Patrick Robert Guiney
Encyclopedia
Patrick Robert Guiney (Parkstown, Co. Tipperary
, Ireland, on 15 January 1835 – Boston
, March 21, 1877) was an American Civil War
soldier.
, and Judith Macrae. James Guiney, impoverished after a failed runaway marriage, brought with him on his second voyage to New Brunswick
his favourite child Patrick, then not six years old. After some years, Mrs. Guiney rejoined her husband, recently crippled by a fall from his horse; a settlement followed in Portland, Maine
, where the boy attended the public schools. He matriculated at Holy Cross College, Worcester
, but left before graduating. His book-loving father having meanwhile died, he went to study for the Bar under Judge Walton, and was admitted in Lewiston, Maine
, in 1856, becoming involved in criminal law.
In politics he was a Republican. For the Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, he won its first suit. In 1859 he married in the old cathedral, Boston
, Janet Margaret Doyle, related to the Rt. Rev. James Warren Doyle, Bishop of Kildare
and Leighlin. They had one son, who died in infancy, and one daughter, the poet Louise Imogen Guiney
. Home life in Roxbury
and professional success were cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War.
, Guiney enlisted for example's sake as a private
, refusing a commission from Governor John A. Andrew until he had worked hard to help recruit the Ninth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. Within two years (July, 1862), the first colonel having died from a wound received in action, Lieutenant-Colonel Guiney succeeded Young to the command. He won high official praise, notably for courage and presence of mind at the Battle of the Chickahominy
, or Gaines's Mill, Virginia
. Here, after three successive color-bearers had been shot down, the colonel himself reportedly seized the flag, threw aside coat and sword-belt, rose white-shirted and conspicuous in the stirrups, inspired a final rally, and turned the fortune of the day.
Guiney fought in over thirty engagements, including the Battle of Antietam
, the Battle of Fredericksburg
, and the Battle of Chancellorsville
.
The 9th Massachusetts was present at Gettysburg in second brigade first division V Corps
on July 1, 1863. Col Jacob B. Sweitzer
the brigade commander, detached Guiney's regiment for picket duty. Consequently, the regiment missed the second day's fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
.
In 1864, through the battle of the Wilderness, Guiney frequently had been in command of his brigade, the second brigade, first division, Fifth Corps
. After many escapes from dangerous combats without serious injury, he was shot in the face by a sharpshooter at the Battle of the Wilderness
on May 5, 1864. The Minié ball
destroyed his left eye, and inflicted, it was believed, a fatal wound. During an interval of consciousness, however, Guiney insisted on an operation which saved his life. Guiney was honorably discharged and mustered out of the U.S. Volunteers on June 21, 1864, just before the mustering out of his old regiment.
On February 21, 1866, President
Andrew Johnson
nominated Guiney for the award of the honorary grade of brevet
brigadier general
, to rank from March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war. The U.S. Senate confirmed the award on April 10, 1866.
(1866–70), and acted as consulting lawyer (not being longer able to plead) on many locally celebrated cases.
His last exertions were devoted to the defeat of the corruption and misuse of the Probate Court of Suffolk County, Massachusetts
, of which he had become registrar (1869–77). He died suddenly and was found kneeling against an elm in the little park near his home. General Guiney was Commandant of the Loyal Legion
, Major-General Commandant of the Veteran Military League, member of the Irish Charitable Society, and one of the founders and first members of the Catholic Union of Boston. He also published some literary criticism, a few graphic prose sketches and some verse.
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
, Ireland, on 15 January 1835 – Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, March 21, 1877) was an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
soldier.
Early life and career
He was the second and eldest surviving son of James Roger Guiney, who was descended from JacobitesJacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, and Judith Macrae. James Guiney, impoverished after a failed runaway marriage, brought with him on his second voyage to New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
his favourite child Patrick, then not six years old. After some years, Mrs. Guiney rejoined her husband, recently crippled by a fall from his horse; a settlement followed in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, where the boy attended the public schools. He matriculated at Holy Cross College, Worcester
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, but left before graduating. His book-loving father having meanwhile died, he went to study for the Bar under Judge Walton, and was admitted in Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, in 1856, becoming involved in criminal law.
In politics he was a Republican. For the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, he won its first suit. In 1859 he married in the old cathedral, Boston
Holy Cross Church, Boston
The Church of the Holy Cross , located on Franklin Street in Boston, Massachusetts and designed by Charles Bulfinch, was the first church built for the city's Roman Catholics....
, Janet Margaret Doyle, related to the Rt. Rev. James Warren Doyle, Bishop of Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
and Leighlin. They had one son, who died in infancy, and one daughter, the poet Louise Imogen Guiney
Louise Imogen Guiney
Louise Imogen Guiney was an American poet, essayist and editor born in Roxbury, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
. Home life in Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
and professional success were cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War.
Civil War
Familiar with the Manual of armsManual of arms
A manual of arms was an instruction book for handling and using weapons in formation, whether in the field or on parade. Such manuals were especially important in the matchlock and flintlock eras, when loading and firing was a complex and lengthy process typically carried out in close order...
, Guiney enlisted for example's sake as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, refusing a commission from Governor John A. Andrew until he had worked hard to help recruit the Ninth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. Within two years (July, 1862), the first colonel having died from a wound received in action, Lieutenant-Colonel Guiney succeeded Young to the command. He won high official praise, notably for courage and presence of mind at the Battle of the Chickahominy
Chickahominy River
The Chickahominy is an river in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river rises about northwest of Richmond and flows southeast and south to the James River...
, or Gaines's Mill, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Here, after three successive color-bearers had been shot down, the colonel himself reportedly seized the flag, threw aside coat and sword-belt, rose white-shirted and conspicuous in the stirrups, inspired a final rally, and turned the fortune of the day.
Guiney fought in over thirty engagements, including the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, and the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
.
The 9th Massachusetts was present at Gettysburg in second brigade first division V Corps
V Corps (ACW)
The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
on July 1, 1863. Col Jacob B. Sweitzer
Jacob B. Sweitzer
Jacob Bowman Sweitzer was a Pennsylvania lawyer and soldier who commanded a regiment and then a brigade in the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War...
the brigade commander, detached Guiney's regiment for picket duty. Consequently, the regiment missed the second day's fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
In 1864, through the battle of the Wilderness, Guiney frequently had been in command of his brigade, the second brigade, first division, Fifth Corps
V Corps (ACW)
The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
. After many escapes from dangerous combats without serious injury, he was shot in the face by a sharpshooter at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
on May 5, 1864. The Minié ball
Minié ball
The Minié ball is a type of muzzle-loading spin-stabilising rifle bullet named after its co-developer, Claude-Étienne Minié, inventor of the Minié rifle...
destroyed his left eye, and inflicted, it was believed, a fatal wound. During an interval of consciousness, however, Guiney insisted on an operation which saved his life. Guiney was honorably discharged and mustered out of the U.S. Volunteers on June 21, 1864, just before the mustering out of his old regiment.
On February 21, 1866, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
nominated Guiney for the award of the honorary grade of brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, to rank from March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war. The U.S. Senate confirmed the award on April 10, 1866.
Postbellum
Kept alive for years by nursing, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress on a sort of "Christian Socialist" platform, was elected assistant district attorneyDistrict attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
(1866–70), and acted as consulting lawyer (not being longer able to plead) on many locally celebrated cases.
His last exertions were devoted to the defeat of the corruption and misuse of the Probate Court of Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
, of which he had become registrar (1869–77). He died suddenly and was found kneeling against an elm in the little park near his home. General Guiney was Commandant of the Loyal Legion
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
, Major-General Commandant of the Veteran Military League, member of the Irish Charitable Society, and one of the founders and first members of the Catholic Union of Boston. He also published some literary criticism, a few graphic prose sketches and some verse.
See also
- List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
- Massachusetts in the American Civil War