Father
William Corby
Chaplain of the 88th NY
Father Corby giving a Blessing
to the Irish Brigade
before battle.
2009 The 1stSouthCarolinaVolunteers/88thNewYork. All rights reserved.
Father Corby Monument
at
Gettysburg
William E. Corby was born in Detroit on October 2, 1833, and attended Notre Dame University, entering the novitiate in 1856 and taking his final vows in 1859.
With the coming of war in 1861 Notre Dame sent a number of priests to serve as chaplains with Union regiments. Father Corby left his professorship to become the first of these, assigned to the 88th New York in Brigadier General Thomas Meagher's legendary irish Brigade.