By the addition of four fine companies from Milford, Stroughton, Marlboro, and Salem, under the respective commands of Captains Peard (afterwards major), Carey, Dutton, and Fitzgerald, valuable and gallant officers, the two former of whom have since offered up their lives in defence of the flag of their adopted country, the minimum number of the regiment was reached, and thus the organization of the Ninth Massachusetts Volunteers was completed, and by order of the Governor, and with the consent of Mayor Wightman, of Boston, the regiment was marched to Faneuil Hall, then used as barracks, where they were supplied with quarters and rations until their removal to Long Island in Boston Harbor, which took place in May, 1861.   Return to Title Page Table of Contents Go to Chapter 2 Return to Home Page