American Civil War Irish Brigade (Union Army)

saint patrick s day celebration in army of potomac. depicts steeplechase race among irish brigade, march 17, 1863, edwin forbes. digitally restored.

col. corcoran in process of being court-martialed when civil war erupted. needing many men @ arms possible, charges dropped , army rushed 69th virginia.

at first battle of bull run (first manassas), regiment served under command of colonel william t. sherman, , 1 of few union regiments retain cohesion after defeat, despite wounding , capture of col. corcoran confederate forces. 69th served army of potomac s rear guard during disorganized retreat defenses of washington.

after bull run, thomas francis meagher, captain of company k, applied have 69th new york volunteer militia reorganized federal service core unit of larger brigade composed predominantly of irish immigrants. meagher promoted brigadier general , designated brigade s commander. before war, leading agitator irish independence britain. visible participant in failed rebellion of 1848, afterward tried , sentenced death (commuted life imprisonment in australia, escaped san francisco ca). gen. meagher s battle sword, made tiffany & co, on permanent exhibit @ fredericksburg , spotsylvania national military park.

leaders of federal government reluctant form ethnically based brigades, undermine notion of union. however, mid-1861 formation of ethnically based, irish brigade served 2 purposes north. first of all, warned britain (which appeared favoring confederacy, or @ least openly deliberating entry conflict on behalf) there union-supported consequences in ireland if britain intervened (most of brigade s leadership known irish revolutionaries). secondly, served solidify irish support union. many irish divided between supporting confederate states in struggles independence or preserve union, gave irish set of rights , freedoms under constitution had struggle obtain. there concerns irish flood of freed slaves migrating north , competing lowly jobs had scrabble. ethnically based brigade solidify support of largest catholic minority union cause. several officers permitted purchase , carry non-regulation model 1850 staff , field officer s swords bearing large four-leaf clover pierced hand guard. having own paid catholic chaplains within brigade implied social acceptance irish catholics had eluded them in antebellum period. head chaplain fr. william corby, csc, holy cross priest , future president of university of notre dame. became famous giving general absolution troops of irish brigade before battle of gettysburg.

the irish brigade distinguished rest of army of potomac meagher s insistence on arming 8 line companies of each ny regiment model 1842 smoothbore muskets, obsolete weapon largely phased out during 1862, because wanted men able fire buck-and-ball shot (a .69 caliber musket ball 4 smaller balls), produced shotgun effect in close-range combat , not used rifles. 3 original new york regiments carried model 1842 muskets through aop s campaigns , battles in 1862-63, using buck-and-ball shot deadly effect in wheatfield on july 2 @ gettysburg. 2 light companies of each ny regiment issued either springfield or enfield rifles , these sniped @ pettigrew s command during pickett s charge. 28th massachusetts (which joined in october 1862) had enfield rifles , 6 company ny light battalion detailed skirmishing duty.

meagher assumed brigade perform fighting @ close range smoothbores effective, , officers agreed. majority of soldiers continued use model 1842s through overland campaign until depleted outfit temporarily broken in june 1864. 116th pennsylvania separated fellow regiments , got model 1861 springfield rifles. ordnance records indicate new york regiments received newer weapons well. in case, 1864, officers had @ last realized power of rifles , firing typically being done distances of 200 yards. there relatively few complaints on record enlisted men outdated muskets, although 1 veteran of 88th new york recalled @ disadvantage because of short range , , had pick discarded rifle field @ antietam deal confederate skirmishers.

chaplains of irish brigade, fr. corby front row, right

before full 5 regiments of typical brigade raised, unit called combat. in march 1862 brigade, composed of 63rd, 69th, , 88th new york regiments, assigned major general edwin v. sumner s division in army of potomac 2nd brigade , shipped virginia peninsula. while army of potomac crept toward richmond, fourth regiment joined brigade: 29th massachusetts, regiment formed of puritan descendants. massachusetts had pledged provide irish regiment, intending send 28th massachusetts, irish regiment not complete when army of potomac went action. instead, next available unit, 29th, sent.

despite divergent backgrounds, 29th massachusetts , rest of brigade fought together, earning plaudits hard campaigning during 7 days battles; notably @ savage s station, glendale, , malvern hill. after malvern hill, army of potomac languished @ harrison s landing on peninsula , meagher gained permission recruit in new york replenish brigade s losses. while other units transferred northern virginia during summer of 1862 fight under gen. john pope, irish brigade remained on peninsula gen. george b. mcclellan.

after pope s defeat @ second battle of bull run (second manassas), gen. robert e. lee took offensive, moving maryland. mcclellan , remainder of army of potomac rushed north. brigade s new recruits, approximately tenth number meagher had hoped raise, joined unit @ tennallytown, maryland, in time march in pursuit of confederates.

brigade monument @ gettysburg battleground



monument @ antietam national battlefield, dedicated in 1997

on september 17, 1862, union , confederate armies met @ sharpsburg, maryland, in battle of antietam. command confusion led disjointed use of ii corps, , instead of supporting renewed assaults on confederate left @ west woods, irish brigade found facing center of confederate line, entrenched in old sunken farm road. brigade again acted conspicuously, assaulting road, referred after battle bloody lane . although unsuccessful, brigade s attack gave supporting troops enough time flank , break confederate position, @ cost of 60% casualties irish brigade.

the brigade suffered severe casualties in december @ battle of fredericksburg fighting force reduced on 1600 256. brigade involved in northern battleground @ fredericksburg assaulted sunken road in front of marye s heights. coincidentally, 1 of confederate regiments manning sunken road defenses predominantly irish regiment commanded brigadier general thomas reade rootes cobb. knowing cobb s men manned wall, , both cobb s , meagher s units contained members of irish republican brotherhood, organization dedicated gaining military experience in united states, freeing ireland britain after civil war, lee ordered reserves sent position. need not have worried. cobb s men helped devastate irish brigade before reinforcements settle in place. @ fredericksburg lee allegedly referred meagher s regiment fighting 69th .

after battle of fredericksburg, gen. meagher again requested recruit brigade strength. time request denied. in may 1863, brigade sustained further casualties @ battle of chancellorsville, meagher repeated request recruit replacements, denied, , resigned commission in protest. meagher replaced colonel patrick kelly.

leading battle of gettysburg, brigade recovered several hundred of injured fredericksburg , able field 600 men - in reality, barely @ regimental size. @ gettysburg, brigade distinguished in wheatfield under command of col. kelly 2nd brigade of 1st division (brigadier general john c. caldwell) of ii corps (major general winfield s. hancock). brigade has monument on loop on gettysburg battlefield.

while continuing serve distinction, casualties continued increase , june 1864 irish brigade had been reduced regimental size, , commander richard byrne killed. army disbanded , incorporated remaining elements of brigade 3rd , 4th brigades of 1st division, ii corps.

a second irish brigade reformed old irish brigade of 63rd, 69th, , 88th new york, 116th pennsylvania, , 28th massachusetts regiments addition of 7th new york heavy artillery (later replaced 4th new york heavy artillery in 1865).