Great Great Grandad John Doherty's Pension

John, I have access to a database of men who fought in the American Civil War, but I need more to go on than just his name. His name is too common. There were 59 John Doherty's who served in the Union army during the Civil War. So we have to have something to narrow it down. Most Irish born Union soldiers served in units other than the Irish Brigade, by the way. Something like 150,000 Irish born men served in the Union army during the war. The number who were in the Irish Brigade were just a fraction of that. If you can get some further info on him, the state he served from, for instance, we could narrow it down more.

Hello Joe, my name is Ray, my GGGrandad was named John. He cam from the Miltown Malby area in County Clare, in 1866 he had his second youngest daughter Honora, on the birth certificate he is down as a pensioner, and like I said earlier it had to be a military pension. He had 7 other children who are older than Honora. My GGGrandad was born in 1824, he was married to Mary Kinane who had the first child Margaret in 1855. They all moved to the UK and lived there until their deaths at various times of life. Ray

Now I'm confused. When you said "Irish Brigade" are you talking about him fighting in the US Civil War? Or are you talking about the British Army? They had numerous Irish regiments, but I don't think that they had an Irish Brigade in the mid-19th century.

Sorry about that Joe, They all went to UK circa 1879. My GGGrandad was living in County Clare when he had Honora, on the birth certificate she was born in 1866 in Lackamore, County Clare. On the birth certificate he is down as being a pensioner aged 43, the only way he could be a pensioner in Ireland in 1866 was to be invloved in a war in the U.S., so we believe his pension was a war pension from the United States Army pre 1866. Hope this makes sense.

No, if he served in the British army and got disabled somehow while in uniform in the 19th century he could have gotten a British pension. See here: http://www.militarian.com/threads/british-army-pensions.6590/ 

Hello Joe. No chance of him in the British Army. He had no pension in the U.K. He workd in the pit until his death in 1889. His pension had to be U.S. Irish Brigade in the Civil War. And I know from past generations my GGGrandad John 59 died blind and chest disease and my GGrandad Patrick 47 died one arm and chest disease or my Grandad Patrick 64 died chest disease, all pitmen, never fought in any wars for the British.

Ray, what is your evidence that he was in the Irish Brigade? Is it just a family tradition, or an assumption because he was Irish? As I said, most Irish Union soldiers were in units other than the Irish Brigade. If you are certain that he was in the Irish Brigade, it would narrow it down. 

 Hello Joe, the British Army was never mentioned at any time, one of my GGAunts husband who was Irish died in the Boer War in South Africa 1899, he was the only relation to fight for Britisf forces, so my only other option is the U.S. Civil War. All my relatives are resident in Ireland in 1866. I was born in the UK but moved back over to Ireland, County Clare in 1997.

Yeah, I understand what you are saying, that you think he was in the Union army in our Civil War. What I'm asking is if you have any solid evidence that he was in the Irish Brigade of the Union army or if you just suspect that he was, since that would limit the number of regiments he could have been in.

Ok lets say that I suspect that he was in the U.S. Army, is that any better? If I could find out this next step then it could open up more for me...Thanks for everything Joe.

Ray, I realized you did give me one thing to go on, that he was 43 when his daughter was born in 1866. So looking at the 59 John Doherty's that served in the Union army, there are only two that are about the right age. One enlisted in a NY regiment, but he deserted two day later, so clearly no pension, but the other one is a possibility. Here's his info:

John O. Doherty: Residence Hollis NH; 39 years old.

Enlisted on 8/7/1861 as a Private.

On 8/23/1861 he mustered into "F" Co. NH 3rd Infantry

He was discharged for disability on 9/15/1862 at Hilton Head, SC

Other Information: born in Ireland

So he's 39 in in August 1861 when he enlisted. In August 1866 he'd be 44, but he might be 43 part of that year, depending on his exact birthday. He was discharged for a disability, so he could have gotten a pension, and he was born in Ireland. 

So then the question would be: do you know what his middle name was? This guy's started with an "O."

As far back as 1866 on the birth cert of his daughter Honora there was no "O" in the name, that is all I know.

If I can interject in this conversation,,,,, from doing my own research on my Grandmother what I found out  from a genealogist .was the in the 1800, baby's were not not always registered on their birth day, it could be weeks /months before anyone woudl get around to registration a birth if ever. Catholics marriages were not registered in Ireland until approx 1850ish,,, unless you knew what Church your ancestors  were married in , there is no registrar to list marriages before 1850 ish.. .

Names have been shortened , or lengthened or a an 'O' inserted or retracted ..  for example , my Grandmothers name was O'Rourke , over the generations it went from being to rurke to rourk to Rourke  to O'Rourke .

The 'O' meaning 'off 'the Rourke family, or 'of'' the Brien family for example ..

Then  of course there was the destruction of all the documents in the General Post Office Dublin 1916 ............. 

Hope this of some help 

Thank you for the Information sir. I have My Great Great Aunts birth cert. It is more or less the same week/month that they registered to birth.