Patrick Kelly ( 1822 – June 16, 1864) was an Irish-American Union Army officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He led the famed Irish Brigade at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

Early life

Kelly was born in Castlehacket,

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States, landing in New York City. His wife Elizabeth was also from Tuam.

Civil War

At the outset of the Civil War, Kelly enlisted in the Union Army and saw action as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of Company E of the 69th New York Infantry at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

. He briefly was a captain in the 16th U.S. Infantry. On September 14, 1861, he was named lieutenant colonel of the

88th New York Infantry The 88th New York Infantry Regiment was a volunteer regiment in the Union Army's Irish Brigade during the American Civil War. History 1861 The regiment was mustered into service in the autumn of 1861 at Fort Schuyler in New York when the gov ...

and fought in the Irish Brigade's major battles in 1862. He commanded the regiment at the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

. While stationed at

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

following the

Maryland Campaign The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...

, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on October 20, 1862. He led the regiment in the ill-fated attacks in front of Marye's Heights in the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

. Kelly was acting commander of the Irish Brigade at the end of 1862. After the 1863

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

, Kelly was promoted to command the Irish Brigade following the resignation of Brig. Gen.

Thomas Francis Meagher Thomas Francis Meagher ( ; 3 August 18231 July 1867) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sent ...

. Kelly led the heavily depleted brigade (fewer than 600 men) in an attack at the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. The brigade lost 198 of 532 troops engaged, around 37%.Busey & Martin, p. 128. Kelly resumed his role as colonel of his regiment as more senior officers returned to the brigade. However, with the death of Col. Richard Byrnes at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

in 1864, Kelly again commanded the brigade. At the age of 42, Kelly died during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

when he was shot through the head while leading the Irish Brigade forward against Confederate earthworks. His body was recovered and sent back to New York for his funeral. He was buried in First Calvary Cemetery in

Woodside, New York Woodside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside, and on the east by Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and East ...

References

Sources

* Bilby, Joseph G., ''The Irish Brigade in the Civil War: The 69th New York and Other Irish Regiments of the Army of the Potomac.'' Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Combined Books, 1998. . * Busey, John W., and Martin, David G., ''Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg'', 4th Ed., Longstreet House, 2005, . * Jorgensen, Jay, ''Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield'', Shippensberg, PA: White Mane Publishing, 2002, . * Pritchard, Russ A., ''The Irish Brigade: A Pictorial History of the Famed Civil War Fighters.'' New York: Running Press Book Publishers, 2004. . * U.S. War Department
''The War of the Rebellion''
''a Compilation of the

Official Records The ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion'', commonly known as the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' or Official Records (OR or ORs), is the most extensive collection of Americ ...

of the Union and Confederate Armies'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.

External links

The Wild Geese: Kelly's funeral
* * Patrick Kelly, depicted in ''The soldier in our Civil War : a pictorial history of the conflict, 1861-1865'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Patrick Year of birth uncertain 1864 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States Irish Brigade (U.S.) Irish soldiers in the United States Army Military personnel from New York City People from Tuam People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union army colonels Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War United States Army officers Military personnel from County Galway