John C. Mitchel arrived in the USA in 1853 with his father, also, John. The elder Mitchel went on to become a, fiercely, pro Southern newspaper editor while John C. enlisted in the Confederate States army on the outbreak of America's Civil War, after initially working as an engineer on the railroads.

His first military assignment was as a lieutenant in a South Carolina battalion of regular artillery stationed at Fort Moultrie, before moving to Fort Sumter on the surrender of the Federal troops there. Here he was to remain, despite regular requests for reassignments. To Mitchel‟s credit, he continued the training and discipline of the men under his command, resulting in the widespread acknowledgement that they were among the most skilled artillerists in South Carolina. Mitchel was rewarded with promotion to captain.

Throughout his time at Fort Sumter, Mitchel and his men were under constant barrage from the Federal garrison on Morris Island, which reduced Sumter to ruin.

July 20, 1864, saw a particularly heavy barrage, leading to a parapet guard seeking permission to leave his post. Mitchel denied the request. Shortly after, the guard, again, sought shelter, and this time Capt. Mitchel went onto the ramparts. The incoming fire was extremely heavy and Mitchel, having denied his subordinate permission to leave his post, felt it would be unworthy of an officer to do likewise and so he stayed in the danger area.

Soon, a 300-pound shell struck nearby, shattering the Irishman‟s body, but he lingered on in terrible agony for a further three hours before uttering his final words: "I do willingly die for South Carolina, but oh!, if it had only been for Ireland."

Captain John C Mitchel died on July 20, 1864, at Fort Sumter, S.C., and now rests in that city‟s Magnolia Cemetery.

The month of July was not a good one for the Mitchel family. Just over a year before Captain Mitchel‟s death, his youngest brother, Willie, was killed while carrying the colours of his regiment, near the Codri Farm during the battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. The sole remaining Mitchel brother, James, was adjutant to Gen. Gordon‟s Georgia Brigade and lost an arm in the battles around Richmond. He survived the war and died in Paris, France around 1876.

∼John C. Mitchell was one of the 'Mitchell Boys' and their service with the Confederate States Army began with the father; John Mitchell, the son of a Presbyterian Minister who was exiled to Van Dieman's Land in Tasmania, Australia; and who later made his way to Virginia in the United States.

John C. Mitchell, his son, enlisted in the 1st South Carolina Permanent Artillery, which was the Light Artillery.The War of Southern Independence began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861; the majority of the shelling directed from Fort Moultrie and the 1st Carolina Artillery positioned there. John C.Mitchel was there; under Beauregard. Immediately the local newspaper, the "Charleston Mercury", reported on April 13, 1861 who had fired the first 'effective' shot of the war;

"Fort Moultrie left its mark upon Fort Sumter. Many of its shells were dropped into that fort, and Lieut. John Mitchell, the worthy son of that patriot sire, who has so nobly vindicated the South, had the honour of dismounting two of its parapet guns by a single shot from one of the Columbiads, which at the time he had the office of directing."

The Commander in charge of the guns stated;

"To Lieutenant Mitchell, under my command, belongs the honour of having first dismounted two guns for Anderson at one shot"

Captain John C. Mitchel was cited for conspicuous gallantry by a special resolution of the legislature. It was while acting as Major and Officer commanding Fort Sumter that John C. Mitchell was fatally wounded by an exploding shell fragment; on July 20, 1864. John C. Mitchell died as an Australian fighting for the Confederacy, in an illegal war of oppression over states rights to secede from the union; as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Today Captain John C. Mitchel, lies in Charleston, South Carolina's Magnolia Cemetery; the outline of his grave plot a miniature of the famous fort in the harbour. On March 2, 2002 an 'Iron Cross' ceremony was held honouring Capt. John C. Mitchel, an Irishman and an Australian of 1st Reg., SC Art. CSA. He died on the parapet of Fort Sumter during the bombardment, July 20, 1864.

His last dieing words were; "I willingly give my life for South Carolina; Oh! that I could have died for Ireland."