The Irish standard., 1897-11-13
MOST UNIQUE ORGANIZATION.
Very Rev. William E. Corby is the
Commander of the Post.
MEN OF IMPERISHABLE FAME,
Who Fought Most Valiantly in
the Late Rebellion.

In no country of the world is there
to be found more interesting and
unique aggregation of battle-scared vet
Grams than those forming the very latest
post to be added to the Grand Army of
the Republic, which will be known as
Post 529, G. A. R., Department of III
diana. The commander of the post ia
the Very Rev. William E. Corby, by
whose consent the story of It's concep-
tion and formation is made public.
The members of the new post are all
brothers and priests of the Order of the
Holy Cross of the University of Notre
Dame. In all, the members number only
eleven, but among them are men who
have won imperishable fame and honor.
and whose records are the most re-
noWned of the war; In the autumn of
life, with the days of battle, bullets and
Gayonets long since past into mere men,
ory, these old veterans have suddenly
awakened in the quiet of their university
home to the fact that there is a for
gotten band of sympathy between them.
All had gone to the front in the GOs
and fought valiantly and with distinc-
tion. What more appropriate than that
they should organize themselves into
%
ing was called and arrangements made
Tor the formal mastering in of the new
post with fitting amount of enthusi-
asm. At o'clock on the evening of
Oct. 4 the priest-post was declared
part Of the Grand Army, amid much
cheering, speech-making and flag-wav-
Ing.
The immense concourse of people who
gathered to cheer the soldier-priests
saw under the folds of the flag that was
draped on the platform collection of
as splendid specimens of humanity as
ever paced the ranks of a veteran army.
In the center beamed the genial face
OF Post Commander Very Rev. w. Corby,
once chaplain of the Eighty-eighth New
York Volunteers, known in the war
times as the Irish brigade. Although a
non-combatant, Father Corby performed
deed at Gettysburg that made him the
idol of the army. During the hottest
fire of the battle, Father Corby, mind
ful that his duty lay with the souls of
men, called the boys of the Irish brigade
around him, and mounted on a rock,
while shot and shell and mimic balls
burst and whizzed on every hand, he
gave absolution to the troops. This
was the only occasion known on which
priest gave absolution to a brigade
of soldiers under fire, and the fame of
Father Corby spread through the army
in consequence.
To the right Of the brave old chap
lain sat Brother w. A. Olmstead, form
erly lieutenant colonel Second in
fantry, New York volunteers, and COL
onel of the Fifty-ninth New York vet
eran volunteers. He is the surgeon and
adjutant of the new post. Father Ohm
stead was brevetted for gallant and
meritorius service at the battle of Rich
mond, Va, in June, 1862; at Glen Dale
Malvern Hill, Fredericksburg, Peters,
burg and the final campaign, leading to
the capture and surrender of Gen. Lee
on April 9, 1865. Father Olmstead en-
joys the distinction of having sounded
the alarm when the queer-looking iron
clad Merrimac steamed on its devastat-
ing cruise up the James river. At the
Charlottesville fight Olmstead became
commander of the Second New York in
fantry when his colonel fell with leg
shattered by a shell. He remained in
command until the regiment was mus
tered out, and afterwards re-enlisted as
veteran. When the stirring days of
the war had passed into history, Ohm
stead took up the study of medicine and
afterwards entered the University of
Notre Dame. With his white pointed
beard and his erect military carriage,
Father Olmstead looks every inch the
old soldier, in spite of his clerical garb.
To Commander Corby's left sat the
Rev. Peter Paul Cooney, chaplain of
the new post. Father Cooney was form
crly chaplain Of the Thirty-ffth infan-
try regiment. He followed the fortunes
OF the regiment all through the war.
and won the medal he wears by services
as conscientiously rendered and as use
full to the army as any performed by
fighter or non-combatant.
Next to Father Cooney sat Brother
John Chrysostom, a stalwart, white
bearded ex-soldier, whose comrades of
The army knew him by his fighting name