The Civil War Letters of Colonel Patrick R. Guiney, Ninth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
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Guiney, Patrick R. Commanding Boston’s Irish Ninth: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Patrick R. Guiney, Ninth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Edited by Christopher G. Samito. New York: Fordham University Press, 1998. 9th Massachusetts Infantry Enlistment, rashness, 5-6 Soldier pay, 6 Fund for soldier families, 6 Fort Monroe, 8-9 Washington, 10ff Pray for him, 12 Lincoln, 12-13 Meagher, Corcoran, 13 Fort Corcoran, 14 Women and men in Washington, 15 Slavery, 15 Meeting laborers in Roxbury, 16 Danger, close call, 17 Morale confidence, 18 Bull Run, 20-21, 24-25 Woman at home wants a soldier, 22 Love for his wife, 23-24 Underwear, 26 McDowell, 26 Arlington Heights, Lee, 27ff Mistreatment of officers, 28-30, 32 Soldier pay, 31 Quartermaster shirking, 32-33 Photographs, 32-33, 35, 37 Morale, 34 Letter, 35 William T. Sherman, 36 Cavalry repulse, 36 McClellan, 36 Daily routine, 38 Box, food, 39 Building Fort Cass, 41 What he would like at home, 41 Plans to resign, 42 Lyon death, Wilson’s Creek, 42 Medical discharges, 43 Letters, 46 Confederate siege of the Potomac, firing on houses, 46 She wants him home, 47 Democrats and Lincoln, 47 Duty, tyranny, 49 1 Officers, 48-49 Rosecrans, Carnifax Ferry, 52 Thoughts of home, 54 Love and thoughts of home, 56-57 Christmas, 60 Soldier pay, 64 Congress, army, Treasury, 65 McClellan, 66 Death of Lt. Colonel Peard, Guiney commands regiment, 67-68 Soldier pay, 68 Love and marriage, 69-70 McClellan, 70 Women in camp, 71 Clothes, 72 Officers, 73 Union victories, 74 Mud, 75 Officers, wants to resign, 75-78 McClellan and Centreville, 80 McClellan, 81-82 Soldier pay, 82 Peninsula campaign, 84ff Food, 84 Critical of colonel, officers, 86 Yorktown, 89ff Yorktown and delay in fighting Confederates, McClellan, 92-93 Letters, love, 94 Baldy Smith, McClellan, 95 Wet, illness, 96 McClellan, delay, 96 No camp visitors allowed should be wounded, 97 Soldier pay, 97 Siege of Yorktown, army expects to soon be in Richmond, 98 Williamsburg, McClellan and Stanton, 99 Expects to be in Richmond in a month, 100 Nearly had a fight with 18th Massachusetts over a campsite, 101 Wife wants some grisly souvenir, 101 Expects a big and bloody battle, 102 Hanover Courthouse, 106-7 Cloths needs, 108-9 Things have slowed as army moves toward Richmond, possible siege, McClellan, 110 Guiney at Gaines’s Mill, questions his fitness to be colonel, 120-39 Fitz John Porter and McClellan, 134 Wife should not come to camp, 141 Complains about colonel’s widow and a fund, 142 Court martial officers, 142 2 Irish flag for the regiment, Governor Andrew, 143-44 Complains of quartermaster, 146 Supplies, officers, 146-48 Clothing, boxes, 151 Fredericksburg campaign, 151ff Falmouth, 151-52 Great passion to defeat Confederate army, 152 False report that he was killed or wounded, 155 Critical of generalship, 156 Morale, fears defeat, 161 Boxes, 163 Army infested with passion for McClellan, 163 Officers, furloughs too long, 164-65 Enemies in army and back home, 166-72 Child, 173 Reading Victor Hugo, 173 Men overstaying furlough, Lincoln amnesty proclamation, 174-76, 183 Henry Wilson, 176-77, 181 Hostility of a gang back in Boston, Copperheads, 178-80 Catholic church service at home, priest, 183-84 Officers defend him, 185-86 Chancellorsville, morale, O. O. Howard, German soldiers, 187-88 Officers, 189 General Whipple killed by sharpshooter, 191 Meagher and flag presentation, 191-92 Enemies, frivolous charges against him, 192-93 Gettysburg campaign, 197ff Gettysburg, heat, 202-3 New York draft riots, 203 General Griffin resignation, 205 Hurt by wife’s letter, 206 No women in camp, 209 Substitutes, desertion, execution, 210-12 No women in camp, General Birney and women, 211 Clothing, uniform, 213 Officers who opposed him, 213, 215, 217-18, 222-24 Conscripts, 213, 216, 223 Women in camp, 214 Horses, 215 Winter quarters, 216 Soldier pay, photographs, 217 Rosecrans and western soldiers, 221 Mexico and France, 221-22 Irish and Democrats, Meagher, 225-27 Love, 232 Skeptical of a Catholic church fair at home, piety, 234 3 Looks forward to expiration of his enlistment, 239 Rats. 241 Grant, 242 Wound, 246-47 4 .