Killed At The Battle of Antietam – 17th Sept’ 1862. Banagher Born William Galvin, A Union Soldier In The 104th New York Infantry Regiment.

“He Fell With His Face To The Foe Of His Adopted Country. He Died A Brave Soldier Beloved And Mourned By All His Comrades” – (Sergeant James H. Cain -Co. I, 104th New York Infantry, Oct’ 14th 1862)

HIS NAME IS RECORDED AT ANTIETAM NATIONAL CEMETERY.

A cemetery scene with gravestones lined in rows, each adorned with small American flags, set against a backdrop of greenery and trees.

Antietam National Cemetery, Maryland – Find a Grave Cemetery

A depiction of the Battle of Antietam, showcasing soldiers in blue uniforms battling on a grassy field, with American flags, cannon fire in the background, and fallen soldiers scattered across the ground. — *Battle of Antietam* by Thure de Thulstrup, published by L. Prang & Co. ,September 17, 1862. –
Battle of Antietam – Wikipedia

William Galvin, died on the morning of the 17th September 1862 during The Battle Of Antietam. As a result his wife, Catherine (Kitty) Cannon, could apply for a Widow’s Pension and it is the information within these documents that help us to confirm the birthplace of both William and Catherine. The year and place of their marriage is mentioned in the documents which then directed us to the Gallen & Reynagh Catholic Parish Register and allowed us to confirm the couples marriage took place on the 14th November 1843. There are other documents within the pension records, including a letter from John Galvin, a brother of William, that also confirm that the Galvin family were from Banagher in County Offaly, Ireland.

A close-up of handwritten text in German, with a focus on the words 'landis gelichnum' and other faint inscriptions. — Gallen and Reynagh – Catholic Parish Registers – **Marriage of William & Catherine, November 1843**

A handwritten marriage certificate dated 14th December 1843 for William Galvin and Catherine Cavanagh, witnessed by Thomas and Hannah Buckley. The document certifies the accuracy of the record from the parish register.

US, Civil War “Widows’ Pensions”- Fold3

Note from Fr. Kieran Egan PP, Cloghan to Pensions Committee Confirming Marriage In Ireland.

February 1863

William Galvin was a member of company I of the the 104th New York Infantry Regiment and in the early morning light of the 17th September 1862 he, along with his comrades, lined up in preparation for an attack on the Confederate lines across a dense cornfield owned by local farmer David R. Miller. The attack would later become synonymous with the Battle of Antietam and of the the violent nature of this new type of war that was unfolding. The casualties at Antietam would shock the people of the Northern US States as, for the first time, photographic images appeared only days later giving the general public a graphic view of modern war. William Galvin had enlisted at Troy, New York in December of 1861 at almost 40 years of age. Between his enlistment date and the morning of the 17th September 1862 he had seen action at Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run and only days earlier at The Battle of South Mountain. As he looked across the Miller Cornfield he would have had no illusions as what to expect over the next minutes as his regiment were ordered to begin advancing through the high corn stalks.

A group of soldiers in uniform advancing through a cornfield, some carrying rifles, with a fallen soldier visible on the ground. — Miller’s Cornfield – Wikipedia (Image | Flickr)

A view of The Cornfield Trail, flanked by tall corn plants on both sides, with a grassy path in the centre under a cloudy sky. — D. R. Miller Farm – Antietam National Battlefield (U.S. National Park Service)

William Galvin was shot and killed somewhere in that cornfield as his regiment came under a withering fire from the defending Confederates. It must have been a truly disorientating and terrifying experience with the enemy only yards away at times and yet unseen by the advancing soldiers. The 104th New Yorkers would sustain horrible casualties with up to 83 wounded and missing and 14, including William, confirmed as dead. Later accounts by the Union General Joseph Hooker described the aftermath:

A man dressed in a military uniform and top hat sits on a horse in front of a tent.

“every stalk of corn in the northern and greater part of the field was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife, and the slain lay in rows precisely as they stood in their ranks a few moments before. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield.” – Union General Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker – Wikipedia

In the earlier mentioned Pension records there is a truly amazing letter that helps to fill in some of the details of those last few moments in the life of William Galvin. On the 14th October 1862 Sergeant James H. Cain took the time to answer a letter he had received from the son of William Galvin inquiring after his Father. Sergeant Cain was a member of the same company as William and had obviously witnessed his death. The contents of the letter reveal that the family of William Galvin had initially received a letter from another soldier, William Delaney, informing the family of his death. Sergeant Cain was now confirming those same sad details.

A handwritten letter dated October 14, 1862, from Camp near Meridanville, Maryland, expressing condolences for the death of a soldier's father, William Galvin, who died at the Battle of Antietam.

“Dear Sir, I’m sorry to state to you that I cannot contradict the first sad tidings you had of your Fathers death.”

“He Fell With His Face To The Foe Of His Adopted Country. He Died A Brave Soldier Beloved And Mourned By All His Comrades”

“He is buried in the battle field as decent as circumstances and his comrades could do it, may his soul rest in peace.”

Sergeant James H. Cain – Co. I, 104th New York Regt.

US, Civil War “Widows’ Pensions”, 1861-1910 – Fold3

On further research into the man who wrote that letter, James H. Cain, we learn he was the son of Irish parents and lived in the same area in New York as William Galvin. After his experiences at The Battle of Antietam he was further promoted to the rank of Captain before being taken prisoner at The Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. He would later escape from Confederate Libby Prison and survive the US Civil War. He died in 1901 and is buried in Saint Agnes Cemetery, Menands, Albany County, New York. I’m sure that while his family were deeply saddened to receive confirmation from James H. Cain of the death of their Father and Husband they likely appreciated receiving the letter and also the kind words he wrote.

Gravestone of James H. Cain, Co. I, 104th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, who died on August 21, 1901, aged 64 years.

CPT James H. Cain (1839-1901) – Find a Grave Memorial

As we now know from the contents of James Cain’ letter William Galvin’s was buried somewhere on the Antietam Battlefield in “as decent as circumstances and his comrades could do it”. Today there are 4,776 Union soldiers interred at Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Maryland, of which 1,836 (roughly 38%) are unidentified and marked with small square stones. One of those stones is dedicated to Offaly’s William Galvin.

An interesting occurrence in 2008 brought back to the publics attention those unidentified soldiers when a walker in the park discovered a ground hog hole in the Miller Cornfield containing human bones and quickly alerted park staff. A later archeological dig further revealed army clothing scraps, a belt buckle, and brass buttons with the New York insignia. Scientific tests determined that the remains were of a young man close to 19 years of age ruling out the possibility that Offaly’s William Galvin (who was 41 years old) could possibly have been found. The remains of the lost soldier were returned home to New York, and buried in Saratoga National Cemetery with full military honors on September 17, 2009, one hundred and forty-seven years after he gave the ultimate sacrifice in the Miller Cornfield.

Maybe it is the stone of the Unknown Soldier at Saratoga that best represents the life and the death of William Galvin from Banagher in County Offaly.