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From: Jim Donnelly <>
Subject: [NYC] Telling people apart?
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 18:52:08 -0500



The story in my family for at least two generations is that a fellow
called Michael Cotter entered the 10th New York Volunteer Infantry
from Mott Haven. During the war he met a man called Emmett
McLaughlin, who brought some of his war buddies home to Staten Island
to marry his sisters. Michael Cotter married my great-grandmother,
Annie McLaughlin, and remained in the County of Richmond.

I've had twinges of doubt about that story over the years, for two
reasns: (1) Why would he have stayed on Staten Island after his
marriage instead of going back home to Mott Haven? (2) There seem to
have been very few Staten Islanders in the 10th New York; I wondered
how likely it is that Emmett McLaughlin would have met him during the
war and got to know him well enough to bring him home to marry his
sister if they were not in the same outfit.

On Friday I found another Michael Cotter, this one a Staten Islander,
who served in Co. K, 156th Regiment, NY Vols. I suppose my next step
is to get his service record from NARA, because I've learned that old
family stories don't amount to much, but then what? How do I decide
which (if either) of these two Michael Cotters was my
great-grandfather?

Suggestions most gratefully accepted.

Jim Donnelly
Hyattsville, Maryland

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