Patrick McNulty (also given as born 1825, died 1911 at the age of 86) may have been a cousin of Catherine. A newspaper article, titled "Last of a Coterie of Pioneer Settlers", read:

With the burial of Mr. P. McNulty passed away the last one of a class of hardy Irishmen that settled beyond the Three Mile creek many years previous to the Civil War. All north of Owen's Lane to LaFargue's Bul Head and west from St. Stephen's road to Burden's creek was the territory settled. These hardy pioneers brought to the highest state of perfection the production of early vegetables and laid the foundation of knowledge that the present day truck farmer enjoys in that vicinity. Among the first settlers were the three brothers, Thomas, Patrick and Martin McAndrew; James Stewart, Michael McDonald, John Tuite, M. McGuire, M. McHale, Mr. Doody, M. Devine, Charles Rooney, Thomas Finch, P. Kearns and Mr. Green, father of county commissioner Green, and P. McNulty. Martin Costello, who laid the foundation of his fortune by truck farming; Peter Reynolds, John Clashy and the late P. Sweeny were truck growers for many years, but their advent was after the Civil war; so that with the death of Mr. McNulty all of the original settlers have passed to the great beyond. The descendants of this sturdy race are very numerous, and with few exceptions all of them made honorable and useful citizens. It will be a long time, if ever, that this part of the country will ever see their likes again.

John Kearns served in the Civil War in Company E, 2nd Battalion, Alabama Light Artillery, as a Private/Corporal. There is no record of his death, but seems likely to have died between 1860 and 1870. There is no record he died in battle. He was wounded, however, and perhaps he later expired as a result.

C. Pollman provides this story about Catherine, which once appeared in a Mobile newspaper "about the matriarch of this fighting Irish clan."

It was during the Civil War and Catherine lost her mule, Pigeon, to the Federal forces, who occupied Mobile in 1864, for it was standard orders to collect all animals from the surrounding captured territories. The Union Army corralled all the horse and mules at Eight Mile, some 10 miles north up St. Stephens Rd. from where Catherine lived with her children while her husband was off at war. They had established a small farm among the Irish clan in Toulminville where many Irish (including the McNulty's, McAndrews, McDonoughs, McDonalds and the Reynolds etc.) immigrated and staked their lots as farmers and sod busters as a result of the Irish famine in the 1840's. While John was at war, Catherine took care of the kids who all helped with the routine chores of farming--growing crops and taking their harvests to the market in downtown Mobile. In order to keep the farm functioning, Catherine needed her mule, most importantly, to pull her heavily loaded wagon of vegetables to town to sell at the market place (old City Hall).

One day Catherine walked the ten miles to Eight Mile where the Union Army was encamped. She asked the Union captain ("boldly") who was in charge of the confiscated animals if she could have her mule so she could get her crops to market. He said yes, if she could find it (not thinking she could) in the huge stockade where the animals were kept. As the story goes, she kept calling, "Here Pigeon," until the animal heard and came to her. The captain reluctantly allowed her to take the mule, but warned her that Union soldiers returning from an evening of liquor in town might take the mule away or shoot her and the mule. She waited until it was dark, then walked the mule back to her home off St. Stephens Rd., taking refuge in the ditch and woods whenever she heard union soldiers approaching.

Page updated: Sunday, 06-Apr-2003 15:11:33 MDT