📰 TODAY IN HISTORY 📰

December 28th, 1897
Father William Corby, former chaplain of the 88th New York Infantry who granted absolution to the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg, died of pneumonia in South Bend, Indiana. He was 64 years old.

“His casket was borne to the grave, not by his fellow Holy Cross priests as was the custom, but by aging Civil War veterans. His coffin was draped in the flag of his old regiment and a rifle volley was fired as his coffin was lowered into the grave. Accompanied by the sound of a bugle, old Grand Army of the Republic veterans sang a song over their heroic chaplain’s grave: Answering the call of roll on high. Dropping from the ranks as they make reply. Filling up the army of the by and by.” – “History of Watertown, Wisconsin”.