John O'Neill

[margaret]

Hi

My GGreat grandfather John O'Neill was a private in G company 71 st NYSM. He was born in Londonderry, still trying to find out where. Don't know when he left America but he married in Scotland 1875.

Kind regards Margaret

 

[MRB1863]

Hello and welcome from 35 miles north of Gettysburg!

 

[E_just_E]

Welcome from PA!

The 71st NYSM has a very interesting history. Took part in the First Bull Run/Manassas, and stayed to defend Washington, until 1863, when it became part of the Army of Susquehanna (under Darius Couch) and was part of Harrisburg's defensive forces during the Gettysburg Campaign.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Welcome from NYC! Sounds like your ancestor got around a fair amount if he was born in Ireland, came to the US, fought in the war and then was in Scotland getting married. I assume he came back to the US at some point, correct? Ancestry has very good immigration records I've used often in doing my own research, do you know what year he was born in?

 

[margaret]

Thanks, My John O'Neill signed up 19 April 1861, mustered out 30 July 1861. I think he was born about 1840 but haven't been able to find his birth records and don't know which parish he came from in Londonderry. He never returned to America, he died 1907 in Scotland. Two of his daughters did go to live in America. Years ago family also said that he served with the Boston Police but don't know if this is correct. So many questions that I have no answer to. Did he go to America as a young child during the famine? Why did he go to Scotland? Hopefully one day will know all the answers. Having a name as John O'Neill not an easy task

 

[War Horse]

Welcome from North Carolina

 

[Pat Young]

Welcome from Long Island in rainy New York.

While I don't have info on your ancestor, you can read about Civil War immigrants here:
http://www.longislandwins.com/columns/immigrants-civil-war/

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Thanks, My John O'Neill signed up 19 April 1861, mustered out 30 July 1861. I think he was born about 1840 but haven't been able to find his birth records and don't know which parish he came from in Londonderry. He never returned to America, he died 1907 in Scotland. Two of his daughters did go to live in America. Years ago family also said that he served with the Boston Police but don't know if this is correct. So many questions that I have no answer to. Did he go to America as a young child during the famine? Why did he go to Scotland? Hopefully one day will know all the answers. Having a name as John O'Neill not an easy task

Ugh! How frustrating. I've hit similar brick walls with my research as well and overly common names are the worst when you don't have a lot of solid facts. I have some in my family tree that are huge mysteries that seem quite unsolvable. Well, Londonderry is in Northern Ireland and I'm unsure when the Catholic/Protestant issues began there, but its possible that's why he ended up in Scotland to get away from any religious issues that may have been brewing.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

 

[margaret]

I know that John's parents were John O'Neill and Bridget Cain(Kane) but have found O'Neills with these parent names in America and Scotland .Too little info to know who is who
But love reading the history and stories of the civil war
This is something that intrigues me John's wife was Ellen McMullen, she was the daughter of Charles and Eliza Mulholland, Eliza's brother Hamilton also fought in the civil war he was a private company H 97th Regiment Pennslyvania Infantry. I read somewhere that the G company from the 71st NYSM were mostly recruited in Pensylvania

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Hi

My GGreat grandfather John O'Neill was a private in G company 71 st NYSM. He was born in Londonderry, still trying to find out where. Don't know when he left America but he married in Scotland 1875.

Kind regards Margaret

Welcome.

New York
SEVENTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
American Guard.
The regiment, located in New York city and still in the
service, was organized originally as a battalion of four
companies, A, B, C and D in June, 1850; it was made a regiment
August 2, 1852. The American Rifles, a battalion of four
companies, formed the nucleus of the regiment. September 21,
1870, the 37th Regiment was consolidated with the 71st
Regiment, Companies E, D, H, A, G, K and B of the 37th Regiment
being consolidated with Companies A, C, D, E, F, G and K of the
71st Regiment, respectively. April 28, 1898, it received
authority to organize as a twelve-company regiment, preparatory
to its entry into the United States service, in which it was
mustered May 10, 1898, as the 71st Regiment, N.Y. Volunteer
Infantry, and mustered out November 15, 1898. December 8, 1898,
it was reorganized as a National Guard regiment, composed of
ten companies, Companies L and M being disbanded.

The regiment has received authority to place silver rings
on the lances of its colors' engraved as follows:

On the National Color.-Alexander, Va., May 24, 1861; Aquia
Creek, Va., May 31, 1861; Matthias Point, Va., June 27, 1861;
Bull Run, Va., July 21, 1861; Tenallytown, D.C., 1862;
Washington, D.C., 1862; Gettysburg Campaign, 1863; Kingston,
Pa., June 26, 1863; near Harrisburg, Pa., June 29, 1863;
Spanish-American war, 1898; Cuba, June, July and August, 1898
; San Juan Hill, July 1, 1898; siege of Santiago de Cuba, July
2 to 17, 1898.

On the State Color.-Dead Rabbit riot, 1857; Quarantine
riots, 1858; Draft riots, 1863; Orange riots 1871; Railroad
riots, 1877; Buffalo, 1892; Brooklyn, 1896.

Service in the War of the Rebellion.

The regiment left the State (nine companies), under
orders, April 21, 1861, en route for Washington, D.C.,
commanded by Col. A. S. Vosburg; was mustered in the United
States service for three months, on the 3d of May; served at
and near Washington and in the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, Army
of North-Eastern Virginia; its Company I, armed with two
howitzers, was originally Company L, 19 h Militia, Parmenter's
Riflemen. The regiment was mustered out under Col. H. P.
Martin, July 31, 1861, at New York city.

May 28, 1862, the regiment (ten companies) was again
mustered in the United States service for three months; it left
the State the same day, commanded by Colonel Martin; it served
in the defenses of Washington in Sturgis' Brigade and was
mustered out in New York city, September 2, 1862.

On the return of the regiment from this last service a
number of its members joined the 124th Volunteers, then being
recruited and organized.

June 17, 1863, the regiment (ten companies), commanded by
Col. Benjamin L. Trafford, left the State en route to
Harrisburg, Pa., for a service of thirty days; it served with
the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Department Susquehanna; and was
mustered out of the United States service at New York city,
July 22, 1863.

The regiment lost in its service in 1861, killed in
action, ten enlisted men; died of wounds received in action,
one officer, two enlisted men; died of disease, etc., one
officer, four enlisted men; total, two officers, sixteen
enlisted men; aggregate, eighteen; and it, or portions of it,
took part in the occupation of Alexandria, Va., May 24, 1861;
the attack on batteries, at Aquia Creek, Va., May 31, and June
1, 1861; the attack on Matthias Point on June 27, 1861; the
battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21, 1861, where it suffered a
loss of ten enlisted men killed, three officers and thirty-
seven enlisted men wounded; one officer, eleven enlisted men
captured; aggregate, sixty-two; a skirmish at Kingston, Pa.,
June 26, 1863, and at Oyster Point near Harrisburg, Pa., June
29, 1863, in which it had one enlisted man wounded.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 2

 

[chellers]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

 

[PeterT]

Welcome from Melbourne Australia!