Many of you who know the history of the 69th Pa will no doubt have looked at how the regiment was formed up in pre-war
Philadelphia
from the various militia units mostly named after well known Irish men of note or well known Irish soldiers of
high rank.Fine but I find in many cases little is known of where they actually came from, what was the countryside like
where
they grew up, what was the circumstances of their going to America? Most information and books on these men
are written in America
by Americans and however well intentioned maybe they just get it a little wrong. Not all were down at heel typical
Irish immigrants desperate to make it good in America. Shields left Ireland with a spirit of adventure and Patterson's
family under
political pressure.
There is much information available in both records and books about the various Union and Confederate generals of
the Civil War. The ones connected
to Ireland have on the whole Ulster Scots backgrounds ie their ancestors came from Scotland then to Ireland and
eventually for many reasons settled
in America. Not too much is known or indeed written about the generals of Irish birth and of the Catholic faith. America
was not in the pre Civil War days a place generally welcoming to the Catholic Irish.The attitudes of the Americans
of the time was set by the massive influx of Catholic Irish circa 1847 famine times. Many of the newly arriving Irish
with their different religion and indeed language would set the American perception.
Coupled with being poorly educated and mostly very poor left them at the bottom of the American pile.
However in this case we are talking of great numbers and it should be remembered that prior to the mid 19th century
there was a steady flow of Irish immigrants arriving into the newly opening up America.Yes there would be poor Irish
seeking a better life but amongst these
there were
many who simply looked for a better life though perhaps back in Ireland many came from reasonably well off families.
In amongst these
would be a young James J. Shields from a very well off family, well educated, adventurous and entreprenurial having
traits found in Tyrone people to this day.
James Shields was the eldest of three brothers Charles, Daniel and Patrick born in the early part of the 19th
century to Charles Shields an extensive landowner from Altmore Cappagh Co. Tyrone and his wife Katherine McDonnell from
the small townland of Skenahergny by The Rock (Tullyodonnell) close to the now Cookstown to Pomeroy road Co.Tyrone.
To understand his life history it is firstly necessary to understand where he was coming from and indeed
a little of his family history.
Living here and researching the Irish Tyrone and Derry soldiers of the 69th. and often driving through the Sperrin
hills and the
small rolling hills of south, east and central Tyrone is to drive through the history of many of the Irish soldiers of the
69th.Pa. Vols. and other Civil War regiments. One sees
the descendants of people
who in earlier centuries were displaced by war and civil strife, a society in which the wives became the predominate
family member. Families decimated by the early famines in the mid 19th century by death and emigration. Education
would in many cases be
something secondary to existence. Survival was the quest.
These were areas almost 100% Catholic and still are.
Were there many well to do Catholic families?. Yes some but not too many. Wealth
was in most cases due the quality of land and the area of land the family owned. Like everywhere else irrespective of
nationality and religion the ones aquiring the most land and property invariably came to the top of the pile. In amongst
these families were ones who by land deals or subservient attitudes to the landed Anglo Irish settlers managed to
hold on to
or even aquire land or perhaps reclaim their former lands back from the forfitures. By whatever means the Shields family
were substantial landowners
probably the largest in that area of Co. Tyrone owning about 2,000 acres. Not prime land by any means but good enough for
a good subsistence.
Above all the the family recognised
that education
was a major factor for success in life. Family history states that a young James Shields received a good education.
Probably firstly by a
related
family member his uncle a Catholic priest a Father McDonnell who would appear to have taught a young James the three
R's and also taught him to speak
fluent French. Later he would be sent local Church of Ireland school where he was taught the Greek and Latin
classics. Here he would also
meet up with Protestant students which would help his understanding of predominately Protestant America to
which he was later going.
However we
know
the exact dates of the lifetime of General Shield's father Charles from his headstone at nearby Donaghmore cemetery.
He died 14.3.1812 aged 60. He had lived 1752-1812.
As a matter of interest Generals Shields mother (nee Katherine McDonnell) is buried at the nearby Catholic cemetery
of Galbally. She died 13.2.1847 aged 68.She had lived 1779-1847. From the dates she would to have been some 27 years
younger than
the General's father. Their three sons James, Daniel and Patrick were born 1806 1808 and 1810 only a few years
before their father died.
The above images would be of a well do to farmer's house of the late 18th - early 19th century. The room were he was born is on the far left top window. In his years growing here 1806-1826 the roof of the house would probably have been of thatch.
I will leave the viewer to read up the many books written about Shields in America. If one reads of the men who became
generals or high ranking
officers few ever came up through the ranks
in the Civil War few ever rose from the lower ranks to much above Colonel. No doubt there were exceptions but
not too many.
Wealth, social standing and family ties played a major part in the officer core of the armies of the Civil War.
Anyway here are a few images that a young James Shields would be familiar with in his beloved Co. Tyrone and of interest to
those of you who read and wonder about where he was coming from.
The above chaple was built in 1870 on land donated by the Shields family. The grave's of Shields brothers and family members to the centre right of the above image.
Research on Shields always concentrates on him where he was from, little on his parents and then that is mostly focussed on his paternal line. We know his mother Katherine McDonnell was from the townland of Skenahergny close to the Rock indeed only about a mile to the north of the Rock Chaple. The Rock chaple would have been the McDonnell church and many of the old McDonnell families are buried there no doubt some of them her relatives. Here is a view across this lovely townland in the rolling hills and winding roads of rural Tyrone.
As now it is not known just who Hugh O'Neill was. O'Neil lived 1738-1771. Shields would have been aged 19 when O'Niell
died aged 33. It is interesting to note that when this headstone was being erected at Donaghmore in 1771 for Hugh O'Neill America was still
a British colony. The War of Independence was still a few years away.
General Shields mother Catherine McDonnell Shields is buried in the cemetery at the Catholic church at Galbally near Donaghmore
Co. Tyrone. She died 13.2.1847 aged 68.
Townland and parish names in Ireland tend to repeat especially if the name is associated with the nature and terrain
of the area. In this case we know for certain Shields was
from the Cappagh close to Dungannon whilst research so far suggests that the Cappagh associated with Patterson's
birthplace may well be the Cappagh in the Omagh/Strabane area. This to be established (Jan 2009).
The family of Francis Patterson living in the Cappagh parish circa 1796 would most certainly be the descendants of Plantation
Scots settlers and Presbyterian. I would be of the opinion that they were quite well of farmers. In many cases
if well off Presbyterians were convicted or suspected of having sympathy towards the aspirations
of the United Irish movement of 1798 "deals" would be done and the suspects were simply allowed to seek
their future in
another land, N. America being a favourite destination. If one reads the history of Co.Tyrone it will soon
be realised that it is a political mine field right up to the present day. In the era prior to 1798 it was a melting
pot of confrontation between
Catholics and Protestants, liberal Presbyterians and all the usual melange of political factions
that come out of civil strife. There was much confrontation between the United Irishmen and the Orange Order and the
army of the State. Whatever the circumstances the Patterson family would find the option was departure to America
either forced or as a deal or perhaps under the circumstances of having to flee. From their subsequent
political alliances in Philadelphia I feel they left Ireland embittered by what happened to them. They would arrive
Philadelphia circa 1798. They would do very well there. Francis Patterson's young son Robert would have been aged about 6 or 7 years of
age when he left Cappagh. He
would no doubt take his Irish memories with him and no doubt later his father would recount the family history to him.
It should be noted that General Patterson also had two sons who also became Union Army generals General Francis Emmet Patterson and General Robert Emmet Patterson. Both are buried beside their father at Laurel Hill cemetery. Now that we have an appreciation of where he was coming from I leave it to the reader to investigate his life in America and there is much in the public domain.
