Born in Cloncrane, Clonbullogue, Edward Ging was just 14 years old when he enlisted in the Union Army in New York on 1 December 1861.

After emigrating to the United States with his family in 1852, Edward reportedly lied about his age and was accepted into Company C of the 12th New York Infantry Regiment.

Contemporary newspaper reports later claimed his “unusual size” helped him pass as older.

At just 15 years old, Edward took part in the Siege of Yorktown before later fighting at Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and the Battle of the Wilderness.

Newspaper reports from later in his life also stated that he came through the war “without a scratch”.

Following the war, Edward resumed working in the fishing business before later becoming a hotel and saloon owner in Greenport, Long Island. He married Alice Burns in 1871, and together they had 13 children.

Edward passed away in October 1924 and was laid to rest in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Suffolk County, New York, leaving behind an extraordinary story that began in rural Clonbullogue and took him to some of the most famous battlefields in American history.

This story is featured on Americas Offaly Heroes, a database built on years of research by Kevin Guing and Danny Leavy, documenting Offaly’s connection to the American Civil War and the stories of local people who served overseas.

The database allows you to search by name, townland or conflict and discover the remarkable stories of Offaly people who helped shape history abroad.

Full story of Edward’s journey can be found at: https://americasoffalyheroes.com/…/edward-ging-1847…/

Explore the project at: https://americasoffalyheroes.com 

The story, research and historical images featured in this post are courtesy of Kevin Guing.