- William Corby
Rev. William Corby, CSC (
October 2 ,1833 –December 28 ,1897 ) was a priest of theCongregation of Holy Cross . Corby is perhaps best known for his giving general absolution to the Irish Brigade on the second day of theBattle of Gettysburg , which was dramatized in the film "Gettysburg". Fr. Corby also served twice as President of theUniversity of Notre Dame . The school's Corby Hall is named for him, and a statue of him similar to that at Gettysburg stands near the Hesburgh Library on the Notre Dame campus.Fr. Corby was born in
Detroit, Michigan , to Daniel, an Irish native, and Elizabeth, a Canadian citizen.Widely remembered among military chaplains and celebrated by Irish-American fraternal organizations, his statue with right hand raised in the gesture of blessing was the first statue of a non-general erected on the
Gettysburg Battlefield .External links
* [http://www.irish-society.org/Hedgemaster%20Archives/William_Corby.htm Irish Society Website]
* [http://archives.nd.edu/findaids/ead/index/COR001.htm William Corby Archives, University of Notre Dame]Further reading
* Bergen, Doris L. (ed.), "The Sword of the Lord", University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, IN. 2004. ISBN 0-268-01275-9.
* Corby, Rev. William, CSC., "Memoirs of Chaplain Life: Three Years with the Irish Brigade in the Army of the Potomac" Edited by Lawrence F. Kohl. Fordham University Press: New York. 1992. ISBN: 0-8232-1251-3
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