Civil War battles of Edward Francis Cashel

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# Civil War battles of Edward Francis Cashel

- References:
  - Civil War letters.
    - Letter from Edward Francis Cashel in Georgetown, DC to his father George Cashel, Fri 20th May 1864.
    - Letter from William Kickham in Georgetown, DC to George Cashel, Feb 1869.
    - Dispatch from US War Department to Blennerhassett Cashel in New York City, 9th July 1870.

  - "Edward F. Cashel" in Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War, Massachusetts Adjutant General, 1931-37.
  - The Army Of The United States, ed. Theophilus Francis Rodenbough and William L. Haskin, 1896.
    - "The Second Regiment Of Artillery" by Lieut. W.A. Simpson, pp.312-27. Also extracts here.

- Sources yet to be consulted:
  - Index of men: The War of Rebellion .. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 128 volumes, Washington, 1880-1901, [CUL] North wing, 3rd floor. This lists all soldiers, co., decorations, promotions etc.
  - [NA.US] should have "military service" and "pension record"

Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery, at Fair Oaks, VA, June 1862.
Not Cashel's battery, but gives you an idea what his battery would have looked like. He was at Fair Oaks in June 1862.
Public domain image. [LOC] call number LC-B815-433.
See larger and full size.
From [LOC] civil war photos (see here and here).

# List of battles

Edward Francis Cashel was a private in the Regulars, Company G (also called Battery G), 2nd Regiment, US Artillery (the North side, the Union, the Federal side).
He was in the following battles (the quotes are from his letter):

1. 1st Battle of Bull Run (or 1st Battle of Manassas), VA, 21st July 1861,
   first major battle of the war,
   not far from N capital Washington, DC,
   N lost,
   now Manassas National Battlefield Park.
   Battery G was commanded here by Oliver Davis Greene. See order of battle.

   After this until Mar 1862 Battery G was commanded by Capt. Thompson.
   From Mar 1862 to Nov 1863 it was commanded by John Hartwell Butler. See [Simpson, 1896].

2. "a skirmish in front of Yorktown", VA,
   "only 2 pieces engaged".
   This would be part of Siege of Yorktown 5th Apr - 4th May 1862.
   S forces finally abandoned Yorktown, pursued by N forces.

3. Battle of Williamsburg (or Battle of Fort Magruder), VA, 5th May 1862 (Edward incorrectly says 4th May).
   S rear guard held off N forces to allow main S army to escape.

4. Battle of Fair Oaks (or Seven Pines), VA, 31st May - 1st June 1862,
   only 5 miles from S capital Richmond, VA.

5. Battle of Glendale (or Frayser's Farm, or "Charles City cross-roads"), VA, 30th June 1862.
   "rebels charged our battery 3 times .. repulsed each time with great slaughter".

6. Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862,
   Cashel's unit fought in daytime and retreated toward Harrison's Landing, VA at night for 7 days and nights.
   There was a general N withdrawal (by sea) from VA.
   S invades MD.

7. Battle of South Mountain, MD, 14th Sept 1862 (Edward incorrectly says 13th Sept).
   N won.

8. Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), MD, 17th Sept 1862.
   The bloodiest single day in US military history. 4,800 dead in one day, and 18,300 injured.
   N has strategic win since S retreats from MD.
   See 2nd United States Artillery, Battery G at Antietam.

9. 1st Battle of Fredericksburg, VA, 13th-16th Dec 1862.
   N lost heavily.
   "we lost in this battle 2 men killed (heads blown off)".

10. 2nd Battle of Fredericksburg, VA, 3rd-4th May 1863.
    This can be regarded as part of the much larger Battle of Chancellorsville, VA, 27th Apr - 6th May, 1863.
    N lost. N forces split in two and retreat. S invades N again.

11. Battle of Gettysburg, PA, 1st-3rd July 1863 (Edward says he was there 3rd July).
    7,000 dead over 3 days. 44,000 injured or missing or captured.
    N won. Turning point, most important battle of war. S retreats from N.
    See the Gettysburg Address.

12. "skirmish near Culpeper", VA, 13th Sept 1863.
    "2 men killed".

13. "2nd skirmish near Culpeper", VA, 8th Nov 1863.
    "Battery Commander's leg shot off" (John Hartwell Butler wounded, necessitating amputation of the leg.)
    "This is the last fight I have been in".
    After this Battery G was commanded by William Neil Dennison until it was dismounted in June 1864.

Opening scene of the movie Glory (1989), showing Battle of Antietam, Sept 1862.
From here.

Men of Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery, at Culpeper, VA, Sept 1863.
Not Cashel's battery, but gives you an idea what his battery would have looked like. He was at Culpeper in Sept 1863.
See full size.
Public domain image. [LOC] call number LC-B817-7245.
From [LOC] civil war photos (see here).

# Battlefield sites

Battlefield site of 1st Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas), VA, July 1861.
Photo 2007. See larger and full size.
From Bethany L. King. See terms of use.

Battlefield site of Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), MD, Sept 1862.
Photo 2007. See full size.
From here. See terms of use.

Battlefield site of Battle of Gettysburg, PA, July 1863.
Photo 2007. See larger and full size.
From here. See terms of use.

# Cashel's commanders

William Neil Dennison, Cashel's commander in 1863-64.
Detail of photo at Fair Oaks, VA, June 1862.
See full image.
[LOC] call number LC-B811-435A.
See him also in top RHS of similar photo (and alternative) at Fair Oaks, VA, 1862. [LOC] call number LC-B811-434.
Public domain images. From [LOC] civil war photos (see here and here).

- American Civil War (and here and here)
  - muster rolls
  - The Irish Brigade Association

- Field artillery units of the United States Army
  - Field artillery in the American Civil War
  - Siege artillery in the American Civil War

- Movies
  - The movie Gettysburg (1993).
  - The movie Gods and Generals (2003).

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