Himself:: A Civil War Soldier’s Battles with Rebels, Brits and Devils, an historic novel

by William J. Donohue

Follow the lives of John and Patrick Donohue as they grow up in the Old First Ward in Buffalo, New York during the mid-1800s. Orphaned as children, they are sent to live with their grandmother. While John finds work and helps support the family, Patrick becomes involved with a gang and runs wild. When the Civil War breaks out, the brothers join the Union army. Follow them through the deadly battles of Grant’s Virginia campaign to Appomattox, the difficulties they face holding jobs once the war is over, their relationships with wives, children, and one another, and Patrick’s lifelong battle with the bottle. A compelling tale of two Irish Catholic men, sons of immigrants, during a tumultuous period in our nation’s rich history.

319 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2014

Reviews

[Kathy Maggiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I had met the author in Buffalo and I enjoyed hearing about how he researched his great grandfather and uncle. I also have always been interested in the Civil War time period considering I have ancestors that fought on both sides. My uncle is very into genealogy and I wish he would write a book like this. I'm thinking the author referred to his book as historical fiction but it read more like a biography or memoir to me but naturally he couldn't interview his great-grandfather so I guess it's historical fiction.
I must admit as I was first reading this book I was very judgmental towards Pat Donohue, the main character. I was appalled by some of his actions , such as leading a group of men/boys when he was 15 to attack Negro workers with blackthorn or length of pipe after they worked an 11 hour day and were unarmed. When he was younger and broke into train cars, between those to events alone I viewed him as a common thief and aggressive hateful person that deserved jail or worse. His big brother John was just so much more responsible and seemed to have a better understanding of right and wrong. Pat had an awful temper and was worse when drinking that began at only 12 years old. As I kept reading, again judgmental me, I kept thinking if perhaps these stupid people would stop spending all their money at Kennedy's bar then maybe they would have enough money or I'd think how can he always be drinking yet not have money for food. However, the more I read , the more I understand that I haven't a clue the type of life he was born into. Not to give him excuses but to lose his parents at such a young age must have been a traumatic experience. Both boys loved their grandmother so much and couldn't wait to be old enough to help contribute to the household but what an awful cycle that happens to families when young boys (or girls) don't continue their education so they take laborer jobs to earn money yet then they can never advance beyond that because they don't have the education and then have trouble supporting their children who in turn do the same thing. I understand their anger towards the African Americans that took their jobs but as John said, "They need to feed their families too." I'm more upset that these companies paid them so little and then forced them to spend a portion of their wages in the bars. These poor people were becoming alcoholics and on the other hand the workers felt these times at the bar were the only joy they knew for the day after such grueling days. This book makes me think about current situations with people that are "poor" and what skills or jobs are out there for them to better themselves. This seems to be a classic problem that repeats throughout history.
Pat is patriotic and does serve our country well as a soldier but even during this time he goofs off at times, gets drunk often and ironically falls in love with an ex-slave and abandons her pregnant. I do believe he had a good heart and truly loved Annabelle and later Mary and Millicent, not to mention he loved his grandmother and children.
If you are a fan of the Civil War and would like to follow the battles from the perspective of a solider then this book will read like a baseball game over a radio at times with it's play by play move of the troops and their battles and thoughts about their commanders.
I hope that it's true that Pat drove with Millicent to Virginia and found his daughter because that was a loose string that I kept wondering about after the war ended. Pat had so many people that cared about him and he had so many 2nd chances. I liked that he finally quit drinking and helped others to do the same. I can't imagine all the pain he endured loosing 2 children, his parents, his wife, Annabelle, his nieces and nephews and so many friends and soldiers but I'm glad he made peace with his family. Pat Donohue was really a remarkable man and I think I'll think differently about people because of this book.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a local memoir of the ancestors of the author before, during and after the Civil War. It is about the Irish in Buffalo and their struggles and failures and occasional successes. It is great history, local interest and has many intereseting facts and revelations included in it. Times were hard and people were hard and they are the ones that came before us. Good book.