Father Peter Paul CooneyBorn: County Roscommon, Ireland 1832
Died: May 7, 1905 at Notre Dame University
Settled in Monroe, MI in 1836 with his family
Ordained as a Priest: June 29, 1859
Congregation of Holy Cross Notre Dame University
Was a known speaker of Gaelic
Was a Close Friend of General Rosecrans
On the Eve of anticipated battles, Father Cooney would spend the entire night listening to confession of soldiers.
The confessional was made up of stacks of arms with tree limbs placed between each stack and covered with blankets.
Augustus G. Tassin
Was of Belgian Catholic Stock from Leopold, Perry County, IN
February 1, 1865 became the Colonel of the 35th Indiana
July 28, 1866 was appointed Captain of the 12th U.S. Infantry
Died: October 19, 1893, while serving as acting Indian Agent at the Colorado River Agency, Arizona
The Tassin family immigrated from Belgian in the early 1800’s
Martin Igoe
35th Indiana Quartermaster
AKA: Big Rations
Was very cleaver and witty when dealing with red tape and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Martin Igoe was
also known as the Regimental Prankster
Martin Igoe did prospecting after the war and retired to the soldiers home in Dayton, OH where he died and is buried.
Igoe clearly had a horror of the regulations and neglected his monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. The
eccentric Quartermaster considered all such reports as "a piece of magnificent tomfoolery." Eventually, the Quartermaster
General’s office in Washington D.C., questioned the lack of reports. In response, Igoe instantly gathered the receipts,
vouchers, and other papers and put them in a keg for shipment to his superiors in our nation’s capital. Honestly and
respectfully, Igoe wrote an accompanying note suggesting that clerks in their department had more time and knowledge than
he had:
They could assort and arrange the papers to suit themselves,
… if they could make anything out of them,
it was more than I could do myself.
The Quartermaster Generals office did not find Igoes letter so amusing. A letter was soon sent to Igoe stating
that all paperwork needed to be filed properly or he would be sent for. Igoe responded by a polite letterHeadquarters
Irish Regiment
Quartermaster’s Department
Dear Sir:- Your kind and friendly note of the – inst. Is before me. I regret exceedingly you can not make
anything out of the keg-full of papers forwarded some two months ago. In order to facilitate the solution of the difficulty,
I take great pleasure in sending another box full. I have long contemplated a visit to the capital of this mighty nation;
but my finances being in such a dilapidated condition, I have been forced to forego that pleasure. I will be pleased to make
a visit to your, I am told, delightful city, under the auspices, and at the expense, of our much afflicted Government. Accept
the assurance of my most distinguished consideration.
M. Igoe,
Liet. & A.Q.M.
Igoe did eventually fulfill Washington’s directive without the threatened trip.
John Crawford Walker
First Colonel of the 35th Indiana Infantry being placed in that position on Aug. 28, 1861
Was of Scots-Irish stock and a die hard Democrat. Was a political rival of Oliver Morton
Was born on February 11, 1828 in Shelbyville, IN
Always at odds with many of his officers and wanted promotion for the men who supported him. A good example of
Walkers dislike of some of his officers was the promotion of Major John E. Balfe to Lt. Colonel by Governor Morton. On March
29, 1862, from Camp Andy Johnson in Tennessee, Balfe wrote the following note to Governor Morton.
I do not like to trouble you with a letter, but must thank you for my promotion. Col. Walker kept my commission
for ten days without giving it to me and then when handing it to me he requested me not to raise it. The next morning he placed
me under arrest. In the spirit of the moment I resigned. But on mature consideration … I withdrew my resignation and
determined to hold on to my commission and fight them out.
The persecution of Balfe continued for nearly two weeks when finally Balfe wrote Governor Morton stating his resignation
as Lt. Colonel. Walker was disappointed that Governor Morton would not promote Captain John Hughes to Lt. Colonel and stated
that if he could not have a Lt. Colonel of his choosing, he would not have a Lt. Colonel at all.
This changed on May 22, 1862 when Adjutant General Laz Noble issued two general orders consolidating the
61st Indiana with 200 men into the 35th Indiana Infantry. On June 18, 1862, Colonel Bernard F. Mullen
presented his men to Colonel Walker as well as himself to be placed into the command structure as Lt. Colonel. Colonel Walker
responded to Mullen asking by what authority from the Governor and Secretary of War did he bring his men. This began the downfall
of Colonel Walker as Regimental commander of the 35th Indiana. The letters that were written between Morton, Walker
and Mullen became so distressing that on July 15, 1862, Gen. Halleck telegraphed Gov. Morton from Corinth, Mississippi, in
a brief reply:
I have ordered the arrest of Col. Walker and will have charges
Investigated. Send me the facts and proof..
The proof that Halleck was looking for on the insubordination of Walker came from many sources including General
Negley. In the meantime, Walker became sick with Typhoid Fever and was ordered back to Indiana for recuperation. Many popular
names were in many letters. Those names include Buell, Grant and Stanton. Walker never saw command of the 35th
again. One last letter was written by Walker but was ignored. This letter was to Abraham Lincoln President of the United States.
John C. Walker became part of a secret organization known as the Sons of Liberty. A major plot was uncovered in
which men in this secret organization were to free all the prisoners at Camp Morton and seize the armory in Indianapolis.
The plan failed and revolvers were found to have been purchased by John C. Walker. Walker fled to Canada and eventually ended
up in England. He returned to Indiana in 1872 after tempers cooled and he lived in Shelbyville until his death in 1883.
Bernard F. Mullen
2nd Colonel of the 35th Indiana Infantry. Was the original Colonel of the 61st
Indiana which was to be the 2nd Irish Regiment. He failed to muster enough men to maintain this organization. All
men of the 61st were then mustered into the rolls of the 35th Indiana.
Mullen was born on March 4, 1825 in Manayunk, Pennsylvania. In the late 1830’s he moved with his family to
Napoleon in Ripley County, IN. Mullen’s father was an immigrant from Ireland and his mother was from Scotland.
Bernard F. Mullen was a Veteran of the Mexican War. He served as assistant surgeon under Col. James H. Lane’s
3rd Indiana Volunteer infantry.
In November of 1861, Mullen was accepting new recruits for the 61st Indiana at Madison, IN. These troops
were issued uniforms that included coats with green trim. The 61st got it’s first orders on February 24 to
proceed to Terre Haute, IN to guard Rebel prisoners that were captured at Ft. Donelson.
After the consolidation of the 35th and 61st Indiana’s. Mullen became active Colonel
of the 35th Indiana on August 7, 1862. Mullen served in many battles including Perryville and Stones River. He
was placed in charge of the defenses around Madison, IN during John H. Morgan’s raid into Southern Indiana and Ohio.
Bernard F. Mullen was a known Fenian belonging to the Wolf Tone Flame Circle of the brotherhood from Indiana. Mullen
as belonged to the Fenian Congress and took part in planning of the raids into Canada in 1866.
John P. Dufficy
Major of the 35th Indiana Infantry
Lead the 35th Indiana Infantry in place of the Colonel and Lt. Colonel who were placed on the Injured
list.
Captured at the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee and later released
Known in many after action reports for his bravery and courage under Fire.
Lead the 35th Indiana at Chickamauga and during the Atlanta Campaign. Was killed at Kennesaw Mountain
in 1864 during a hand too hand conflict with the enemy.
Was also a known Fenian. Sent a letter of recommendation to the 1863 Fenian Convention for the nomination of one
of the 35th members.
