Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon Clare

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Jimbo
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Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon Clare

Post by Jimbo » Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:35 am

Hello,

I’ve been researching Rial ancestry under various spellings with links to Limerick, Clare and New York. I obtained the Civil War pension file for Patrick Real from the National Archives in the hope of finding a possible link and more details where the Rial / Real families originated from in County Limerick. I am posting details on the Clare Past Forum as Patrick Real is an interesting case of a Civil War veteran who returned to Ireland and ended up settling in County Clare to raise his large family. Thought this would be of general interest to Clare Past readers and especially for any real descendants who might still be living in Clare.

Patrick Real was born in Limerick and served in C Company of the 1st New York Volunteer Engineers from early 1864 until his muster out date on 19 July 1865. There are not too many details in the pension file about his war time activities, but from a quick look at a regimental website (1stnyengineers.com), Patrick Real would have spent most of his time near Charleston Harbor, South Carolina: “The four remaining companies (A, C, G, and I) were left in the Department of the South, where they finished out the war. In May 1864, they were stationed at Morris Island, Folly Island, and Hilton Head, SC, where they were in charge of the Engineer Depot.”

Patrick “Rail” (age 72) is listed in the 1911 Irish Census as living in Kilcarroll, Killimer, Clare along with his wife Mary (age 72) and their son Philip (age 45, born in the U.S.A., one of seven living children). Patrick’s occupation is listed as “United States Pensioner”.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/r ... 001784199/

Approximately 150,000 Irish fought for the Union during the Civil War. On the U.S. Civil War Pension Index (1861 – 1934) there were approximately 900 veterans (or their widows or perhaps mothers) receiving U.S. government pensions while residing in Ireland. The index does not provide any detail by county for residents of Ireland; this would have to be obtained through researching each individual file.

The first document in the Patrick Real pension file is a “Declaration of Invalid Pension” dated 2 April 1892 – see attached below. The two witnesses were Michael Mulqueen of Kilrush and Michael McDonnell of Tarmon. Both individuals knew Patrick Real for 15 years. And the Commissioner of the High Court who took the affidavit was a John C. Mahony (the last bits of information on 2nd page not provided). It is not clear from the file how large an invalid pension Patrick received, but the monthly rates under the pension act were “graded from $6 to $12 proportioned to the degree of inability to earn a support, and are not affected by the rank held”.

For more information on Civil War pension files and the ongoing National Archive digitization project, have a look at this youtube clip. Even in the short clip you’ll hear a few Irish names:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWV9ObQUDRc

James
Attachments
Patrick Real Invalid Pension 2 April 1892.jpg
Patrick Real Invalid Pension 2 April 1892.jpg (365.6 KiB) Viewed 44322 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Wed Sep 04, 2013 2:39 am

One follow-up to the first post with the Invalid Pension document dated April 1892: In 1890, the U.S. Bureau of Pensions had relaxed the previous required connection between disability and war time service. Thus, just about any veteran still living in 1890 and not in perfect health would be eligible for benefits.

In January 1903, Patrick Real was requested by the U.S. Department of Interior to complete the below questionnaire. This provides additional detail that he was born in February 1838 in County Limerick. And also a physical description: Patrick Real was 5 feet 7 ¾ inches, weighed 9 ½ stone, had blue eyes, with brown hair, and a ruby complexion with no permanent marks or scars on his body.

It also provides an address where Patrick was living in New York upon his enlistment in early 1864. The writing looks like No. 27 Grunwick or perhaps Greenwick Street, but it is most surely 27 Greenwich Street. 27 Greenwich Street is in Lower Manhattan close to Battery Park. Today it is mostly modern skyscrapers, but in the 1860’s there would have been a large number of tenement housing.

If Patrick Real had also been living in Greenwich Street just six months prior to his enlistment, he would have been a fair walking distance from the major clashes of the famous New York City Draft Riots of July 1863. However, lower Greenwich Street was right in the thick of it as far as attacks on property (see map below).

The questionnaire also provides Patrick Real’s movements after his discharge in 1865. In 1867, he left New York and returned to County Limerick, and in 1878 he moved to County Clare. However, no document in the pension file provides any information on the year Patrick Real first immigrated to the United States. Did he arrive prior to 1850? 1860?

Patrick Real’s two witnesses on the 23rd January 1903 were Patrick McNamara and Joseph Browne. The U.S. Pension Office received his response on the 7th February 1903.
Attachments
Patrick Real Pension Questionnaire Jan 1903.jpg
Patrick Real Pension Questionnaire Jan 1903.jpg (103.5 KiB) Viewed 44227 times
Draft Riots in NYC in July 1863.jpg
Draft Riots in NYC in July 1863.jpg (127 KiB) Viewed 44227 times

miriam scahill
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by miriam scahill » Fri Sep 06, 2013 7:04 pm

Hi Jimbo - sorry for delay - - I found your info very interesting - I am originally from Kilrush - and knew a family called 'REILLS' - Patrick, his wife and 3 daughters - - so I had a 'search' to see their connection with your Patrick Real - Census of 1901 has Patrick Rail aged 63 living at Tarmon, Knock (He poss. worked for Michael McDonnell) - ( This is the DED address) - TARMON is in Civil Parish of Kilrush - but in Church Parish of Killimer - Patrick is shown as born in Clare - 1901 son Michael aged 30 and his wife Mary are at 'CARROWFREE' - about a mile west of Tarmon. (In Civil Parish of Kilrush - but in Catholic parish of Killimer. In 1911 Census Patrick aged 72 and his wife Mary are at KILCARROL, (Catholic parish of Kilrush) - DED of Killimer with son, Philip born in U,S.A. - this shows Patrick born in Co. Limerick. Also 1911 Census shows Michael RAILLS aged 40 with wife and family at Ennis Road, Kilrush - house No. 9 - still there. In later years Michael moved to High St. I think he died in early 1950'.s - but cannot find grave - or info on Family search.
Patrick Rails died in 1915 and is buried in Grave No. 12 at MOLOUGHA cemetery - in Killimer parish - - erected by his wife Mary - - no other inscription. Some of Michael's (Mick) family went to U.S. and some to England - Patrick remained in Kilrush. He died in 1970 - buried in New Shanakyle cemetery, Kilrush.
I could pass on a message to one of his daughters.
Some years ago I met a lady who was with a friend of mine - she told me 'her people were RAEL from Athea in Co. Limerick'
I had a look at 'Familysearch' for details of Michael's family - - spellings - Reill, Rails, Real, Reall and Reills - maybe more !!
Thanks for posting - - I hope to see Paddy's daughter when I visit Kilrush soon. Miriam.

Jimbo
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Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:52 am

Hi Miriam, thank you very much for your comments. Great that you have been able to track down some direct descendants as your friends in Kilrush are definitely the great grandchildren of Patrick Real. The second part of the 1903 questionnaire (see below) provides a list of his 7 living children and their birth dates. Michael Real is listed as being born on 7th July 1868 would be the same as the 30/40 year old in the 1901/1911 census (age rounded down to the nearest decade) that you have mentioned. Assuming that 1867 the year Patrick Real moved from the USA to Limerick is accurate, Michael was probably born in Limerick and not Clare as reported in the census reports.

Patrick Real married Mary Murphy “in July 1865 in Barclay Street, Catholic Church, New York”. This is the same month as when Patrick was discharged from the Civil War. If a photo did exist from his marriage, it would no doubt show Patrick wearing his 1st Regiment N.Y. Engineers uniform.

St. Peter’s is the Catholic Church on Barclay Street and is pretty close to where Patrick Real was living on Greenwich Street in 1864. When it was founded 1785 it was the first Catholic parish in the state of NY.

The questionnaire states that they were married by a Father Quinn who was indeed the parish priest of St. Peter’s during the 1860’s. For a photo of St Peter’s (rebuilt in 1836) and of Father (later Monsignor) Quinn, have a look at McNamara’s Blog written by a NY Catholic Church historian (this article is in relation to Father Quinn providing Mass at St. Peter’s in 1868 to Papal Zouaves who were en route from Canada to Rome to fight for the “Pope’s Army”).
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mcnamarasb ... -1868.html

Miriam, well spotted on the Patrick “Rails” grave at Molougha cemetery. I had previously searched on the Clare library site, but must have used the wrong spelling. I believe the transcription (or perhaps the headstone) is incorrect as Patrick Real died in 1913 and not 1915.

Have a good trip back to Kilrush. When you drop by for a visit with the Reills, would you please ask your friends if they were aware that their great grandfather had served in the American Civil War?
Attachments
Patrick Real Pension Questionnaire Jan 1903 part 2.jpg
Patrick Real Pension Questionnaire Jan 1903 part 2.jpg (239 KiB) Viewed 44132 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Mon Nov 25, 2013 9:15 pm

Back again with the next document in the Patrick Real pension file. This one is dated from July 1907 and was signed by Patrick McDonnell of Limerick City and John Mangan of Killimer, County Clare who knew Patrick Real for 20 and 25 years, respectively.

This affidavit provides the same personal description (blue eyes, brown hair, ruby complexion etc) as in 1903, but the timing is more specific as it requests “personal description at enrollment”.

The main bit of information which highlights the importance of Civil War pension files in tracing family history back to Ireland is that it provides the town in Limerick where he was born as Cappamore.

Recently I have had a look on the internet to see what was available on Irish veterans of the American Civil War who returned to Ireland. Invariably the sources were associated with the Fenian Rising of 1867 in which “American Irish” took a lead role. When I first posted that Patrick Real (with his wife and first born) returned to Limerick in 1867, I had no idea of the importance of this year in Irish history. Indeed, Kilmallock in Limerick was a hotbed of Fenian activity during the 1867 rebellion. There is no evidence that Patrick Real participated in the uprising or even if the Real family had returned to Limerick by March of 1867. However, the March newspapers provide many interesting accounts how returning Civil War veterans were stereotyped by the press. The London Times reports (see below 8 & 9 March excerpts) that the local population finds the returnees “bold, voluble, confident in assertion … have good clothes and plenty of money” remind me of similar descriptions of American soldiers stationed in Britain during WWII over 70 years later. In the later trials of those convicted in the Fenian Rising of 1867, the press appears to enjoy critiquing their accents with comments such as “his voice is agreeable, but betrays a Limerick brogue, modified by the American accent, especially in the word “No” which is pronounced “Naugh” (Times, 29 April 1867). With the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act passed in 1866, Patrick would likely want to keep a low profile when returning to Limerick.

The same page as the March 8th London Times posted below has the short notice “Reports from Clare announce that the Coastguard station near Kilrush was attacked last night and the arms taken, one man wounded. The insurgent party marched toward Kilrush”. More detail on this attack is provided in “The Fenian Rising in Kilbaha 1867” by Mathúin Mac Fheorais [Matthew Bermingham]:
http://www.aoh61.com/history/kilbaha_1867.htm
Attachments
Patrick Real Pension Document July 1907.jpg
Patrick Real Pension Document July 1907.jpg (264.66 KiB) Viewed 43816 times
Fenian Uprising Limerick per London Times 8 Mar 1867.jpg
Fenian Uprising Limerick per London Times 8 Mar 1867.jpg (267.3 KiB) Viewed 43816 times
Fenian Uprising Limerick per London Times 9 Mar 1867.jpg
Fenian Uprising Limerick per London Times 9 Mar 1867.jpg (135.37 KiB) Viewed 43816 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:44 am

Patrick Real (“Reil”) died in Kilcarroll, Kilrush on 6th March 1913. His widow Mary Murphy “Reil” would apply for a widow’s pension the following month – see below record. Witnesses to this declaration were Michael O’Shea and Joseph McNamara both of Kilrush who knew Mary Real for 20 and 10 years, respectively. Once approved, Mary would receive a monthly pension of $30 sent to the Kilcarroll post office.

My primary motivation in initially posting the pension records on the Clare Past Forum was to obtain a gravestone for Patrick Real to commemorate his Civil War military service. His widow Mary Murphy Real died in 1927 in Kilrush and according to the pension records is buried in Shanakyle cemetery. In looking for the gravestone of Patrick Real on the Clare library site, I had either mistakenly focused on Shanakyle or had the incorrect surname in my search and thus assumed Patrick was buried in an unmarked grave like many others at Shanakyle. The U.S. Veterans Affairs will send a classic Civil War headstone anywhere in the world at government expense if the following criteria are met (a) Civil War veteran status can be verified (b) the location of the unmarked grave can be determined (c) a direct descendant completes the application.

Back in September, Miriam was able to not only able to track down a direct descendant, but also discovered that Patrick “Rails” is buried in grave #12 in Molougha cemetery with the headstone inscription “erected by his wife Mary”. Thus, the U.S. requirements for a Civil War headstone are not met since Patrick Real is not buried in an unmarked grave.

January 27, 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of Patrick Real’s enlistment. Since posting the first pension document, I’ve done more research on the First New York Volunteer Engineers and their service in the Department of the South. There is not much on the Clare Library website about Limerick / Clare men who fought in the American Civil War. So thought it would be worth further exploring Patrick Real’s Civil War service by sharing the few remaining documents from his pension file as well as enlistment record and other sources over the next few months.
Attachments
Mary Reil Declaration for Widow Pension 19 April 1913.jpg
Mary Reil Declaration for Widow Pension 19 April 1913.jpg (323.19 KiB) Viewed 43602 times

mgallery
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by mgallery » Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:34 am

Patrick Eagan has a good blog on his ancestor Major Francis Gallery Maloney (who was born in Ennis) another civil war veteran. http://padraicmacaodhagain.blogspot.ie/ ... t-nys.html

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:01 pm

Hi Mgallery, thanks for that Link – I enjoy reading about Irish who fought in the American Civil War.

At the same time as submitting the Declaration for Widow’s Pension, a Certified Copy of Entry in the Register Book of Deaths also dated 19 April 1913 was completed for Patrick “Rails” – see attached document. This was signed by Harry J. Hanrahan, the Assistant Registrar whose office was at 45 Frances Street in Kilrush.

The document states that eldest son Philip Rails was present at his father’s death at Kilcarrol, Kilrush.

Most likely both Patrick Real and Mary Murphy Real would have had plenty of stories to tell their children of their time in New York and also Patrick’s time serving as an Engineer during the Civil War. I’ve read that American Civil War veterans returning to Ireland would often create the next generation of emigrants. So I had a look at Ellis Island shipping records to see how many of their children would follow in their footsteps and immigrate to New York. At least three would make the trip to America:

The first to leave was the youngest son Patrick “Reil” taking the Ship Majestic from Queenstown arriving in New York on July 7, 1898. Born in 1870, the journey to America appears to have wiped away 5 years as he listed his age as 23. His destination was listed as Buffalo, NY and his contact person was friend T. Cusack of Niagara Street. Patrick appears to have been traveling with Patrick O’Leary, a 22 year old blacksmith from Kilrush whose contact was a brother (cousin is crossed out) in Buffalo.

Kate “Rails” from Tarmon would leave next also taking the Ship Majestic arriving in New York from Queenstown on April 11, 1901. Her age was listed as 20 years (she was born in June 1878) and contact was her brother (Patrick?) living at 1609 2nd Avenue in New York City.

The youngest daughter Ellen “Reill” was a 17 year old servant for the Duggan family of Tarmon in the 1901 Irish census. But the next year, the 18 year old “Nellie Reills” would take the Ship Teutonic from Queenstown arriving in New York on April 17, 1902. Her contact was listed as her sister “Kate Reills” living at 1705 2nd Avenue in New York City – just down the street from where their brother was living in 1901.

In the 1905 New York State Census, the sisters Kate Reills (age 22) and Nellie Reills (age 21) were both working as servants for a multi-generation German-American family of Moyer / Gottschalk at 145 East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0026

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0024

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0023

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/r ... 000480231/

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... c=14536295
Attachments
Certified Copy of Register Book of Deaths dated 19 April 1913.jpg
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Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:39 pm

After receiving the Declaration for Widow’s Pension for Mary Real, the U.S. Pension Office (or perhaps a pension attorney) would independently verify that Mary Murphy Real had indeed been married to Patrick Real. The rector at the Church of St. Peter, New York completed a Certificate of Marriage (see attached below) dated 28 May 1913 verifying that Patrick Real married Mary Anne Murphy on the first day of August 1865 with the Reverend Gabriel Healy being the officiating clergyman.

Not sure for which Irish generation it became common to celebrate wedding anniversaries as the previous pension documents had varying dates. In 1903, Patrick Real stated “July 1865”; and in 1913 Mary Real stated 4th or 5th day of July 1867. Perhaps Mary Real confused important dates in her life. Not to jump ahead in the story, but in the evening of 4th July was when her Patrick along with two battalions of the 1st New York Engineers arrived back in New York at the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865; and 1867 was the year Mary and Patrick returned to Ireland.

The Reverend Gabriel Healy had just been ordained in the autumn of 1864 and was the assistant priest to the Reverend Quinn who was listed on the previous pension documents as the officiating priest. Father Gabriel Healy had been baptized at the Church of St. Peter and his Irish born parents had been married there.

The Certificate of Marriage also includes two witnesses: Michael Condon and Bridget Hayes.

No matter the exact date of their marriage at St. Peter’s Church, it was very soon after Patrick Real was discharged from his Civil War service. So I was not at all surprised to find his witness Michael Condon listed as a member of the 1st New York Engineers who enrolled on the exact same date 27 January 1864. I did a search on the Report of the Adjutant General for that date and four Irishmen from the Sixth District of New York enlisted on the 27th January and would become members of Company C of the 1st New York Engineers: Michael Condon, James Kelly, John Montford and Patrick Real.
Attachments
Certificate of Marriage, Church of St Peter New York.jpg
Certificate of Marriage, Church of St Peter New York.jpg (107.87 KiB) Viewed 43527 times
Excerpts from Adjutant General of NY First New York Engineers.jpg
Excerpts from Adjutant General of NY First New York Engineers.jpg (47.11 KiB) Viewed 43527 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:56 am

After doing a google search on Michael Condon and New York Engineers and Civil War, I was very surprised to find that the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center (USAHEC) had a photo of Michael Condon in their archives. It took several months for the photo (see attached below) to arrive – most likely delayed due to last year’s U.S. government shut down! Was slightly disappointed that the photo appears to be taken post-Civil War era, but was pleased that it included a short biography for Michael Condon.

The photo & biography were submitted to USAHEC in 1996 by a Florida genealogist whose grandmother was a first cousin of Michael Condon (have kept her name confidential for privacy as she never used her real name on various genealogy forums from the 90's that refer to this Michael Condon). Below are excerpts from the biography:

“Michael Condon was born in Herbertstown, Co. Limerick, Ireland, and is referred to as “the soldier” by current family members mainly because the name Michael has been used over and over by many generations of Condons.

Michael Condon’s parents were David Condon and Margaret Coffee. His grandparents were David Condon and Johanna Dwyer. A house built in Rathjordan, Co. Limerick, by David Condon and Johanna Dwyer in the early part of the last century [1800’s], is still standing and the current occupants are direct Condon descendants. They, like their ancestors, raise horses.

After the Civil War Michael Condon returned to Ireland and married Mary Murphy and the couple had ten children: William born in 1881; Helenia in 1882 [not with family in 1901 census?]; Malachi in 1884; Patrick in 1887, Honora in 1890, Michael [not with family in 1901 census?], Margaret [age 25 in 1901 census], David [age 24 in 1901 census], John [name crossed out in 1901 census] and Eileen [age18 in 1901 census] – birth dates not known [information completed using 1901 Irish Census].

Michael Condon died in the late 1890’s [28 May 1896 per probate record on family search] and Mary, his wife, in the late 1920’s. Both are buried in Knockainey Church, Knockainey, Co. Limerick.”

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZ5F-4KF


The widow Mary Condon was living in Herbertstown, Limerick in the 1901 census with eight of her children. The youngest child “Mary A” age 7 was not included in the biography. Three children Michael, John and Helenia listed in the biography were not living with their family in 1901 – assuming these three names are accurate, Michael and Mary Condon would have had 11 children.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/r ... 000984315/

Not many Irish veterans of the American Civil War returned to Ireland. Patrick Real and Michael Condon who enrolled with the 1st New York Volunteer Engineers on the same day January 27, 1864 would not only both return to Limerick after their Civil War service, but also both marry a “Mary Murphy”. Suppose the name is one of the most common in Ireland, but I have a suspicion that Patrick Real and Michael Condon might have been cousins. I’ll try to track down the Florida genealogist who submitted the biography to see if they have any further information.
Attachments
Michael Condon, Co. C, 1st Regiment New York Volunteer Engineers (used Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center).jpg
Michael Condon, Co. C, 1st Regiment New York Volunteer Engineers (used Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center).jpg (25.48 KiB) Viewed 43498 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:19 pm

150 years ago on January 27, 1864 Patrick Real along with three other Irishmen from the 6th District of New York volunteered to serve in the 1st Regiment New York Volunteer Engineers for a “period of three years, unless sooner discharged by proper authority”. They were sworn in by J.H. Cornwell, a recruiting officer on General Spinola’s staff. Patrick Real would “bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America”, but I am not sure if he became a naturalized U.S. citizen prior to returning to Ireland.

Civil War enrollment records are available from the U.S. National Archives (also on-line from Fold3, a paid subscription site), but are separate from the widow pension records. The pension records are a great source of information for any ancestor who fought in the American Civil War. But most of the records are completed by the pensioner, and thus aren’t the most independent of sources. A case in point is the physical description for Patrick Real. In both 1903 and 1907 pension records he is described as 5 feet 7 ¾ inches, brown hair, blue eyes, with a “ruby complexion”. From the 3rd party enrollment records (bottom of first page) we learn that the complexion of Patrick Real was really not “ruby” but “ruddy”! Civil War soldiers were generally not described as having a “ruby complexion”. If you google “ruddy complexion” and “civil war”, you actually get about 50,000 hits. If you do the same with “ruby complexion”, your top result is “Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon” and maybe one other soldier.

Why did Patrick Real and Michael Condon volunteer to serve in the American Civil War? Was it for the $300 bounty paid? And what was their reason for leaving Limerick for America in the first place? And unlike the vast majority of Irish born Civil War veterans, why did they return to Ireland?
Attachments
Patrick Reil, 1st NY Engineers Volunteer Enlistment 27 Jan 1864 part 1 (source Fold3).jpg
Patrick Reil, 1st NY Engineers Volunteer Enlistment 27 Jan 1864 part 1 (source Fold3).jpg (231.66 KiB) Viewed 43466 times
Patrick Reil, 1st NY Engineers Volunteer Enlistment 27 Jan 1864 part 2 (source Fold3).jpg
Patrick Reil, 1st NY Engineers Volunteer Enlistment 27 Jan 1864 part 2 (source Fold3).jpg (201.28 KiB) Viewed 43466 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:42 pm

Five months ago when I posted the Civil War enlistment record for Patrick Real, I was a bit rushed to post by January 27th, the 150th anniversary of his enlistment. While I found the time to determine the likelihood of Patrick Real having a ruby versus ruddy complexion, I should have taken a closer look at the overall recruiting process in New York City. The enlistment records convey an organized process which upon further reading was certainly not the case.

Below are a group of advertisements from the New York Herald of 13th January 1864; there were about a dozen similar for other regiments. On their enlistment records neither Patrick Real nor Michael Condon signed their enlistment records, so doubtful that they could read the newspaper. Perhaps fellow Irishman John Montford who enrolled on the same day and was literate read the different recruiting ads to them. By 1864 to avoid an unpopular draft and further rioting, bounties were paid to encourage volunteer enlistment. Combining federal, state and local bounties could approach $800. The middle advertisement is for the First Corps of New York Volunteer Engineers and promises the “largest bounties and $300 cash down”. The top and bottom ads are for artillery units and one states “No knapsacks to carry. No exposure on wet ground. Good barracks provided”.

But with these large bounties paid came corruption. The enlistment records for Patrick Real and Michael Condon were signed by J.H. Cornwell who it states was on the staff of General Spinola. The New York Tribune of 5th January 1864 hints that not everything was hunky dory:

General F. B. Spinola, now on recruiting service in this city and Brooklyn, informs us that he has enlisted 1,900 good men within the last forty working days – 115 of them yesterday. He says that if other persons connected with the service will only let him alone, he will fill up the quota required within a reasonable time, and see that every recruit is fairly dealt with. But too many officers, he thinks, watch and cavil at his efforts to the detriment of their own.

By February, all the newspapers were reporting a full blown scandal. Below are excerpts from a large article by the New York Tribune on 16 February 1864. The newspapers of this era are prone to exaggeration, but it appears unlikely that Patrick Real and Michael Condon received their full $300 cash due upon enlistment from the county:

The system of recruiting which has recently been followed in this city is one of the greatest scandals of the war. It has been one of organized pillage, resort being had to hocusing with narcotic poisons, threats, violence, false representations and kidnapping in order to furnish victims to the bounty-brokers and fill up the army with discontented and unfit men. Cripples, old men, mere boys, men laboring under incurable diseases, and soldiers previously discharged for physical disability, form a great part of the recruits recently enlisted in this city. A bad eminence has been given to Lafayette Hall, the headquarters of Gen. Spinola…

The facts are that of the 2,000 men in question, the majority did not receive over $50 of the $300 paid by the county. The other half received sums ranging from $100 to $150 of the bounty due to them. Gen. Spinola being understood to claim that the 2,000 recruits have “averaged a receipt of $100 per head.”

When General Dix first had his attention called to this matter … and began to take steps toward ensuring justice to the recruits, a howl was raised by the bounty thieves and brokers that “recruiting would be paralyzed the moment this system was broken up.” Even Gen. Spinola wrote a letter to The Herald on the subject, strongly urging this view, and taking the side of the brokers. If the emigrant-runners, baggage smashers, sailor-kidnappers, and other of a like class who were patriotically devoting their attention to this new “places” were interfered with, there would be another draft, and another anti-draft riot right away; our streets would run blood, and the scenes of last July be repeated with all the modern improvements.

Recruiting in New York City must have been grim if an American newspaper compares the situation to czarist Russia, as done by Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper New York on 6 February 1864:

General Spinola has been deprived of the super intendance of the recruiting for the brigade, and Col. Nugent put in his stead. It was at Gen. Spinola’s office that the outrages upon personal liberty occurred which would have disgraced Russia.
Attachments
First New York Engineer Recruiting New York Herald 13 Jan 1864.jpg
New York Herald 13 January 1864 Recruiting Ads
First New York Engineer Recruiting New York Herald 13 Jan 1864.jpg (88.53 KiB) Viewed 42656 times

Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:18 pm

To administer the Civil War pension program, the Bureau of Pensions around the 1880’s completed an index system of all the monthly muster roll sheets for each veteran. Thus, we know from the below muster summary that Patrick Real and Michael Condon were on Riker’s Island per the roll dated 8 February 1864. Riker’s Island was used for training of New York City recruits during the Civil War and sits in the East River just off what is now La Guardia Airport. It is now Rikers Prison, but the conditions were probably much worse in the winter of 1864.

“How Soldiers are Treated on Riker’s Island” was reported by the Philadelphia Age on 21 January 1864:

Horrible stories about robberies and outrages on the volunteers on Riker’s Island, are brought to us by an army officer. If true they reveal a horrible system of positive crimes which reflect disgrace on all concerned. Our informant states that recruits when taken to the Island are placed in line upon the parade ground and there one by one stripped naked, regardless of weather, to be searched for concealed citizens’ clothes; that this search lasts from an hour to an hour and a half, during which time the shivering men are kept in the open air, and then sent to comfortless wedge tents to freeze, sicken, and perchance die, from the effects of this barbarous exposure. Furthermore, is said to be practiced a system of the most shameful extortion. During the excessive cold weather, some of the men bought little sheet iron stoves, worth $1.25 at retail in the city, to place in their tents for which they were charged the sum of $10 each. At one time the only well on the island was frozen up; for two days the men were without a supply of water, and when water was brought them by lighters it was so foul, from the vessels in which it had been brought as to benefit for no one. At this time, it is said, water was sold at $5 per canteen full. Forty cents were demanded and paid for a sixpenny pie, and twenty-five cents for a paper of chewing tobacco.

“The Recruits at Riker’s Island” by the Massachusetts Spy on 27 January 1864 highlights the fact that during January 1864 the men of Riker’s Island were mostly black recruits receiving training. New York State was only just starting to form colored regiments. Other states such as Massachusetts already had several black regiments including the Massachusetts 54th and 55th which had received considerable action in South Carolina during 1863.

The reports which have been circulated, to the effect that five colored men had died on Riker’s Island from the effects of drugging by runners previous to their enlistment, and that colored men have frozen to death on the island, are untrue. No men have died from having been drugged. There have been two or three cases of sickness from such causes, but the men have recovered. One man died suddenly during the recent cold weather, but the cause of death was not freezing. Of 1,500 men, eight only have died in forty-five days.

“Only” eight men of 1,500 died in a period of 45 days - that’s a 4.3% annualized mortality rate and the men hadn’t even left boot camp. Patrick Real and Michael Condon would have been very pleased to leave freezing Riker’s Island with what remained of their cash bounties and arrive in much warmer South Carolina.
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Rikers Island 8 Feb 1864.jpg
Muster Roll on Riker's Island on 8 Feb 1864
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Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:00 am

Patrick Real and Michael Condon enrolled at the Sixth District in New York on January 27, 1864 at Lafayette Hall on Broadway. In previous posts, I stated that they were from the Sixth District which was not necessarily the case. A recruit could enroll at the Sixth District from a neighboring state and would have a large incentive to do so if the bounties paid were higher in New York City. Thus, the newspapers from neighboring states (such as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts in the last post) trying to fill their recruiting quotas might exaggerate the conditions on Riker’s Island to discourage recruits going to New York to enroll. One thing we know for certain is that it was freezing on Riker’s Island in the winter of 1864.

From his 1892 pension document, Patrick Real was living at 27 Greenwich Street in the First Ward of New York City in January 1864. Where you live in New York City can tell a lot about your personal circumstances including for many immigrants when they most likely arrived in America.

The New York Times of March 5, 1864 in an article “Mission Stations” provides a good description of Greenwich Street. And makes clear that Patrick Real would not only have to deal with the bounty hunters, but also missionaries who felt immigrants were “needing of instruction” and their souls to be “saved”:

For twenty-nine years the City Tract Society has been engaged in missionary effort in this City… its agents go forth as truth-bearers into the tenement-houses, the hospital, the immigrant depot and the ship, meeting every man as a brother, and with words of love and deeds of kindness, seeking to draw souls into the way of life.

In the neighborhood of the Battery, once the aristocratic quarter, we find warehouses and offices, and on the first blocks in Greenwich Street, formerly inhabited by the Schermerhorns, and Edgars and Boltons, and such like names, we meet the emigrant boarding-house and tenement-house, crowded with men, women and children, each and all of them needing instruction, and care, and control, if we would have them become useful members of society.

Many of the throngs that jostle as on the sidewalks are recent immigrants, and the law that guides us in reference to our duty to these is found on the great statute book of the world, in these words “The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself, for ye were strangers in the land”.

At No 27 Greenwich Street, on the second floor of dwelling house, we find a room, perhaps 20 by 50 feet, plainly furnished, where 125 persons may be seated. Here the tract missionary gathers in on the Sabbath often as many as 200 children, when the place becomes so crowded no more can find admittance. Then, there is the regular preaching of the gospel on the Sabbath, and through the week, and other services for old and young, held at various times.

… Since the establishment of this station, known at the First Ward Mission, in 1852, probably as many as 100 have given credible evidence of being radically changed in heart and life…


Harper’s Weekly on February 20, 1869 published the below illustration “Underground Lodgings for the Poor, Greenwich Street, New York”. The illustration does not provide an address, but #27 could very well have similar conditions in 1864 when Patrick Real lived there. The conditions look very poor and crowded. However, when Patrick Real was in a freezing tent on Riker’s Island in February, he most likely wished he was back in the tenement on Greenwich Street or perhaps even back in Limerick.
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Underground Lodgings for the Poor, Greenwich Street NY.jpg
"Underground Lodgings for the Poor, Greenwich Street, NY" from Harper's Weekly February 1869
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Jimbo
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Re: Patrick Real U.S. Civil War Pensioner living in Tarmon C

Post by Jimbo » Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:49 pm

So when did Patrick Real arrive in America? The shipping records in the 1850’s and 1860’s provide little detail besides name and age. Unless an immigrant had an unusual name or was traveling with family it is difficult to identify individuals on the shipping records. Patrick Real isn’t as common of a name as Patrick Murphy or Patrick McMahon, but there are a fair few about including at least three Patrick Reals who fought in the Civil War. However, if we assume that (1) Patrick Real was a relatively new immigrant in January 1864 based on where he was living at 27 Greenwich Street and (2) he was traveling with his friend Michael Condon, there is only one possibility:

Patt Real (age 23) and Michael Condon (age 21) arrived in New York City on the 1st of May 1863 on the “City of Manchester”, a steamship with The Liverpool, New York and Philadelphia Steamship Company, departing originally from Liverpool. From a notice in the New York Herald of 2 May 1863 (see below), the “City of Manchester” made a stop at Queenstown (Cork Harbor) on the 18th of April before arriving with 690 passengers in New York City.

The only discrepancy is the age of Patrick Real listed on the “City of Manchester” as 23, so born about 1840. When he and Michael Condon enlisted with the 1st New York Engineers on 27 January 1864, their ages were both stated as 21, so born in 1842 or 1843. But Patrick Real was rarely consistent in reporting his age. In the pension records from the 1890’s, he stated his birth was 1838 most likely fudged a bit to obtain an old age pension a few years early. Patrick Real died in 1913, and his headstone states at the age of 70, born about 1843 the same as his Civil War enlistment.

Despite the slight age discrepancy, I am fairly certain then that Patrick Real and Michael Condon arrived on the “City of Manchester” about nine months prior to their Civil War enlistment. And just two months prior to the New York City draft riots.

The New York Herald from June 1863 contains an advertisement from The Liverpool, New York and Philadelphia Steamship Company. The steerage rate from New York City to Liverpool was listed at $32.50 with a stop at Queenstown. And the advertisement stated “Those who wish to send for their friends can buy tickets here at these rates”: from Queenstown to New York City, the steerage rate was $30.

There is no documentation on how much of the $300 NYC pension Patrick Real received, but his federal bounty of $300 would be paid in several documented installments, and he received his first payment of $73 in January 1864 (see muster summary in last post). Assuming the steerage rates hadn’t changed much in 1864, this would have paid for the $30 passage from Queenstown for two family members or friends or perhaps even his future wife Mary Murphy.
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Shipping List of City of Manchester arriving in NY on 1 May 1863.jpg
Shipping List of City of Manchester arriving in NY on 1 May 1863.jpg (102.44 KiB) Viewed 42218 times
The New York Herald 2 May 1863 Arrival of steamship City of Manchester.jpg
The New York Herald 2 May 1863 Arrival of steamship City of Manchester.jpg (71.21 KiB) Viewed 42218 times
New York Herald 13 June 1863 Shipping Advertisement.jpg
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