Peter Whelan

Who was Peter Whelan?

Father Peter Whelan was an Irish-born, Catholic Priest who distinguished himself as a chaplain for the Montgomery Guards, an Irish company established in Savannah for the First Georgia Volunteer Regiment at the beginning of the American Civil War. Previously his work included missionary duties in North Carolina, the pastorate of Georgia’s first Catholic parish, and on two occasions served as administrator of the entire diocese of Savannah.

He ministered to Confederate troops during the capture of Fort Pulaski by Federal forces, and later he volunteered to remain with them during their imprisonment in New York. He also ministered to the Union prisoners-of-war held at Andersonville, Georgia. In spite of this, Father Whelan "never received a lasting place in the history of the Southland he loved so well," according to a 1959 assessment of the man and his career.