Charles G . Halpine Charles Graham Halpine ( Halpin ) ( pseud . Miles O ' Reilly ) ( November 20 , 1829 – August 3 , 1868 ) was an Irish journalist and author . Biography . Born at Oldcastle , County Meath , he was son of the Rev . Nicholas John Halpin . He was educated at Trinity College , Dublin , until 1846 , was originally intended for the medical profession , but he preferred the law , and in his leisure wrote for the press . The sudden death of his father and his own early marriage compelled him to adopt journalism as a profession . In 1851 he emigrated to America , and took up his residence at Boston , where he became assistant editor of the ‘ Boston Post , ’ and , with Benjamin P . Shillaber , commenced a humorous journal called ‘ The Carpet Bag , ’ which was unsuccessful . He afterwards resided at Washington , where he acted as the correspondent of the ‘ New York Times . ’ Removing to New York he secured employment on the ‘ Herald , ’ and in a few months established relations with several periodicals . He undertook a great variety of literary work , most of which was entirely ephemeral . He next became associate editor of the ‘ New York Times , ’ for which paper in 1855 and 1856 he wrote the Nicaragua correspondence at the time of William Walker ' s filibustering expedition . In 1857 he became principal editor and part proprietor of the New York ‘ Leader , ’ which under his management rapidly increased in circulation . At the beginning of the civil war in April 1861 he enlisted in the 69th New York infantry , in which he was soon elected a lieutenant , and served during the three months for which he had volunteered . He was then transferred to the staff of General David Hunter as assistant - adjutant - general with the rank of major , and soon after went with that officer to Missouri to relieve General John Charles Fremont . He accompanied General Hunter to Hilton Head , and while there wrote a series of burlesque poems in the assumed character of an Irish private . Several of them were contributed to the ‘ New York Herald ’ in 1862 under the pseudonym of ‘ Miles O ' Reilly , ’ and with additional articles were issued in two volumes entitled ‘ Life and Adventures , Songs , Services , and Speeches of Private Miles O ' Reilly , 47th Regiment New York Volunteers , ’ 1864 , and ‘ Baked Meats of the Funeral , a Collection of Essays , Poems , Speeches , and Banquets , by Private Miles O ' Reilly , late of the 47th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry , 10th Army Corps . Collected , revised , and edited , with the requisite corrections of punctuation , spelling , and grammar , by an Ex - Colonel of the Adjutant - General ' s Department , with whom the Private formerly served as Lance - Corporal of Orderlies , ’ 1866 . Halpine was subsequently assistant - adjutant - general on General Henry W . Halleck ' s staff with the rank of colonel in 1862 , and accompanied General David Hunter as a staff - officer on his expedition up the Shenandoah valley in the spring of 1864 . On his return to New York he resigned his commission in consequence of his bad eyesight , receiving the brevet of brigadier - general of volunteers . He then made New York his home , and resuming his literary work became editor , and later on proprietor of the ‘ Citizen , ’ a newspaper issued by the citizens ' association to advocate reforms in the civil administration of New York city . In 1867 he was elected registrar of the county of New York by a coalition of republicans and democrats . Incessant labour brought on insomnia . He had recourse to opiate s , and his death in New York city on 3 August 1868 was caused by an undiluted dose of chloroform . Besides the books above mentioned he was the author of ‘ Lyrics by the Letter H , ’ 1854 .