Sons of Leitrim
Burns
Patrick
Soldier Profile: Patrick Burns
Co. F, 25th New York Volunteer Infantry
Patrick served in the "Kerrigan Rangers," a unit raised by James E. Kerrigan that drew heavily from the Irish immigrant population of New York City. For Patrick, the war was a brief, violent journey from the streets of Manhattan to the bloody thickets of Virginia.
From Kiltubbrid to the 9th Ward
Born: Circa 1827 in County Leitrim. His parents, James and Elizabeth, had married in Kiltubbrid in 1819, but tragedy struck early when his father died just a year after Patrick’s birth.
The Immigrant Shoemaker: Patrick and his widowed mother arrived in America by 1841. By 1860, they were living in New York’s 9th Ward—a pair of hardworking souls surviving on the meager earnings of a bootmaker and a laundress.
The Devoted Son: Patrick never married. His life was centered on the care of his mother, Elizabeth. Even as he marched toward battle, he remained her provider, sending home his soldier’s pay in careful installments of $25 and $30 to ensure she was not left destitute.
The Peninsula Campaign: Hanover Court House
Patrick enlisted on May 11, 1861. After months of garrison duty and the Siege of Yorktown, the "Kerrigan Rangers" were thrust into their first true test of fire.
The Battle: On May 27, 1862, at Hanover Court House,
On May 27, 1862, the 25th New York was engaged at the Battle of Hanover Court House. This appears to be the first battle that Company F participated in. It was a bloodbath. The regiment brought 349 men into the fight. They lost 158 killed, wounded, or missing in action—nearly half the regiment. Colonel Kerrigan was severely wounded. Patrick Burns was among the wounded.
The Final Sacrifice: Patrick was struck down during the fighting. He was carried to a field hospital at Gaines' Mill, where he struggled for six days before succumbing to his wounds on June 2, 1862.
The Last Words: Just weeks before his death, Patrick sent a hurried note to his mother, promising to write later with "all the particulars." It was a promise he would never have the chance to keep.
The Mother’s Claim: Elizabeth Burns
Left alone in her late sixties at 31 Charles Street, Elizabeth faced the daunting task of proving her dependence on her fallen son. Without Patrick’s wages, her estate of $40 would not last long.
The Evidence of Love: To secure her pension, Elizabeth submitted Patrick’s final letters to the War Department—tangible proof that her son had supported her from the front lines.
A Community of Leitrim: Her claim was supported by a circle of fellow immigrants from Kiltubbrid, including Elizabeth Branigan and Mary McInerny, who stood as witnesses to her long history and the loss of her only son.
A Mother's Pension
Elizabeth Burns applied for a mother's pension on August 15, 1862—just over two months after Patrick's death. She was sixty-nine years old and living at 31 Charles Street, New York. She signed the mother's pension declaration form with an X—she could not read or write.
The Witnesses
Elizabeth brought two witnesses with her: Elizabeth Branigan and Mary McInerny, both from Kiltubbrid. They had known Elizabeth and James Burns "for years" before they married—women who remembered when James and Elizabeth were young, before they left Ireland, before James died and left Elizabeth to raise Patrick alone.
Two more men provided sworn affidavits: Charles Rock of 23 West 10th Street, who had known Elizabeth for fifteen years, and Philip Maas of 29 West 10th Street, who had known her for twelve years.
The Award: Though she signed her declaration with a simple "X," her plea was heard. In 1864, she was granted a pension of $8 per month, backdated to the day Patrick died—a small, late consolation for the life of a son who had given everything for her.
Service & Family Timeline
Date Event Detail
c. 1827 Birth County Leitrim, Ireland
Apr 1846 Naturalization Applied for citizenship in New York
May 11, 1861 Enlistment 25th New York Infantry (Kerrigan Rangers)
May 5, 1862 Final Support Sent $30 home to his mother
May 27, 1862 Wounded Battle of Hanover Court House, VA
June 2, 1862 Deceased Died of wounds at Gaines' Mill, VA
