Denis Murphy?

[SJU]

I'm pretty much a life long Civil War buff. When I was young my aunt said her mom spoke of an uncle killed at the "1st Battle of Bull Run." My grandmother died young so that's all I knew. A few years back I received a great family tree of her branch. It lists a granduncle as Denis (or Denny) Murphy as "killed in the American Civil War 1861-1865." He was born around 1828 in Adrigole County Cork, Ireland. That's all the family info I have for Denis.

I found a Dennis Murphy in Company C 28th Mass Infantry who was killed at 2nd Bull Run. Pretty sure it's the right man. Would anybody be able to check if someone received a pension because of Dennis?

 

[lupaglupa]

I found a Dinnis Murphy in Co B, 28th Mass. The record gives his birthplace as Cork, Ireland, age 22, occupation seaman. But he can't be your man since he enlists in 1864, well after either battle at Bull Run.

Edit - My bad - I found your Dennis - their records are mixed together.

 

[SJU]

Thanks. I appreciate it. I once ordered records for Co C Dennis and got Co B Dennis instead.

 

[lupaglupa]

I cannot find a pension record and what's more, I'm having a hard time finding anything on Dennis. The military record showing his enlistment with the noted death at Bull Run is the only thing I can find with any facts that line up with what you know. You'll notice they have Dennis's birthdate off by several years. Do you have other information on him that might help us get more specific records? Things like who his parents/siblings were, when they came to the US, where they lived here, whether they immigrated together etc. All that would help.

 

[lupaglupa]

I tried going at this sideways and looking for an appropriate Dennis in the 1860 Census and then tracing his wife/widow and children post war. That did not get me anywhere, though. While I found multiple Dennis Murphys, none of them fit your relative. I think without more info I'm at a standstill.

 

[SJU]

Thanks. Really appreciate the work.

That's pretty much all I have. Dennis was the first of nine children. His parents never left Ireland and I don't know if any siblings emigrated. My grandmother came over in 1927 and died in her thirties. When I was young my aunt said her mother spoke of an uncle killed at "the First Battle of Bull Run." The family tree I received just gives a birth circa 1828 and says "killed in the American Civil War." No mention of when he emigrated or where he may have lived in the US. His parents were William Murphy and Mary (O'Sullivan) Murphy.

I checked the Soldiers and Sailors database and found this Dennis. I googled the 28th Mass and found a great site maintained by a reenactor group. While visiting Gettysburg a few years ago I had access to Fold3 and Dennis had a file. There were documents from years later detailing a search for his fate. He'd been left mortally wounded on the battlefield. These documents showed a search of Confederate prisons with negative results and a final determination that he'd been killed in action at 2nd Bull Run. That they were investigating his fate years later makes me wonder if someone applied for a pension.

Thanks again.

Pat S

 

[lupaglupa]

Thanks. Really appreciate the work.

That's pretty much all I have. Dennis was the first of nine children. His parents never left Ireland and I don't know if any siblings emigrated. My grandmother came over in 1927 and died in her thirties. When I was young my aunt said her mother spoke of an uncle killed at "the First Battle of Bull Run." The family tree I received just gives a birth circa 1828 and says "killed in the American Civil War." No mention of when he emigrated or where he may have lived in the US. His parents were William Murphy and Mary (O'Sullivan) Murphy.

I checked the Soldiers and Sailors database and found this Dennis. I googled the 28th Mass and found a great site maintained by a reenactor group. While visiting Gettysburg a few years ago I had access to Fold3 and Dennis had a file. There were documents from years later detailing a search for his fate. He'd been left mortally wounded on the battlefield. These documents showed a search of Confederate prisons with negative results and a final determination that he'd been killed in action at 2nd Bull Run. That they were investigating his fate years later makes me wonder if someone applied for a pension.

Thanks again.

Pat S

It may be that he had no family and no one to apply for a pension. I looked through the pension index and he did not show up - I even checked all the other Murphys in the 28th Mass. Sad to think he came over, fought for his new country, was killed and nearly forgotten.

 

[Fairfield]

The 28 Mass. was "the Irish Brigade"--there is a current thread on this which might be worth checking.

From what I could find, there were two Dennis Murphys: one in Co. B (who) who survived to be mustered out and the other in Co. C (enl. 9/24/1861, mustered in 12/13/1861; killed 8/30 1862 2nd Battle of Bull Run; res. Boston). I don't see that a pension application was made.

Pretty much what you two found--I think that @SJU is going to have to make a trip to Ireland!

 

[SJU]

Thanks for all the help. A few years back I tried to find him on ship passenger lists and Census records with no luck.
I'm fairly certain this is the man I was looking for. I got the family tree from Ireland and when I saw the Dennis Murphy entry I remembered my aunt's story.

You're not kidding Fairfield. Got a lot of great info and stories on all the grandparents over there. I was also able to identify people in lots of old photos.

 

[lupaglupa]

The only other thing I would add, in the longshot category, would be looking at DNA matches. If Dennis had a family, his death would likely have been very disruptive for them - just his being away at war would have been very tough. The children could have been sent to live with family or put to work if they were old enough. Descendants of those chilldren might not have been able to link up to Dennis which would make our searching for them from the top down hard. If they, and you, had a DNA match you might could use that to prove the relationship. Again though, that's a real longshot.

 

[SJU]

The only other thing I would add, in the longshot category, would be looking at DNA matches. If Dennis had a family, his death would likely have been very disruptive for them - just his being away at war would have been very tough. The children could have been sent to live with family or put to work if they were old enough. Descendants of those chilldren might not have been able to link up to Dennis which would make our searching for them from the top down hard. If they, and you, had a DNA match you might could use that to prove the relationship. Again though, that's a real longshot.

Appreciate the tip. DNA solved some mysteries for my wife.
Problem with me is I have a common name. My grandparents were all from pretty much the same area plus the same first names were repeated in each generation. I looked at some DNA matches and in the accompanying list of mutual matches I've found several people I'm related to through multiple branches. Much to my wife's chagrin I repeated the process with my oldest son!

 

[lupaglupa]

Appreciate the tip. DNA solved some mysteries for my wife.
Problem with me is I have a common name. My grandparents were all from pretty much the same area plus the same first names were repeated in each generation. I looked at some DNA matches and in the accompanying list of mutual matches I've found several people I'm related to through multiple branches. Much to my wife's chagrin I repeated the process with my oldest son!

The first big project I did was a family with a very unusual last name. SO easy - I was spoiled. Then I went to work on a family with a very common name and boy was I in for a surprise. I personally feel it should be required that parents with common last names give their children unusual first names so their genealogy obsessed descendants can find their records

 

[SJU]

My wife laughs. I'm at LEAST the fourth in row on dad's line with same first, middle and last name. I didn't want to tempt fate and gave my first born the same name! Multiple lines have the same last name and every generation kept repeating the same first name.

 

[Bob Velke]

Does the family tree that you received give the name of the soldier's brother/sister through whom you are descended (your grandmother's father/mother)?

According to a researcher on Ancestry.com, a book called "Annals of Beara" by Riobard O'Dwyer (Vol 1, Pg 162) lists a "complete family description" for your Denis but for details about his death says only "abt 1862" in the Civil War. You can check WorldCat.org to find a copy in a library nearest you. (Type in your own zip code).

According to the NPS' Soldiers and Sailors database, there were at least 128 soldiers named Dennis/Denis Murphy in the Union army and 18 in the Confederate army. I can easily list them if you like.

I'm wondering why you think that the guy in the 28th MA Inf. was your guy? Or even that he was in the Union army?

 

[SJU]

It's actually the same tree. I got it from Riobard O'Dwyer maybe 15 years ago. It lists Elizabeth Murphy as my GGGrandmother and the sister of Denis. It's really a fantastic tree.

My grandmother died young. My aunt told me she had spoken of an uncle killed at the "First Battle of Bull Run." When I received the tree I saw Denis. I checked the NPS database and checked all the Denis Murphys. I forget some of the other steps I took but came up with this Denis. He's the only one with that name I could find killed at either Bull Run.

 

[RMM]

It's actually the same tree. I got it from Riobard O'Dwyer maybe 15 years ago. It lists Elizabeth Murphy as my GGGrandmother and the sister of Denis. It's really a fantastic tree.

My grandmother died young. My aunt told me she had spoken of an uncle killed at the "First Battle of Bull Run." When I received the tree I saw Denis. I checked the NPS database and checked all the Denis Murphys. I forget some of the other steps I took but came up with this Denis. He's the only one with that name I could find killed at either Bull Run.

I'm wondering how certain you are that the Denis Murphy you're looking for was killed at Bull Run? I have a family letter written to my 2G Grandfather, William Murphy, signed "your affectionate Cousin Denis W. Murphy". It was written in December 1863 from St. Joseph LA. William Murphy was born in Adrigole in 1824. William married an O'Sullivan and emigrated to Platteville, Wisconsin in the 1850s. Denis's letter talks about mutual friends in Platteville and writing to William's sister, who was also in Platteville. Denis also mentions receiving a letter from his father and stated that William's mother in Ireland was doing well. From the conversation of letter, it is very obvious that they've known each other for a long time. While the letter describes some fighting around a specific town in Mississippi, Rodney, I've never been able to figure out Denis' unit. Could this be your relative? If not, someone earlier in the string mentioned about 120 Denis Murphy's that served in the Union Army, could that person send me the list so I can try to track down his unit? Can send William's obituary as well to see if other information matches your family's history.

 

[SJU]

I'm wondering how certain you are that the Denis Murphy you're looking for was killed at Bull Run? I have a family letter written to my 2G Grandfather, William Murphy, signed "your affectionate Cousin Denis W. Murphy". It was written in December 1863 from St. Joseph LA. William Murphy was born in Adrigole in 1824. William married an O'Sullivan and emigrated to Platteville, Wisconsin in the 1850s. Denis's letter talks about mutual friends in Platteville and writing to William's sister, who was also in Platteville. Denis also mentions receiving a letter from his father and stated that William's mother in Ireland was doing well. From the conversation of letter, it is very obvious that they've known each other for a long time. While the letter describes some fighting around a specific town in Mississippi, Rodney, I've never been able to figure out Denis' unit. Could this be your relative? If not, someone earlier in the string mentioned about 120 Denis Murphy's that served in the Union Army, could that person send me the list so I can try to track down his unit? Can send William's obituary as well to see if other information matches your family's history.

The Bull Run connection was based on a family story. My aunt remembered my grandmother talking about an uncle killed at the "First Battle of Bull Run." She may have said the "Second Battle of Bull Run" but it's been a long time since I've heard it. That's all the information I had and I'd pretty much forgotten about it till I received a family tree listing a Denis Murphy killed in the Civil War.
I did some research listed above and found a Denis Murphy killed at Second Bull Run.
I'll send you some pages from the tree you might find interesting. Below is a link to the National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors System. You can find all the Denis Murphys there.

Search For Soldiers - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov