Sons of Leitrim
Baxter
Barney
Soldier Profile: Barney Baxter
Co. K, 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Barney Baxter's war began in September 1861 and ended at Chantilly a year later—a gunshot wound to the leg that sent him to the Jews Hospital and revealed heart disease that would haunt him for the next twenty years. He survived Secessionville and Second Bull Run, only to fall at Chantilly and spend the rest of his life working in Milford's shoe factories, dying of liver disease at fifty-six.
Early Life and Family
Born: Circa 1831, County Leitrim, Ireland (his discharge sheet confirms Leitrim as his birthplace; Find A Grave incorrectly lists 1826)
Emigration: Unknown date, but before 1850
First Marriage: Married Rose Teague before 1850
Children with Rose:
Patrick J., born 1850
James F., born 1853
Rose's Death: May 13, 1862, at Milford, Massachusetts, while giving birth—just four months before Barney enlisted
Second Marriage: Married Ann Reilly on April 30, 1863, at Milford—two months after his discharge
Children with Ann:
Mary E., born 1865
John H., born 1867
Michael E., born 1868
William D., born November 1869
Occupation: Worker in shoe factories in Milford, Massachusetts
Military Service
Barney enlisted as a private in Company K of the 28th Massachusetts Volunteers on September 20, 1861—four months after his wife Rose died in childbirth. His residence was listed as Milford, Massachusetts.
Present for Duty: The First Year
Barney was present on all company muster rolls from December 1861 through September 1862. This means he was with his regiment when they saw action at:
Secessionville, South Carolina (June 1862): A failed Union assault on Confederate fortifications near Charleston
Second Bull Run (August 1862): Another Union disaster on the same ground where the war had begun in defeat
Chantilly (September 1, 1862): A confused, rain-soaked battle fought in a thunderstorm.
Wounded at Chantilly (September 1, 1862)
At the Battle of Chantilly on September 1, 1862, Barney was struck by a gunshot in the leg. Several company muster rolls confirm he was wounded at Chantilly on this date.
On September 13, 1862, he was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York (then known as "Jews Hospital"). A casualty sheet shows his arrival on that date, listing the nature of the injury as "Wound Leg." (Note: Find A Grave incorrectly lists his condition as "Volvulus"—this appears to be a misreading of "Vulnus sclopetarium," the medical term for gunshot wound.)
Return to Duty and Discharge
Barney was returned to duty on December 4, 1862, reporting to the Convalescent Camp at Alexandria, Virginia. There, army doctors discovered he was suffering from heart disease—a condition that may have been exacerbated by the stress of service and recovery from his wound.
He was discharged on February 27, 1863, in Washington, D.C. His discharge sheet states he was born in Leitrim.
Life After the War
Barney returned to Milford, Massachusetts, where he resumed work in the town's shoe factories. Two months after his discharge, on April 30, 1863, he married Ann Reilly for the second time. Over the next six years, they became parents to four children.
The Pension Applications
Invalid Pension: Barney applied for an invalid pension on February 28, 1863—the day after his discharge
Widow's Pension: Ann applied for a widow's pension on January 8, 1884—nineteen months after Barney's death
Minor's Pension: His daughter Mary applied for a minor's pension on July 20, 1897—thirteen years after her mother's application
Death
Barney Baxter died of liver disease on June 6, 1882, at fifty-six years old. He is buried at St.
Mary's Cemetery in Milford, Massachusetts.
Service & Family Timeline
Date Event Detail
c. 1831 Birth County Leitrim, Ireland
Sept 20, 1861 Enlistment 28th Massachusetts Infantry
May 13, 1862 Loss at Home Death of his first wife, Rose
Sept 1, 1862 Wounded in Action Shot in the leg at Chantilly, VA
Feb 27, 1863 Discharge Disability (Heart Disease)
Apr 30, 1863 Marriage To Ann Reilly in Milford, MA
June 6, 1882 Deceased Milford, Massachusetts
