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On the 15th of April, 1865, just as the great southern rebellion was breathing its last breath, Captain John McGuire, of the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth New York Regiment, after having escaped the perils of many battles during three years' service, was killed by guerrillas, about twenty-five miles from Goldsborough, N. C, while in the performance of his duty.
Captain McGuire was born in the town of Belturbet, county Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1829, of poor but pious parents. His father died while John was a child, and, in 1845, his widowed mother and John with his sister, now dead, came to Albany.
Soon after their arrival in Albany, in 1846, John procured employment in the store of Mr. Kerr, who formerly kept at the corner of Pearl and Howard street. There he remained, helping to support his mother, till April, 1861, when the summons came for the militia to hasten to the Capital to defend it against the rebels. John was a Sergeant of the Albany Worth Guards, a company of the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York Militia, commanded by Colonel Bryan. On the 22d of April, 1861, he left his employment and served with that regiment during its first three months campaign in Virginia. During his absence in Virginia,
his poor mother died, and he procured a furlough to come to Albany to bury her.
He left his situation at Mr. Kerr's, at a great sacrifice, to obey the call of his country.
Upon the return of this regiment to Albany, he procured employment in a clothing house in New York, at a good salary, where he remained till June, 1862, when the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York Militia was, a second time, ordered to Virginia by Gov. Morgan. He joined them, and was at once appointed, by Colonel Bryan, Sergeant Major of the regiment, which position he filled with credit. Upon the return of the regiment to Albany, in September, 1862, he at once joined the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Regiment New York Volunteers, which Colonel Bryan was then raising at Albany, and was appointed First Lieutenant, and afterwards promoted to Captain, in the same organization. He served with Colonel Bryan till the Colonel's fall,
at the attack on Port Hudson.
After the capture of Port Hudson, his regiment was ordered to the Shenandoah valley, where he served under General Sheridan. He remained with the army of the Potomac till Lee's surrender, when he was sent to North Carolina, where he fell, pierced with three balls, two through the breast and one through the head.
He leaves no father or mother, bother or sister, wife or child to mourn his untimely end. But he leaves in Albany, and wherever he was known, those whose eyes will fill with tears as the tidings of his death reaches them.
Captain McGuire was a model young man. Surrounded by temptation, he was never known to take a glass of strong drink, or utter a profane word. In his manners and in his intercourse with all, he was a gentleman and had a kind word for every one. He lived a devoted and humble Christian, an honor to the religion of his fathers. He was an intelligent, accomplished and brave soldier, and died, a warm patriot, in the service of his adopted country. Though he loved with enthusiasm the scenes of his native land, and hoped that he might one day aid in erecting the flag of freedom and independence over the graves of his fathers and kindred, still he proved by his acts that he was ready at all times with his life, to maintain the honor of his adopted country.
