The Irish in the Civil War: Daniel C. Moynihan (1841-1912)

I collect "Moynahan" stories whenever I find them and I share them online in my "Moynahan Scrapbook". 

Captain Daniel .C. Moynihan 

This blog post is about Captain Daniel .C. Moynihan who was born in Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland and came to America at a young age. During the Civil War, he enlisted in 1862 as a 1st Lieutenant in the 164th New York Infantry. After the Civil War, Daniel returned to Ireland (1866) and was incarcerated along with many others in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin where he was photographed below.

Mugshot: Mountjoy Prison, Dublin (November 1866)

After the Civil War, Daniel returned to Ireland and was arrested on the suspicion of being a Fenian. Many high profile Irish officer returned to Ireland in 1866 to assist the movement in its aim of rising against British rule and during their incarceration they were photographed.

Daniel married Kate Butler and they had three children, Daniel C, Edmund and Annastasia. 

 During The Civil War

During the Civil War, Daniel enlisted as a 1st Lieutenant in the 164th New York Infantry (9/4/1862) (Corcoran's Irish Legion) and was later commissioned a Captain. 

Moynihan was wounded and captured at the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA (June 1864) becoming a prisoner of War and placed in Libby Prison, Richmond, VA ( infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions under which officer prisoners from the Union Army were kept) until he was paroled.  

In the photo below, Daniel is seated in the front third from the left. The names with an asterisks are his fellow soldiers who lost their lives at at Cold Harbor: 1st Lt. E McCaffrey; 1st Lt. R. Boyle; 1st Lt. C. Watters; Capt. W Maroney; Capt. T Hickey; 2nd Lt. J.A. O'Sullivan; 1st Lt. J Dunn;1st Lt. J.M Ready

K. Hanley originally shared this to the Hanley Family Tree on Ancestry 31 Mar 2009

He returned to his regiment and was promoted to Acting Ordnance Officer, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac. It was during this time he joined the Fenian Brotherhood and was active in the cause for Irish Independence.

After The Civil War

The Fenian movement in America was extremely active before, during and immediately after the American Civil War. It recruited Irishmen with the aim of ‘striking a blow’ for Ireland when the opportunity arose. 

After the Civil War, he returned to Ireland and was arrested on the suspicion of being a Fenian and thrown into Mountjoy Jail in Dublin, Ireland. Moynihan was eventually freed and returned to the United States.

Policeman In New York

Daniel Moynihan entered the police force in 1876 was made a roundsman in 1885, sergeant in 1890, and captain in 1896. He quit the department when Gen Bingham was at its head.

 K. Hanley originally shared this to the Hanley Family Tree on Ancestry 31 Mar 2009

The Sun   New York, New York  27 Sep 1912, Fri  •  Page 11

Irish In The Civil War Resouces

Below are some resources that I found helpful for researching my Irish ancestors who fought in the Civil War.

It is estimated that "200,000 Irishmen fought in the American Civil War: 180,000 in the Union army and 20,000 in the Confederate army." (Published in 18th-19th Century Social Perspectives, "Tracing the Irish in the American Civil War ", Issue 6 (November/December 2014), Volume 22)

If you had Irish ancestors who were young and fit and living in the US between 1861 and 1865, they likely took part.

Mugshots: John Dunn ; Jeremiah O'Farrell ; James McGrath ; D.C. Moynihan, late Major, 164th New York, Vols.; Image ID 1111368; https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-9677-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

For a fascinating first hand account about the trials and tribulations of being a Civil War Soldier, I highly recommend the recently published book (available on Amazon), "The Memoirs of James Moynahan".

Memoirs of James A. Moynahan (1842 – 1919): Alma Leader, Gold & Silver Miner, Colorado State Senator and Michigan Civil War Veteran

My Irish Civil War Ancestors

• James Minihan 1840-1899 https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/capt-james-minihan-1840-1899.html
  
• James Moynahan https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/03/52-ancestors-no-10-james-moynahan-1842.html
  

 Moynahan/Moynihan/etc in the Civil War

• 66 Moynahans - 62 Union / 4 Confederate
• 69 Moynihans - 67 Confederate / 2 Confederate
• 497 Monahans - 408 Union / 89 Confederate
• 39 Minahans - 29 Union / 10 Confederate
• 28 Minehans - 24 Union / 4 Confederate
• 36 Minihans - 32 Union / 4 Confederate
  

Finding Your Civil War Ancestors Records

• Search for soldiers and sailors: https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm
• Face to Face with the Fenians: Mugshots of American Civil War Veterans, Part 1 https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2011/12/12/face-to-face-with-the-fenians-mugshots-of-american-civil-war-veterans-part-1/
• The National Archives of Ireland Fenian collection contains images of prisoners, including some who were American Civil War veterans. 
• The New York Public Library made a series of mugshots available online. They were taken in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin in November 1866 and form part of the Thomas A. Larcom collection. At least 30 of the images are of Fenians who were, or claimed to be, American Civil War veterans. Thanks to the pioneering work of Michael H. Kane in his American Soldiers in Ireland, 1865-67, we have access to the histories of some of these individuals.  
• Thomas Larcom Photo Collection https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/thomas-a-larcom-photographs-collection#/
• AARP: Researching Your Civil War Ancestry Researching Your Civil War Ancestry
  
• Family Search: Beginning United States Civil War Research
  
• Family Search: Locating a Confederate Civil War Soldier (1861–1865)
  
• Ancestry: Search Civil War (1861–1865) Military Records
  
• National Parks Service: Finding Your Civil War Ancestor
  
• Amy Crow: How to Find Your Ancestor’s Civil War Unit