Last month Captain Patrick McGraw of Company K, 33rd New York Volunteers had a brother killed during fighting in Louisiana. This month the Thirty-third fought its most costly battle during Chancellorsville – a few weeks before it was scheduled to be mustered out of the army. Captain McGraw had to report the sorrowful news to (presumably) his parish priest.
where Company K “suffered more severely than ever before”
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1863:
Letter from Captain McGraw.
We are permitted to publish the following letter from Capt. MCGRAW to Rev. E. MCGOWAN, of this village, giving a list of the killed, wounded and missing in his Company:
CAMP IN THE FIELD,
May 9, 2863 [sic],
MOST REVEREND AND DEAR SIR: – I beg leave to inform you that we have again been engaged with the enemy, during which our Regiment and Company suffered more severely than ever before. I will send you a list of the killed, wounded and missing of my company, (K) for the information of all concerned. We have not had much time to write our friends, and I trust you will acquaint our relatives and friends of the casualties in Co. K. the result is sorrowful enough, and I am sorely grieved at the loss of some of our best men. But we all know that it is the fate of war.
I have but two sergeants, two Corporals, and nineteen men left in the Company. Ours is not the only Company, however, that suffered so severely. The 33d, at last accounts had lost in killed, wounded and missing, 224.
The thought of soon coming home and seeing our relatives and friends, keeps up good cheer and courage among the men, and this is all the hope and cheer that is left us. The following are the casualties in Company K;
Killed – Michael Carroll, Bernerd [sic] Smith.
Wounded – Lieut. B. Byrne, Sergeant M. O’Brian, Corp. H. McParland, John McGuire.
Missing – Sergt, James Curran, Sergt. W. Robinson, – Cunninghom [sic], Wm. Hunt, P. McCredden, P. Markey, Daniel McGraw, Patrick welch.
Very respectfully yours,
PATRICK MCGRAW
The following was published in a Seneca County, New York newspaper sometime in 1863 and provides a bit more information about Father McGowan:
Baptism of a New Bell.
By reference to an advertisement in to-day’s paper, it will be seen that the new bell recently purchased by the Catholic Society of this village, will be baptized on Sunday next. This is a novel ceremony and will doubtless be witnessed by a great number of our citizens. the Catholic Society have enlarged their church during the past summer, adding to it a beautiful spire, in which has been placed a very fine new bell. the enlargement of the church is due to the efforts of the Rev. Father McGowan, who has officiated so acceptably to the church for the past two years.
