Sons of Leitrim
Cannon
James
Soldier Profile: James Cannon
Co. K, 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
James served in the 28th Massachusetts, a regiment that would become a cornerstone of the Irish Brigade. His war was not one of sweeping Virginia plains, but of coastal islands, transport steamers, and the unforgiving marshes of the Deep South.
From Leitrim to the Boot Shops of Milford
Born: Circa 1843 in County Leitrim.
A Family of Tradesmen: By 1860, the Cannons were established in Milford, Massachusetts, a town built on the shoe and boot industry. James lived in a bustling household where his father, John, and his older brothers all worked in the trade—"siders," "crimpers," and "bootmakers" who turned raw hide into the footwear of a nation.
The 1860 Census: A Bootmaker's Family
Father: John Cannon, 60, bootmakerMother: Mary Cannon, 45Brother: Richard, 25, sider (likely a boot/shoe trade term)Brother: William, 22, crimper (a specialized boot/shoe worker)Brother: Edmond, 20, siderSister: Mary, 17James: 16Brother: Thomas, 13
James grew up in this world, learning the trade that would be listed on his military enlistment papers
The Teen Soldier: When James walked into the recruitment office on October 1, 1861, he was just Eighteen years old. Standing 5 feet 5 inches tall with blue eyes and dark hair, he was one of two men named James Cannon to join Company K—a coincidence that would leave a trail of bureaucratic confusion for years to come.
The Campaign for the Coast: 1862
While the second James Cannon would later fall at Gettysburg, our James was sent south. In February 1862, he sailed aboard the steamer Erickson, bound for the salt air of Hilton Head.
The Island War: Throughout the spring of 1862, James and Company K moved through the treacherous terrain of Daufuskie, Jones, and Tybee Islands, preparing for the assault on the defenses of Charleston.
The Bog of Secessionville:
On June 16, 1862, the regiment, along with the 7th Connecticut, launched an ill-fated frontal assault through an impassable bog. Both regiments became mired in the marsh—struggling through mud and water while Confederate muskets and artillery tore into their ranks. They were sitting targets, unable to advance or retreat quickly, caught in the open with no cover. The 28th Massachusetts suffered 67 casualties. James Cannon was wounded during this operation—almost certainly while his regiment was trapped in that deadly bog.
Wounded in Action: It was in this mud-choked slaughter that James was wounded. The regiment suffered 67 casualties in the assault, many of them men who could not move fast enough through the mire to escape the leaden hail.
The Convalescent's Return
The wound James received on James Island ended his career as a combat soldier. The boy who had left the boot shop ten months earlier spent the remainder of his service in the sterile wards of military hospitals.
Hospitalization: James was treated at Hilton Head and later moved through various convalescent camps, his youth likely struggling against the slow process of healing in the damp climate of the coast.
Discharge: He was finally mustered out of the service from a convalescent camp on March 30, 1863.
The Pension Claim: Recognizing that his injuries had left him unfit for the heavy labor of the Milford shoe factories, James applied for an Invalid Pension on April 3, 1863, just days after his discharge.
Final Muster
After 1863, James Cannon fades from the military record. He returned to civilian life as a young man of twenty, carrying the invisible and visible scars of the South Carolina bogs. Like many veterans of the early war, his later years remain a mystery, the story of a Leitrim boy who gave his health to the Union before he had even reached manhood.
Service & Family Timeline
Date Event Detail
c. 1843 Birth County Leitrim, Ireland
1860 Residence Milford, MA (Living with family of bootmakers)
Oct 1, 1861 Enlistment 28th Massachusetts Infantry, Co. K
June 16, 1862 Wounded Battle of Secessionville, James Island, SC
Mar 30, 1863 Discharge Disability from Convalescent Camp
Apr 3, 1863 Pension Filed for Invalid Pension
