Irish Brigade

Formed in November 1861 and largely recruited in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, the Irish Brigade initially consisted of the 69th, 88th, and 63rd New York State Volunteers, with the 29th Massachusetts, 116th Pennsylvania, and 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiments also identified as part of it. The Brigade fought in all of the major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, lost over 4,000 men during the war, had eleven members awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and saw three of its five commanders killed or mortally wounded: Colonel Richard Byrnes at Cold Harbor, Colonel Patrick Kelly at Petersburg, and Brigadier General Thomas A. Smyth at Farmville; it was mustered out in June 1865. At Antietam on 17 September 1862, serving as the Second Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, it crossed Antietam Creek at Pry's Ford at 9:30 a.m. and, after Father William Corby rode along the line giving absolution, advanced through a cornfield, tore down a rail fence under severe fire, exchanged several volleys with a Confederate column, and charged with fixed bayonets, pouring buck and ball into General George B. Anderson's Brigade before that force fell back to Bloody Lane; after fierce combat and with its ammunition exhausted, the Brigade was relieved, having suffered 540 casualties. Its commander, Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, was born in Waterford City, Ireland, on 23 August 1823, joined the Young Ireland Movement, was exiled to Tasmania in 1849, escaped to the United States in 1852, raised Company K "Irish Zouaves" for the 69th New York State Militia Regiment, commanded the Irish Brigade from 3 February 1862 to 14 May 1863, later served in Tennessee, and after the war became secretary and acting Governor of the Montana Territory before drowning in the Missouri River near Fort Benton on 1 July 1867; his body was never recovered.

Keedysville, Maryland · United States