Kane

Soldier Profile: Owen Kane

Co. H, 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

Owen was a "tinsmith" by trade, standing five feet six inches tall with light hair and light eyes. When he joined the 28th Massachusetts in early 1862, he was joining a unit that would become the backbone of the Union’s Irish Brigade, carrying their famous green flags into the heart of the rebellion.

Early Life and Emigration

• Born: Circa 1839 in County Leitrim, Ireland.

• Settling in Boston: By 1860, Owen was living in Roxbury, Massachusetts (Ward 3). Like many young immigrants of the time, he was working as a laborer to establish himself in his new country before turning to his trade as a tinsmith.

Military Service: The Irish Brigade

Owen enlisted in Boston on January 16, 1862, for a three-year term.

• Early Detail: After a brief stint at Fort Columbus in New York, Owen was detailed to the Hilton Head expedition in South Carolina. During May and June of 1862, he was tasked with caring for the sick and wounded at the Union base at Fort Walker, gaining a grim preview of the medical toll of the war.

• The "Bloody 28th": Owen returned to his regiment just as it joined the Army of the Potomac for the most intense campaigns of the Eastern Theater.

The Slaughter at Fredericksburg

On December 13, 1862, the Irish Brigade was ordered to attack the Confederate positions behind a stone wall on Marye's Heights. It was one of the most disastrous charges in American military history.

In the chaos of the charge, Company H was positioned in the center-right of the regimental line. As the Irish Brigade cleared the city of Fredericksburg and emerged onto the open plain, they were hit by concentrated artillery and musket fire from the Sunken Road.

The fact that Owen Kane survived a "serious" leg wound is statistically remarkable. At Fredericksburg, many men with leg wounds were left on the freezing field overnight, often succumbing to shock or cold before they could be reached by stretcher-bearers. Owen’s move to the Portsmouth Grove Hospital likely saved his life, as it was a specialized facility designed for long-term recovery and rehabilitation.

The Legend of the Sprig of Boxwood

Before the charge, the men of the 28th Massachusetts (including Owen) noticed they didn't have their green regimental flags, which had been sent back to New York to be replaced. To show their Irish identity, General Meagher ordered the men to place sprigs of boxwood in their caps.

• The Injury: As the Irishmen charged across the open field under a "sheet of fire," Owen was struck. His casualty sheet records a "Seriously Wounded Leg."

• Portsmouth Grove: He was transported to Washington and eventually to the Portsmouth Grove Hospital. The wound was severe enough that Owen would never return to active combat duty.

The Invalid Corps and Citizenship

Because Owen was still determined to serve despite his disability, he was transferred to the Invalid Corps (later known as the Veteran Reserve Corps) on September 17, 1863. This allowed partially disabled veterans to perform light guard and provost duties, freeing able-bodied men for the front.

• A New Citizen: Owen survived the war and stayed in the country he had bled for. On March 13, 1867, he officially became a United States Citizen, finally securing the legal rights he had defended on the battlefield.

Service Timeline

Date Event Location / Detail

Jan 16, 1862 Enlisted for 3 Years Boston, MA

May–June 1862 Medical Detail Hilton Head, SC

Dec 13, 1862 Wounded in Action Fredericksburg, VA

Sept 17, 1863 Transferred to Invalid Corps Washington, D.C.

Mar 13, 1867 Granted U.S. Citizenship Massachusetts

Regimental Descriptive Book: Owen Kane

• Complexion: Fair

• Eyes: Light

• Hair: Light

• Height: 5' 6½"

• Birthplace: Leitrim, Ireland