Thomas Igoe : Short Biography

Thomas was born abt. 1826 in County Longford & a bricklayer by trade.   On 11 Feb 1855 in Templemichael, Co. Longford, Thomas married Theresa Donoghue of Co. Longford and within the months following their wedding, they left for the US.

In 1855, the newlyweds settled in the City of Charleston, Charleston Co, South Carolina & there started their family & built their life.  The first of their children to arrive was John b. abt. 1858.  Their next child, James Joseph b. 7 Jul 1859 grew-up to be somewhat famous in the area as a pilot, ship's master & Harbor Commissioner for Charleston.  His biography is found in Vol. 3 of The History of South Carolina by Yates Snowden.  James was followed by Thomas Francis, Jr on 9 Jan 1863.  And their last child who would never know her father, was Mary Ann b. 8 Nov 1864.

It's from son James' bio that we learn the fate of his father Thomas.  Charleston was very hot, humid & plagued by insect borne illness during the summer months and at some point in 1864, Thomas became one of those whose health was adversely affected to the degree that "he was admonished to seek a change of climate."   1864 was during the US Civil War & Charleston Harbor was blockaded by the Union Navy.  Unfortunately for Thomas & his family, he chose to seek his change of climate by taking passage on one of the vessels forcing the Union blockade of Charleston. 

The ship Thomas was a passenger on was captured, he was taken as a prisoner of war, sent north to New York City and although a civilian non-combatant, he was imprisoned in one of the many Confederate POW prisons that occupied the many islands of New York Harbor.    

Thomas died a prisoner sometime between his capture in 1864 & the end of the war in the spring of 1865.  Thomas is said to have been interred in the Catholic cemetery at Flatbush, a section of Brooklyn, New York but the cemetery there, Holy Cross, doesn't have a record of burial for Thiomas and his final resting place in NYC remains unknown.  Thomas, however, does live on in his many descendants in Charleston, other parts of South Carolina and Georgia.