Colonel Thomas Cass was born in Queens County, Ireland and then moved to Boston when he was nine months old. While in Boston he married, owned vessels that traded in the Azores Islands, had a share in a towboat company, led the Columbian Artillery, and most notable was the leader of the Ninth Regiment. The Ninth, also known as the Fighting Ninth, was an all-Irish, volunteer regiment during the Civil War.

During the initial phase of the Civil War, Governor Andrews fought for an all-Irish regiment and was able to create a regiment which served for three years. After forming, the regiment performed drills without uniforms or weapons in vacant buildings across Boston. Unfortunately, this affected the morale of the troops. The city marched them to Faneuil Hall to perform their drill together in an attempt to increase morale. After this, the regiment traveled to Long Island in Boston Harbor to finish their training, this time with new .69 caliber muskets. When returning to Boston to receive their flag, a large crowd greeted the regiment with cheers. To show their appreciation, that Fourth of July, the city of Boston raised the Irish flag in Boston Common with the flags of other nations. This was the first time Boston recognized the Irish flag.

The regiment was involved in multiple major battles. Some battles included Yorktown, Gaines Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and many others. Malvern Hill, was the battle in which Colonel Thomas Cass lost his life leading his regiment bravely into battle. Shortly after his death, the city of Boston erected a monument in his honor. This monument was taken down after Boston’s Mayor Josiah Quincy received too much criticism. The new statue is a bronze and granite completed in 1899 by artist Richard Edwin Brooks. At the unveiling of the statue, both Cass’ son and daughter were present. 

By: Jessica McKenzie

Credits and Sources:

Boston Art Commission. “Colonel Thomas Cass.” Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture. Accessed September 13, 2016.  http://www.publicartboston.com/content/colonel-thomas-cass

Bowen, James Lorenzo. Massachusetts in the War, 1861-1865. Springfield, MA: Clark W. Bryan & Co., 1817. 

“In Honor of Colonel Cass.” Boston Evening Transcript. September 23, 1899. Accessed September 13, 2016. https://news.google.com/newspapers nid=2249&dat=18990923&id=oj9fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1QNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6468,2469151&hl=en

O’Connor, Thomas H. The Hub: Boston Past and Present.Boston, MA: Northeastern University  Press, 2001.

O’Connor, Thomas H. Civil War Boston: Home Front and Battlefield. Boston, MA: eBook Academic Collection, 2014.