Portland's Irish Served In The Civil War

The Knights of Columbus Museum, at 1 State St in New Haven has an exhibit marking the 150th anniversary of the civil War. “Answering the Call” (now—Sept 20), There’s a history of the:
9th CT, a volunteer infantry regiment whose members are predominantly of Irish ancestry.

A large number of Irish Catholics worked in the quarries in Portland. It soon became apparent that the larger quarters were needed due to the expansion of the stone quarries and resulting in an increase in workers who were largely Catholic. Rev. John Brady began a search for suitable land on which to build a church.

With the more affluent Catholics living in Middletown and some in Cromwell, it was in this area that Fr. Brady sought a church site. It was St. John’s Church in Middletown.

The 9th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was established in September 1861 as an Irish regiment, composed mainly of soldiers born in Ireland or first generation Irish Americans. The regiment saw action in number major battles, particularly in the Western Theater.
For More info: Call 203-865-0400 or visit: http://www.kofcmuseum.org/

To learn more about Ct. in the Civil War, visit: http://www.thecommunityservice.org/cw15.html

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