Charles Graham Halpine was an American journalist and poet. He also was a soldier during the American Civil War.
Background
Charles Halpine was born on November 20, 1829, at Oldcastle, Ireland; he was the son of Nicholas John and Anne (Grehan) Halpine. His father, after a brilliant career at Trinity College, took orders in the Irish Church but devoted himself to literature. For many years, as editor of the Dublin Evening Mail, he was influential in Irish Protestant circles.
Education
Charles matriculated at Trinity College at an early age and for a time studied medicine, then law, devoting his leisure to writing for the press.
Career
Charles Halpine went into journalism in Dublin but soon removed to London. The death of his father in impoverished circumstances and his own early marriage determined him, in 1851, to emigrate to America. Here he wrote advertisements in verse and became private secretary to P. T. Barnum. In 1852 he joined B. P. Shillaber in Boston as co-editor of the Carpet-Bag, a humorous Weekly. After a few months he went to New York and became French translator for the New York Herald. He published anonymously Lyrics by the Letter H (1854), poems that had previously appeared in various newspapers, where, as Fitz-James O’Brien said in reviewing the volume, they ought to have remained. As Nicaraguan correspondent of the New York Times, he reported the filibustering expedition of William Walker and, after a short period as Washington correspondent, he became an associate editor of the Times. In 1857 he acquired an interest in the Leader and became its principal editor, through his political articles and sketches it rose rapidly in circulation and influence. His contributions to magazines and newspapers were clever and voluminous and brought him a large income.
At the outbreak of the Civil War Halpin joined the 69th Regiment as a lieutenant and was quickly promoted to the staff of General Hunter, with whom he remained the greater part of the war. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel of volunteers June 5, 1864, for gallantry and distinguished services at the battle of Piedmont, and at the end of the war received the brevets of colonel and brigadier-general. Under assumed names he wrote effective letters of criticism to many vacillating and lukewarm editors of Northern newspapers. He prepared for Hunter’s signature the first order for the enlistment of a negro regiment and overcame many of the objections of the Northern soldiers with his famous poem, “Sambo’s Right to be Kilt. ’’ Failing eyesight forced his retirement from the army, July 31, 1864.
Having gained prominence as a reformer of municipal corruption, upon his return from the army Halpine was invited by the Citizens Association to assume the editorship of the Citizen, the organ of reform. He had frequently held political offices, but in 1866 he ran against Tammany Hall and was elected register of the County and City of New York. He died suddenly in 1868 from an overdose of chloroform taken to relieve insomnia.
Politics
Halpine actively interested himself in politics: in Dublin as a member of the “Young Ireland” group and in America, first as private secretary to Stephen A. Douglas and later as a member of the general committee of Tammany Hall. He successfully led the reform movement against Fernando Wood.
Membership
Halpine was a founding member of the Democratic Union, an organization opposed to political corruption.
Personality
Charles Graham Halpine was versatile, impetuous, and of a tremendous and restless energy. He was a brilliant conversationalist. His stammer sometimes served his wit as when he announced that “Harriet Beseecher Be Stowe" had gone abroad to collect funds for the antislavery cause.