A SERGEANT IN COMPANY H OF THE 1st ARTILLERY REGIMENT WHO WITNESSED FIRST HAND THE OPENING SHOTS OF THE US CIVIL WAR..

Bombardment of Fort Sumter April 1861 – Wikipedia (Library of Congress)

From the very early days of our research into Offaly born Soldiers who participated in the US Civil War the name of John Renehan was on our list. He had first came to our attention when scrolling through US Army enlistment books from the early 1850’s. His details were recorded in early 1851 at Rochester, New York where he confirmed “Kings County, Ireland” (Offaly) as his place of birth and became a member of Company H, 1st Artillery Regiment. The significance of that regiment, and its place in US history, would only later become apparent as we delved deeper into this soldiers story.

Two subsequent enlistment records, in 1856 and again 5 years later, helped us to further track the life of John Renehan over the following period. By 1858 he had been promoted to Sergeant in Company H of the 1st Artillery and had already been based for a few years at Fort Moultrie which was part of a series of fortifications on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. He had married Ellen Burgess in Charleston and was a well known member of the community as evidenced by some newspaper articles we uncovered from 1850 and 1860.

United States Army Enlistments 1851 Image | findmypast.ie

United States Army Enlistments 1856 Image | findmypast.ie

“John Renehan” – Search – Newspapers.com™

Fort Moultrie 1861 – Wikipedia–(Tulane University Library (New Orleans/Louisiana)

The men based in Fort Moultrie at this point in history were likely, in some way, aware that they were directly in the pathway of a brewing political storm. The anger in the Southern states at the election of Abraham Lincoln in November of 1860 had finally brought to a head divisions that had been simmering for several years. The State of South Carolina, where John and his regiment were based, was the hotbed and epicenter of that anger and its elected representatives decided they could not swear allegiance to this new Republican President. As a result they were the first state to secede from the Union at a convention held in December of 1860 and this action set in motion events that directly led to a long and bitter Civil War. John Renehen from Offaly and his fellow members of the 1st Artillery Regiment were only weeks away from bearing witness to the first shots being fired in an historic conflict that would rip apart the previously “United States of America”.

December 20, 1860, South Carolina – Original Charleston Mercury Transcript (12/21/1860) – Charleston Daily

In February of 1861 members of the First Artillery Regiment were transferred from Fort Moultrie to the larger and better protected Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor after being called on to surrender by South Carolina militia forces. The other factor in this decision was dictated by the cannons at Fort Moultrie aiming out to sea and therefore being deemed useless in the face of any possible land attack. As widely reported at the time this decision was “like casting a spark into a magazine” and added to the already tense atmosphere in Charleston as many now realized that the situation was quickly moving towards a crescendo. In the Northern states the public were very aware of the developing situation with newspapers printing daily updates of events in Charleston. One of those articles from The New York Times published on the 28th February 1861 actually included a letter sent by John Renehan from Fort Sumter thanking the paper for its “generous donation of tobacco”. It’s a small but for us a truly amazing piece of history as it further clarifies and confirms where John Renehan’s was stationed in those early months of 1861.

Feb 28, 1861, page 1 – The New York Times at Newspapers.com

We can imagine that John Renehan was very busy during this chaotic period. The men under his command had to be organized and the defenses at Fort Sumter had to be secured while at the same time the garrison, now numbering 80 men, were fully aware they were in a siege like situation and cut off from the outside world. They were at that point relying on Lincoln and his newly formed government sending reinforcement and supplies in order to retain any possible control of the fortification. On the 9th of April 1861 the commanding officers at Sumter received a Southern delegation at the fort demanding that they vacate and, while the communications were courteous from both sides, no agreement was reached and the besieged soldiers held firm to their positions. Meanwhile the general public, North and South, watched and waited anxiously for what would happen next. That burning question would soon be answered.

At 4:30am on the 12th April 1861 a huge bombardment of Fort Sumter began and continued non stop over the next 36 hours. Ironically some of the shells that landed inside and around Sumter were fired from their previously held Union positions at Fort Moultrie where new guns had been added by the Confederates. At 2:30pm on the 13th April as buildings within Fort Sumter began to burn and with little or no resources remaining the defenders officially surrendered. John Renehan was one of the soldiers present the following day as the flag of the United States of America was lowered from the flagpole. No-one witnessing that somber ceremony could have known that it would be four more years before the Stars & Stripes would be raised again at Fort Sumter.

Under the terms of their surrender the men from Fort Sumter were allowed to board a ship bound for New York and to the safety of the Northern states. In South Carolina the celebrations began over what was perceived as a resounding victory that would finally put an end to the North’s “interference” into the political life of the South. Meanwhile celebrations also broke out in New York Harbor as the “Men of Sumter”, including John Renehan, arrived to a heroes welcome. Despite their surrender, they were celebrated for their valor which had captured both the publics and the press’s imagination. Many articles praising the bravery of the men were published and one in particular from May 1861 by the The New York Irish American references the many Irish American who were present at Fort Sumter and singled out John Renehan, as a former reader and subscriber to the paper, for special mention:

“As fellow countrymen and many of them too, as we are happy to learn, old subscribers and readers of the Irish American especially Sergeant Renehan whose name has been on our books for several years”.

“John Renehan” – Search – Newspapers.com™

While many of the officers from the garrison defending Fort Sumter were being lauded John Renehan had a vital decision to make. He was 33 years of age and coming close the end of another agreed 5 year term of service. He did have the option of leaving the army at that point if he so wished. Instead John chose to re-enlist and was back with his regiment for a further period of service as they were re-organized and sent to help in the defenses around Washington DC. In October of 1862 John was transferred to Co. E of the 5th Artillery Regiment for a short period before being promoted to the rank of Ordnance Sergeant in April 1863.

Letter of Recommendation – John Renehan Ordnance Sergeant

This role was reserved for very experienced and trusted non-commissioned officers with vast knowledge of daily army life and in particular the weaponry involved. In almost all cases an Ordnance Sergeant was not assigned to a specific regiment but instead appointed to serve at a designated fort or arsenal and for John Renehan’s that place was Fort Schuyler in New York.

This appointment is another huge help in the research of this soldiers story due to the availability of a specific army register for all Ordnance Sergeants. We again can use official army documentation to confirm details of John Renehan’s next period of service and, sadly, also learn of his premature and sudden death at just 39 years of age.

John Renehan died on the 15th January 1866 due to “disease of the heart” at the forts military hospital. When checking later pension records for John through his widow Ellen we can add more details surrounding his death. All accounts within that pension file state that John had been in relative good health up to a few weeks before his sudden death. It would seem that a series of heart attacks had been the cause of death. Interestingly those pension records also make reference to a 3 months leave of absence that John had taken just a few months before his death. He had taken a “trip to Europe” and while we cannot confirm the details of this journey it would be nice to think that, only a few weeks before his death, he had visited the “old country” and his native county of Offaly. If he did indeed make it back to his former homestead where exactly within the county did he visit ? Where was John Renehan born ? While we currently have no exact information to confirm 100% this part of his life story his relatively unusual surname does indicate that John Renehan was originally from Birr in County Offaly.

United States Army Enlistments 1798-1914 Image | findmypast.ie-Ordnance Sergeants Register

Renehan, John – US, Civil War Pensions Index, 1861-1900 – Fold3

Over the last year we have tried to tell the stories of the forgotten Offaly men who became soldiers in the bitter and bloody US Civil War. It is our attempt to reveal the vital and significant part they played in the history of the United States. We have to date located Offaly men at many of the pivotal events of that conflict. The Battle of Bull Run, The Battle Of Gettysburg, The Crater, The Fall of Atlanta, Sherman’s March to the Sea and even the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, to name only a few, were all witnessed by Offaly men. We can now add to our site the name of John Renehan who not only witnessed, but was also on the receiving end, of the first shots fired in the US Civil War.

Kevin Guing

7th November 2025

For more on this soldiers please visit his dedicated page: – John Renehan – Americasoffalyheroes