11 Offaly Soldiers Killed or Wounded On The Same Afternoon

By Don Troiani (4101092782) – Battle of Gettysburg – Wikipedia

On the first day of July 1863 after several days of tactical maneuvering in and around the small town of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania the Union and Confederate Armies clashed in a skirmish on the outskirts of the town. While both Armies had massed significant forces in this area it is hard to think that either side would have thought that over the next 2 days 50,000 soldiers would be killed or wounded on the battlefield. It is the bloodiest battle of the entire US Civil War and the casualties inflicted is the most of any battle in US military history. Among those 50,000 casualties, to this point, we have confirmation of 11 Offaly men’s involvement. On further research of these men a very odd coincidence became clear. Each were killed or wounded on the same afternoon of July 2nd 1863. It is a date that is possibly one of the darkest in Offaly’s history and yet, until now, we have been completely unaware of its significance. Here are some of the details of the men we have uncovered.

THE OFFALY DEAD AT GETTYSBURG – 2nd JULY 1863

Private Barney Horan, (Banagher) – 14th Infantry Regular Army, Company D (UNION)

Private James Egan, (Birr) – 14th Infantry Regular Army, Company D (UNION)

Union Army Report of Location on 2nd July 1863:

5pm – “Near Little Round Top and advanced to the crest of the rocky wooded hill. Engaged the Confederates but retired under heavy fire on both flanks and from the rear after the Confederates had possession of the Wheatfield”

During the evening of the 2nd July the Union Army’s 14th Infantry advanced near a small hill named “Little Round Top” at Gettysburg. Barney Horan from Banagher & James Egan from Birr as members of Company D within this regiment found themselves in an area later dubbed “The Valley Of Death”. The position allowed the Confederates to rein a heavy fire on the Union men. There was also an area overlooking the field, aptly named “The Devils Den”, where Confederate sharpshooters could pick off the enemy at will.

Both Barney Horan & James Egan were badly wounded here under that reported heavy fire from the enemy. Both were moved to a field hospital close by where they would remain over the next 27 days. Barney Horan and James Egan were both in their early 20’s and no doubt, being in the same Company D, knew each other well. Barney Horan died on the 29th July in a Gettysburg hospital. The records on the grave of James Egan say he died on the 4th July but we have found that, in a sad coincidence, James Egan also died on the 29th July in that same Gettysburg hospital. Two young Offaly men who grew up not very far from each other, who both emigrated to the US around the same time, who were wounded at the same time and place, died on the same day and now both rest in the same Gettysburg Cemetery.

Private Barney Horan (1839-1863) – Find a Grave Memorial

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie – BARNEY HORAN

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie – JAMES EGAN (EAGIN)

Corporal Daniel Kenny, (Birr) – Co. C, 12th Infantry Regular Army (UNION)

Union Army Report of Location on 2nd July 1863:

“Day’s Brigade (including the 12th Infantry) had not suffered severely up to this point. This soon changed when several of his regiments received orders to fire volleys at the rebels. The few hundred yards to the foot of Little Round Top, already strewn with our disabled comrades, became a very charnel house”.

Not very far away from Barney Horan and James Egan was another Offaly soldier, Corporal Daniel Kenny. He had enlisted in the 12th Infantry at Albany, New York in December of 1861 and was then 25 years of age. On the evening of the 2nd July 1863 his company were also involved in the fighting around “Little Round Top” and in the line of fire of those Confederate sharpshooters at “The Devils Den” and it was here that Daniel Kenny was killed in action. Our own Danny Leavy visited this soldiers grave in 2024 & placed the Offaly colors on his marker. His name is spelt incorrectly but this is the marker of Daniel Kenny from Offaly.

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie – DANIEL KENNY

Private John Costello, (Birr) – Co. K, 5th Artillery Regular Army (UNION)

Union Army Report of Location on 2nd July 1863:

“At Daylight took position to command a gap between the First and Twelfth Corps. At 5 p.m. one section was placed on the summit of Culp’s Hill and assisted in silencing Confederate Batteries on Benner’s Hill. At 6 p.m. rejoined the battery at the foot of Power’s Hill”

John Costello was from Birr in County Offaly. He had enlisted in August of 1861 at a town called Towanda in Pennsylvania. His enlistment record states he was 34 years of age and then worked as a Fireman, which was what a Boiler Stoker was named. He was married and had 2 young sons when he joined the Union Army.

His unit had already been involved in some major engagements before arriving at Gettysburg. On the 2nd June 1863 his artillery battery were on the summit of an area named “Culps Hill” and were firing on the Confederate large guns on another high point close by. At some stage on that evening John was wounded and removed from the field. His records tell us that he died on the 6th July 1863 in a Gettysburg Hospital. His grave is located in Saint Johns Cemetery, Troy, Pennsylvania and it mentions his birth place as being “Kings County, Ireland” the name given to County Offaly at that time.

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie – JOHN COSTELLO

Sergeant Thomas Lally, (Possibly Clara) – Co. K., 73rd New York Infantry (UNION)

Union Army Report of Location on 2nd July 1863: 73rd_Infantry_CW_Roster.pdf

“On July 2, 1863 the 73rd New York is ordered far forward of the rest of the Union line. They are caught out there, unsupported, by Confederate Gen. James Longstreet’s 1st corps. After hard fighting they are driven back to nearly their original position. The 73rd N.Y. suffers 33 dead and 43 wounded. Sgt. Lally is among the honored dead”

Thomas Lally was likely from the Clara area in County Offaly. He was only 19 when he enlisted in New York in August of 1861. He was quickly promoted to Sergeant and by the time of The Battle of Gettysburg was already a veteran of other battles such as Malvern Hill, Gaines Mill, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. On the evening of the 2nd of July his unit was caught out in a unsupported position too far forward of the main battle lines and Thomas Lally was killed along with several other members of his regiment. Our own Danny Leavy visited this soldiers grave in 2024.

SGT Thomas Lally (unknown-1863) – Find a Grave Memorial

Private William Meehan, (Offaly location to be confirmed) – Co. D., 33rd Regiment Massachusetts Infantry (UNION)

Report of Location on 2nd July 1863: 33rd Massachusetts Infantry at Gettysburg | Historical Digression

“Detached from the Second Brigade, Second Division, Eleventh Corps on July 2nd, 1863. After supporting the batteries in action on Cemetery Hill, while in position in a line extending westward from near this spot, withstood and assisted in repulsing a charge of the enemy’s infantry in its front. In the battle eight killed, thirty six wounded“

William Meehan enlisted in August of 1862 at Stoneham, near Boston. He was 22 years of age and joined company D of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry. By July of 1863 the 33rd were still relatively untried in heavy combat. At Gettysburg on the afternoon of the 2nd July 1863 they found themselves under a fierce artillery barrage aimed upon Cemetery Hill where they were lodged. Soldiers who were present during this bombardment recalled the chaos as follows:

“splinters of gun carriages, pieces of tombstones, even human legs and arms and palpitating flesh were flying about in every direction.”

William Meehan was killed at some point during this barrage. His name is mentioned (Under the wrongly spelled name “Willam Mahan”) on the memorial to the 33rd Massachusetts Regiment in Lindenwood Cemetery, Stoneham, Massachusetts.

As with many other records for soldiers from Ireland there can be various spellings to the name and the roster of the 33rd also has his name recorded as “Mahan”. Another Offaly man who died on the 2nd of July 1863.

Private Owen McGorman, (Offaly location to be confirmed) – Co. K., 10th Infantry Regular Army (UNION)

Report of Location on 2nd July 1863: 10th United States Infantry

“July 2 Arrived with the Brigade in the morning and took position on the right of the Twelfth Corps. Later moved to the left and at 6 p.m. the Brigade formed line with left on north slope of Little Round Top the right extending into the woods. Advanced across Plum Run and to the crest of the rocky wooded hill in front near the Wheatfield and facing left occupied the stone wall on the edge of the woods. The Confederates having opened fire on the right flank and advanced through the Wheatfield in the rear the Brigade was withdrawn under a heavy infantry fire on both flanks and from the rear and shot and shell from the batteries and was formed in line on the right of Little Round Top”

The enlistment records show that Owen McGorman first joined the Union Army at New York in May 1856 for a five year term. He was then 22 years old and was attached to Company K of the 10th Infantry. At the end of his term in 1861 he re-enlisted into the same company for a further 5 year term. By the time he arrived at Gettysburg in July 1863 Owen McGorman was an experienced soldier having fought at places like 2nd Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Antietam and Chancellorsville. The records state he was killed in action on the evening of the 2nd of July but where exactly is not clear. His place of burial is also not recorded. But we know he was an Offaly man from his records and we now know where he died.

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie – OWEN McGORMAN

So far in our research into Offaly soldiers in the US Civil War these are the 7 men who we can confirm through the available records that died at Gettsysburg. As we continue our search over the next few months we can be sure that more Offaly soldiers will be uncovered. Elsewhere on the battlefield on the 2nd July 1863 we currently have confirmation of 4 more Offaly men who were wounded but survived the slaughter to fight another day.

THE OFFALY WOUNDED AT GETTYSBURG – 2nd JULY 1863

Colonel Michael Bennett, (Edenderry) – 28th New York Infantry (UNION) ( Offaly and the Battle of Gettysburg – Americasoffalyheroes)

Sustained a broken leg during battle on the 2nd July 1863.

Private Matthew Cavanagh, (Offaly location to be confirmed) – Company E., 12th New Jersey Infantry (UNION) –Twelfth New Jersey Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War

He was wounded on the 2nd July 1863 near a place at Gettysburg called “The Angle“.

Sergeant Joseph Cooney, (Rhode Area) – Co. H, 114th Pennsylvania Volunteers (UNION)

Reports state he was severely wounded in the head on the 2nd July 1863.

Private Peter Ryan, (Edenderry) – Co. F (The Stark Guards), 61st Georgia Regiment (CONFEDERATE)

Currently our only Confederate solder from Offaly that we can confirm was wounded at Gettysburg on 2nd July 1863.

No doubt there were many more Confederate Offaly soldiers involved in the battle and we would hope to uncover more names as we continue our research.

THE AFTERMATH

There was a heavy rain falling on the morning of the 4th of July 1863 as the 2 Armies eyed each other across the Gettysburg battlefield. The previous 3 days had seen some of the deadliest fighting on American soil and now there was a pause as both sides waited to see who would make the next move. History will show that it was the Confederate Army under the command of General Robert E. Lee who left the town of Gettysburg first and made for a crossing on the Potomac River named Falling Waters where the weary soldiers were ferried back into the safety of Confederate Virginia. The Northern press at the time hailed Gettysburg as a major victory for the Union but as the level of casualties became clearer to the public there was a more muted reaction. Gettysburg is acknowledged as a definite turning point in the US Civil War and the realization of the casualties caused by this new type of war had a lasting effect on the American public.

On November 19, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln arrived at Gettysburg to participate in a commemoration to the fallen soldiers from 4 months earlier. He would give one of the most famous speeches in US History known as the Gettysburg Address at the newly designated National Cemetery being created. He would only use 271 word and would only speak for two minutes but what was said is now considered to be one of the most famous speeches in American history. One particular segment of his speech rings very true as we remember the Offaly men who fought at Gettysburg. The 11 men who who were killed or wounded close to each other on the same date, 2nd July 1863.

Crowd of citizens, soldiers, and etc. with Lincoln at Gettysburg. – NARA – 529085 -crop – Battle of Gettysburg – Wikipedia

By Kevin Guing

9th May 2025

**Thanks to Danny Leavy for the photos taken on his visit to Gettysburg

** Special mention to one of our readers, Vinny Waldron. who is visiting Gettysburg soon. Hopefully some of the information produced here will help towards the enjoyment of your visit.