Farrell

Soldier Profile: Cornelius Farrell

Co. B, 25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

Cornelius Farrell was a long-serving soldier who fought through some of the war’s most grueling campaigns. His service was defined by his loyalty—choosing to re-enlist for a second term—which ultimately led to his capture and death in the South's most deadly prison camp.

Early Life and Family

• Residence: Before the war, Cornelius lived and worked in Milford, Massachusetts, a major center for the boot and shoe industry that employed many Irish immigrants.

• Family: He was married to Mary Farrell, who remained in Milford during his long years of service.

Military Service: A "Veteran Volunteer"

Cornelius was among the early wave of volunteers, enlisting for a three-year term on September 12, 1861.

• Initial Service: He was mustered into Company E of the 25th Massachusetts Infantry (noted in records as the 25th, which served at Drewry's Bluff). On October 7, 1861, he was transferred to Company B.

• Re-enlistment: After his initial term expired, Cornelius demonstrated his commitment by re-enlisting as a "Veteran Volunteer" on January 2, 1864. This was a fateful decision that entitled him to a bounty and a furlough home, but returned him to the front for the war's bloodiest year.

Capture and the Road to Andersonville

In May 1864, during the "Bernside" Expedition/Butler's operations against Richmond, Cornelius’s luck ran out.

• Captured at Drewry’s Bluff: On May 16, 1864, during a heavy fog and a fierce Confederate counterattack, Cornelius was taken prisoner.

• Richmond Prisons: He was initially held in the tobacco warehouses of Richmond until May 23, 1864.

• Andersonville: From Richmond, he was sent to the infamous Camp Sumter (Andersonville) in Georgia. This open-air stockade was severely overcrowded, lacking clean water, food, and medical supplies.

Final Sacrifice

Cornelius survived the horrors of Andersonville for nine months—an incredible feat of endurance. However, he finally succumbed to the conditions just months before the war ended.

• Death: He died as a Prisoner of War on February 23, 1865.

• "Cornelius survived the horrors of Andersonville for nine months—an incredible feat of endurance given that the average life expectancy in the camp was often measured in weeks. However, the systematic starvation of the prisoners eventually took its toll. Official records list his cause of death as Scorbutus (Scurvy). He passed away on February 23, 1865, just two months before the camp was liberated. He remains there today, resting in Grave 12,698 of the Andersonville National Cemetery."

• The Pension Mystery: His wife, Mary, applied for her widow's pension on February 9, 1865. The fact that she applied two weeks before his recorded death date suggests she may have received word through a paroled prisoner that he had already passed, or that he was so ill he was not expected to survive.

• Record-Keeping Lag: The Confederate surgeons often fell days or weeks behind in recording deaths during the chaotic final months of the war.

Service Timeline

Date Event Location

Sept 12, 1861 Enlisted for 3 Years Milford/Worcester, MA

Jan 2, 1864 Re-enlisted as a Veteran Virginia

May 16, 1864 Captured in Battle Drewry's Bluff, VA

May 23, 1864 Transferred to Georgia Richmond, VA

Feb 23, 1865 Died in Captivity Andersonville, GA

Burial Detail: Andersonville National Cemetery

Cornelius Farrell is buried in the Andersonville National Cemetery. Unlike many battlefields, the graves at Andersonville are well-documented thanks to the secret records kept by prisoner Dorence Atwater. Cornelius rests in Grave 12698.