Seaman Patrick Callighan, Late of the USS Potomac
(My Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather)
As it turns out my family has a personal connection to Andersonville. According to my family's oral history my Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, Patrick Callighan, was a prisoner of war at Andersonville. He emigrated from Ireland to Boston and was unable to find work until he joined the U.S. Navy. He was a seaman on board the USS Potomac, and was captured while his ship was conducting blockade operations in Mobile Bay. His discharge papers (pictured to the left) make note of his time as a prisoner, although this cannot be seen in the photograph and must be viewed under a magnifying glass.
According to my family's account, after the war, he was returned to New York where he was discharged and then made his way back to Boston. There he found work, paid for his wife and family to come to the United States. My Great-Grandmother's maiden name was Anna Callaghan (spelled with an "a"). It is from Patrick Callighan that I get my Boston Irish roots.