Jeremiah Collins: Civil War Drummer Boy
In Pilates class, the week of July 4th our instructor asked and thanked anyone who had been in the service. She then asked if anyone had family in the military. A number of people shared they had service members. Then I heard our instructor repeat this: “Your great-grandfather was a drummer boy in the Civil War?” This I had to know.
It turns out Anne Marie Moebes’ great grandfather Jeremiah Collins was indeed IN the Civil War in 1862 and WAS a drummer boy. Listen to our StoryCorps interview here: https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/jeremiah-collins-civil-war-drummer-boy/
As Anne Marie shares, “This is a story about an Irish family who immigrated to the US from Ireland and whose one child served for over 4 years in the civil war and then went on to have children who become somewhat prominent legal and political figures. Their story of love, faith and service continues with my generation and the next.”
Below is a copy of Jeremiah's mustering papers.
Anne Marie’s mother Adelaide Francis kept the story of her grandfather alive by telling her children stories about him for all of her 99 years. Vinnie, Anne Marie’s brother, a historian, researched the stories that started with Jeremiah Collins. He and his wife Susan went to Ireland and retrieved birth certificates and went to New York for additional research. Vinnie took their mom to visit Gettysburg to view a plaque with Jeremiah's name on it.
Anne Marie's mother and father with their firstborn Adelaide Frances ( the 4th) born August 17, 1946 pictured at her grandparents Adelaide and Thomas Costigan's backyard.
Jeremiah Collins was born outside of Paris. His parents traveled through Francie to get to the US. He arrived in the US at 2 years of age and entered the civil war at 15 and a half in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was the youngest member, a drummer boy of the Dutchess county regiment that fought at many sites including Gettysburg where his name is on a plaque. He married Adelaide Francis and they had 11 children-only 5 survived. Anne Marie’s grandmother Adelaide Frances (Collins) Costigan was his youngest and she had two children, her mother Adelaide Frances (Costigan) and Mary Stader (Costigan). Anne Marie is the youngest daughter and the fifth child of her six siblings.
Leaving home at 15, after working as newspaper boy on the trains, Jeremiah enlisted one month before his 16th birthday. His regimen marched to the Carolina’s to Pennsylvania, representing the Union-making the United States what it is today. Jeremiah was a drummer boy for four years.
He was invested in his community; Jeremiah was a leader, who believed in what was right and what was wrong Passing these principles of life to his children and creating a legacy of how to treat people.
Pictured here are Jeremiah's children and their children and grandchildren. Three generations of family.
It was an honor to listen to Jeremiah’s story.
Thank you to Anne Marie and her family for preserving and sharing this story. Thank you for your service.
Thank you StoryCorps.
Expect Good. Defy Gravity. Sparkle ON! Ask questions and share your history.
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