Remember Them - November/December 2001

Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was born on 16 March 1828, and was the second son of Doctor Joseph and Mary Anne Cleburne of Bride's Park Cottage, County Cork, Ireland. The family, having roots in the landowning class, enjoyed a comparatively privileged position in the Irish society of the day where Dr Cleburne, in addition to his practice, was also contract surgeon at the army barracks and Royal Gunpowder Mill in Ballineollig.

Dr Cleburne died in November 1843, leaving his orphaned children in fairly sound financial conditions. In 1844 Patrick, then 16, became an apprentice Assistant Surgeon to a physician at Mallow. It was not the profession of his choice, but as medicine was the family profession, the boy fell in with his late father's wishes. In February 1846 Patrick arrived in Dublin to take, for the second time, the entrance examination to Trinity College. Sadly, he failed the test and what happened next was probably brought about by a mixture of pride and a sense of failure, but was to have a marked effect on the shaping of his future career. On 27 February 1846, Patrick presented himself at the Royal Barracks, Ship Street, Dublin, the then-headquarters of the 41st (The Welch) Regiment of Infantry, and enlisted for life. Completely atypically of the average recruit of the period, he gave his age as 18 and his profession as a labourer. He also falsified his place of birth and made no mention of the fact that several of his relatives were already serving as Surgeons in the British Army. Whilst recognising that they had netted something in Patrick that was well above the average, the 41st asked no questions, and he was attested as 2242 Private P Cleburne.

He had hoped to find himself serving with the regiment in some far-flung outpost of the Empire but instead found he was to be quartered at Mullingar, County Westmeath, a mere sixty miles from his birthplace. Far from cracking under what, in those days, was a fairly brutal and insensitive system, Patrick adjusted to the lifestyle and substituted the family he had left behind for his comrades.

Ireland at the time was in the harsh grip of the potato famine which devastated the country and led to much riot and civil disorder. To counteract the violence, the 41st and other troops found themselves acting in aid of the civil power - an often cruel task which must have caused great distress and conflict in the mind of the young and intelligent soldier. Patrick was not alone in being forced to act against his own countrymen, as almost 50% of the Regiment were Irishmen, who had joined the army merely to escape starvation.

At Spike Island Fort on 1 July 1849, Patrick was promoted to Corporal and also renewed contact with members of his family, which brought about a successful and happy reconciliation. They proposed that he should purchase his discharge from the army and emigrate to the United States of America to make a fresh start. Using £20 from his inheritance to pay the discharge fee, he was honourably discharged from the 41st on 22 September 1849 who recognised him as 'a good soldier'. The 3 year, 7 month stint in the British Army taught him many lessons which he successfully applied in later life, particularly when pursuing a second period of military service. He came out of this as a disciplined young man, cool, self-controlled and accustomed to self denial. Furthermore, he appreciated the position of those who, like himself, had often been at the mercy of quite harsh and unfeeling military authority.

In 1850 Patrick settled in the small frontier town of Helena, in the State of Arkansas, a fast-growing, albeit rumbustious settlement where he was soon recognised as a gentleman and was rapidly accepted into the best social circles. For a period of time he was employed as a druggist, but he studied law and later qualified as a lawyer. In February 1855, at the age of 27, he became a naturalised citizen of the United States of America. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War and the succession of Arkansas from the Union, we next find Patrick as a Captain of a company in the 15th Arkansas Regiment of the Confederate States Army - a company that benefited from his previous experience in the British Army and he soon had the reputation of being one of the best-drilled bodies in the Brigade. Rapid promotion soon found him in command of the Regiment and in command of a Brigade on 6 April 1862, which included the 15th Arkansas at the bloody battle of Shiloh. On 20 December 1862, whilst serving with Bragg's Army of Tennessee, Patrick was promoted Major General with the reputation of having 'the rare qualities of a strict disciplinarian, a brave and skilful leader and a popular commander'.

Known to his troops as 'Ould Pat' they admired him greatly and, as was to be proved in many subsequent battles, were prepared to follow him through 'hell and high water'. Only his strong views on the emancipation of the slaves and his desire to see them to fight on the side of the South marred his reputation in the armies of the Confederacy, but he did not allow the strong criticism and opposition thatthose proposals generated to interfere with his duties as a commander in any way.

Patrick Cleburne's story ended on 30 November 1864 at the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee. Leading from the front, as was his custom, first on horseback and then on foot after his mount was shot from under him, he was killed by a mine ball when very close to the Union breastworks.

The Welch Regiment Museum of the Royal Regiment of Wales is proud to be amongst the few places on both sides of the Atlantic where the life and services of this remarkable ex-Corporal of the 41st Foot are suitably commemorated.

Recommended reading, 'A Meteor Shining Brightly - Essays on Major General Patrick R Cleburne' edited by M P Joslyn, Terrell House Publishing, Milledgville, Georgia, l997.