Sons of Leitrim
Rooney
Michael
Soldier Profile: Michael Rooney
Co. K, 132nd New York Volunteer Infantry
Michael served in a regiment that drew many of its recruits from the working-class Irish of New York and Hornellsville. His service was characterized by the grueling defense of Union outposts in the South, where the cost of a missed step was often the grim reality of the prisoner-of-war pen.
From Rossinver to Manhattan
Born: December 31, 1825, in Rossinver, County Leitrim.
The Rossinver Roots: The Rooneys were well-established in Rossinver. Griffith's Valuation (1847–1864) shows Timothy, Patrick, Edward, Bridget, Thomas, and John Rooney all leasing houses and lands or offices and lands in the area.
The Crossing: On January 14, 1849, Michael married Anne Clinton in Rossinver. Shortly after the birth of their first son, Thomas, the couple fled the lingering devastation of the Famine. They arrived in New York between 1849 and 1853, settling near the Jesuit parish of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan.
Children: Three children survived:
Thomas, born November 14, 1849 (possibly in Ireland)James, born July 27, 1853, baptized August 2, 1853, at St. Francis Xavier Church, New YorkMary, born March 22, 1858, baptized March 28, 1858, at St. Francis Xavier Church, New York
Military Service
Michael enlisted in the Union Army on August 4, 1862, in Hornellsville, New York. His enlistment record describes a man of average height: five feet six and a half inches tall, with grey eyes, black hair, and a dark complexion. He was mustered into the 132nd New York Infantry Regiment.
The regiment left Washington for Norfolk and then Suffolk in Oct 1862. They were ordered to New Bern in Dec 1862 where they spent most of their time doing garrison and outpost duty.
The Battle of New Bern and the Bridge at Bachelor’s Creek.
The Disaster at Bachelor's Creek: On February 1, 1864, the 132nd New York was tasked with holding the line against a massive Confederate assault intended to retake New Bern, North Carolina. The confederates were commanded by General George Pickett. In a desperate fight to hold the bridge over the Neuse River, the regiment was overwhelmed.
Missing in Action: While Michael’s unit lost ninety-one men that day, Michael did not fall on the field. He was one of 364 Union soldiers captured by Confederate forces, becoming one of the "Missing" in the aftermath of the battle.
The Tragedy of 1863–1864
While Michael was in the field, his family in New York was already suffering. In a cruel twist of fate, Michael would never know that he had been widowed while he was away at war.
Loss at Home: On November 27, 1863, Anne Rooney died from consumption at only thirty-six years of age. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery, leaving their three children—Thomas, James, and Mary—orphaned in all but name while their father was a prisoner.
Andersonville: Michael was transported to the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Under conditions of extreme overcrowding, starvation, and exposure, Michael’s health broke.
Final Muster: Michael Rooney died in the prison pen on September 18, 1864. The official cause was listed as scorbutus (scurvy)—the hallmark of the systemic starvation that claimed thousands of Union prisoners in the Georgia heat.
The Legacy of the Orphans
With both parents dead, the three Rooney children were left to the care of their uncle, James Rooney. The struggle to secure their future required a long battle with the Pension Bureau to prove their parents' marriage and their own identities.
Guardianship: James Rooney was granted legal guardianship on August 12, 1865. Without a formal marriage certificate from Rossinver at hand, he relied on affidavits from friends like James Hart and Margaret McClelland to satisfy the government.
The Minor’s Pension: On July 18, 1866, Thomas, James, and Mary were finally approved for a pension of $2 each per month, backdated to the day their father died in Andersonville. It was a modest sum to compensate for the loss of a father who had given his life for a country he had only called home for a decade.
Service & Family Timeline
Date Event Detail
Jan 14, 1849 Marriage Rossinver, Co. Leitrim
Aug 4, 1862 Enlistment Hornellsville, NY
Nov 27, 1863 Death of Anne Consumption; buried in Calvary Cemetery
Feb 1, 1864 Captured Battle of Bachelor's Creek, NC
Sept 18, 1864 Deceased Andersonville Prison, GA (Scurvy)
July 18, 1866 Pension Granted To his orphaned children
