The Irish standard., 1914-01-03
WAS A NATIVE OF SLIGO
Gen. Michael Corcoran, Commander
of New York's Famous Goth
Regiment
A Great Soldier, He Was Esteemed,
Loved and Idolized by
His Men

Michael Corcoran, the gallant COM
mander Of the Sixty-ninth Regiment
during the war for the Union, was a
living example of Irish.American in.
situations. His splendid services dur
ing the war have endeared his name
to his countrymen of all classes, while
he made himself particularly an OBJ
ject of affectionate regard among
Irish-Americans by his manly intre-
pidity previous to the war by declining
to bring out the regiment under his
command to do honor to the Prince
of Wales, then visiting the United
States.
Gen. Corcoran was native of Sligo
County, Ireland, where he was born in
1927. He was carefully educated, and
not long after coming to the United
States obtained a clerkship in the
Postofiice and later in the office of the
City Register, where he made wide
circle. Of acquaintances and became
very popular. He entered the Sixty
ninth Regiment as private, and rose
to rank of colonel shortly before the
Prince of Wales came to the United
States to receive the fulsome adula-
ton of the toadies and worshipers of
British royalty.
Our readers are familiar with the
story of Corcoran's refusal to bring
out his 1rish-American regiment, in
obedience to orders, to do homage to
the heir apparent to the throne of
1reland's oppressor. His trial for in
subordination was under way at the
time Fort Sumter was fired upon. The
call to duty caused the trial to be
abandoned, and Corcoran led his brave
boys to the front. They received q
splendid ovation as they marched
down Broadway on their departure,
bearing along with the Stars and
Stripes the beautiful green flag which
had been presented to the regiment by
a number of citizens.
AS soldier, Gen. Corcoran fur
nished in his brief and brilliant career
remarkable proof of the adaptability
OF the Irish race to military pursuits.
Without the aid of scientific tutors,
without the aid of even elementary
books, he rose steadily from the ranks,
through the several gradations of the
regiment, and-fully qualified for it
by self-acquired knowledge, his clear
perception, sound judgment, we'll gov
erned temper and self-reliance-died,
as he deserved to die, in command of
a division.
Patient, diligent, indefatigable in
the work of mastering the details and
technicalities of the profession in the
humber duties of his military life,
he was no less patient, no less dill
gent, no less indefatigable in the dis
charge of those administrative duties
which devolved upon him in the high.
er position to which he subsequently
rose. Calm as he was firm, gentle as
he was resolute, courteous as he was
stern, kind as he was dignified, Just
as he was severe, there were richly
blended and wonderfully balanced in
his character as military chief, most,
If not all, of those generalities which
are properly held to be inconsistent
and conflicting, but without the pos.
session of which in equal proportion
and nice adjustment no military off.
Ger can claim perfection.
To his great calmness, which was SO
strikingly characteristic of him, to his
imperturbable steadiness under fire, to
his invincible self control, which gave
the mastery to his transparent BRAIN
may justly be ascribed the fact, that
overwhelmed, as his regiment was, on
the 21st day of July, 1861, at the battle
of Manassas, by the hidden batteries
of the enemy, the Sixty-ninth with.
drew in good order, fearlessly and de.
liberately.
How he was esteemed, loved and
idolized by his officers and men can
only be told by those who witnessed
his deathbed scene. From the win
dow in the corridor outside the ROOM
said Gen Meagher, "the lifeless camps
glistened in the cold air. no one now