Danny Leavy Visits The Grave Of John Delaney. An Offaly Born Civil War Soldier Buried At New Rochelle, New York.

John Delaney Was A Musician In The Regular US Army During the US Civil War

Once again our very own researcher Danny Leavy is on the ground in the United States tracking down the final resting places of Offaly-born soldiers. Today, Danny visited Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in New Rochelle, New York, where he located the family headstone of a 10-year U.S. Regular Army veteran: Musician John Delaney. To honor his memory, Danny displayed the County Offaly GAA flag at the grave, connecting John’s final resting place in New York back to his roots in Offaly (King’s County).

New Rochelle History in 200 Vintage Postcards

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery,New Rochelle – Find a Grave Cemetery

A Decade on the American Frontier

Born around 1831 in Offaly (King’s County), John Delaney emigrated to America and headed west. In September 1859, he enlisted in the U.S. Regular Army at Camp Floyd in the Utah Territory, just before the outbreak of the American Civil War. He was assigned as a Musician to Company B of the 5th U.S. Infantry Regiment. In the 19th-century army, field musicians used drums, fifes, or bugles to signal tactical commands and regulate daily camp routines. His initial five-year enlistment sent him directly into the New Mexico Campaign. He served at Fort Union, New Mexico, helping to defend the Union’s primary Southwest logistical base against invading Confederate forces from Texas.

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

From New Mexico to New York

When his term expired in March 1864, Delaney re-enlisted at Fort Union for a second five-year term. His unit spent the final months of the war performing guard duties in New York Harbor before returning to the Western frontier, where he served at remote outposts in Kansas and Colorado during the early Plains Indian Wars. After 10 years of continuous service, Delaney was honorably discharged on March 30, 1869, at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, maintaining his rank as a company musician until his final day in uniform.

An Old Soldier at Rest

Following his discharge, Delaney returned east to New York to build a civilian life with his wife, Ann (1831–1913). In July 1890, he successfully applied for his federal veteran pension. John Delaney lived to the age of 85, passing away in 1915. The veteran marker at his grave stands as a permanent reminder of his service. Thanks to Danny’s work on the ground, this regular army veteran from Offaly is remembered today.