Civil War Union Army Officer. A Mexican War veteran, he was commissioned as Major of the 71st New York Volunteer Infantry on July 18, 1861, but was discharged two weeks later (August 1, 1861). In 1862 he was authorized to raise another New York regiment, and after recruiting soldiers from Staten Island and Brooklyn, was named Colonel and commander of the 170th New York Volunteer Infantry on July 17, 1862. The regiment, supposedly to be the second "Corcoran Irish Legion", was sent to Virginia in October 1862, where he led them in garrison duty and in operations near Newport News. On January 4, 1863 Colonel McDermott resigned his commission, ostensibly for health reasons, but in reality to stave off pending court martial charges that were levied against him. His regiment would go on to fight in Virginia for the next three years, and was honorably mustered out in July 1865.
Civil War Union Army Officer. A Mexican War veteran, he was commissioned as Major of the 71st New York Volunteer Infantry on July 18, 1861, but was discharged two weeks later (August 1, 1861). In 1862 he was authorized to raise another New York regiment, and after recruiting soldiers from Staten Island and Brooklyn, was named Colonel and commander of the 170th New York Volunteer Infantry on July 17, 1862. The regiment, supposedly to be the second "Corcoran Irish Legion", was sent to Virginia in October 1862, where he led them in garrison duty and in operations near Newport News. On January 4, 1863 Colonel McDermott resigned his commission, ostensibly for health reasons, but in reality to stave off pending court martial charges that were levied against him. His regiment would go on to fight in Virginia for the next three years, and was honorably mustered out in July 1865.
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