Patrick Hennessey was only 23 years of age when he joined the Union Army at Boston, Massachusetts in early February of 1864. His enlistment record shows that he was a Laborer and his place of birth is noted as “Kings County, Ireland” which was at that time the name given to County Offaly. The US Civil War had been dividing the previously “United States of America” for 4 years at the time of his enlistment and Patrick’s new home state of Massachusetts had already supplied thousands of Irish men to the Union cause during that period. Patrick Hennessey joined the 59th Massachusetts Infantry, a new and raw regiment that had been created over the previous 3 Months. This new regiment were sent to Petersburg, Virginia in June of 1864 at a very vital point of the war. Union General, Ulysses S Grant, was trying to surround and capture the cities of Petersburg and Richmond and inflict a major defeat, and possible capitulation, on the Confederate government.

As the weeks passed and the fighting around Petersburg brought no clear victories both sides became entrenched in strong defensive fortifications. It was becoming more obvious that a long siege was likely for both sides. In order to break the military impasse a plan was devised by the Union Army to tunnel under the Confederate fortifications and detonate a huge explosion creating a breach in the defensive lines that would then allow the Union forces to flood through and defeat the Confederates.

After weeks of preparation the explosion was detonated at 4:44am on 30th July 1864 and initially it looked as things were going to plan. But as the Union soldiers piled through the breach in the Confederate lines they became disorientated and in the confusion ended up in the deep hole that had been created by the huge explosion! Things rapidly turned into a debacle for the Union soldiers as they were easy targets for the Confederate defenders who, after the initial shock, had now regained their composure. They inflicted terrible casualties on their opponent and were also able to capture many prisoners in the aftermath of the fighting. Patrick Hennessey from Offaly was one of those Union Soldiers seized by the Confederate forces after what had been a very bad day for the Union Army at The Battle of the Crater.

The Crater in 1865

Patrick Hennessey was moved to the town of Danville, Virginia along with many other captured Union Soldiers. The Confederate government had begun to use Danville’s abandoned tobacco warehouses as makeshift prisons. Finding places to house prisoners had now become a big problem for both sides of the conflict coupled with a dwindling supply of food and clothing. This was especially true for the Confederate side and proper housing and feeding of the prisoners of war became less of a priority as the war dragged on.

By all accounts the conditions in the warehouse prisons of Danville were extremely harsh and the lack of light, ventilation and proper sanitation led to a high rate of sickness among the captives. Patrick Hennessey became ill towards the end of 1864 with what was later reported as chronic diarrhoea and scurvy. On the 8th of February 1865, ironically almost a year to the day that he enlisted, Patrick Hennessey died in Danville at only 24 years of age. He is buried in Danville National Cemetery and his simple white stone mentions his adopted state of Massachusetts. But we now know that Patrick Hennessy was also a proud Offaly man.

By Kevin Guing

Patrick Hennessey is another soldier who we still aren’t sure of exactly where in County Offaly he was born. On checking records for that period there is a possibility that he was originally from the Moneygall area or the Kilcormac area. If anyone has any information on this soldier that can help us confirm his birthplace please do let us know.

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