The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1865-10-21

[WH0LE NO. 81.

Brigade. Suffice il to say that at Gaines's
Hill, dashing mp magnifcently to the rescue
of the right wing of McClellan's army, it
repeated the memorable achievement of its
grand prototype-the renowned Irish Brigade
of France-at Fontenoy. In the battles of
the retreat to James River, it fought with
the most heroic energy and fidelity in the
rear guard Of the army whilst at Antietam,
it so signalized itself that Gen. Mcclellan,
III his report of that battle, speaks of it in
terms of the heartiest acknowledgment. Its
conduct at Fredericksburg, in advancing
against the impregnable heights which over
look that city, and where it left hundreds
dead upon the ield, at point the nearest
| to the enemy's lines that any of the Union
troops had reached-extorted, in an almost
extravagant measure, the praise of even such
an inveteTase Zee ss the Irish race as the
London Times. Then came Chaneellorsyille,
where it swept with headlong alacrity to the
extreme front, as Stonewall Jackson's men
were crowding and crushing down upon
Hooker's position, and where it held its
ground under binding fire, until the rest
of the Union army had fallen back, and
formed its second line of defense.
| Finding, after this battle, that his noble
little brigade, as he affectionately called 1t,
was reduced to mere handful, he felt his
duty to resign his commission, with the hope
that bis doing so might convince the Gov
ernment at Washington that, being so ex-
hausted, it might justly be spared little
time from the labors ard sacrifices of the
field, to enable it to revive and renew its
strength.
On the death of General Corcoran, how
ever, the War Department renewed his COM
mission, and the next thing We hear of him
is at Chattanooga, in command of the Dis
trict of the Eutawa, which he held IN a
mastery way during HOODS invasion of
Tennessee, and until after that General was
driven back, in an utter route, into Alabama.
General Meagher vas then ordered to take
a division Of seven thousand western troops
to unite with General Sherman, in North
Carolina. This he did, and this ended. for
the time, his service in the army Of the
United States.
The week of the Grand Reviews at the
city of Washington, on the termination OF
the war, he was placed on the list Of Brevets
by President johnson himself, in acknowl-
edgement of his gallant and devoted services
in defense of the national cause. Major
General Meagher was not only distinguished
, by his bold bravery in action, but by his
; affectionate devotion to his men, who dearly
loved him, as well as by his humanity and
p tenderness TO the prisoners who fell to his
charge. 1t has been said of him, and truly,
,, that he never ordered his men to go into
any danger that he was not the first to lead
! the way, and the last to come out. His treat
E ment of the enemy who, when wounded OF
! otherwise captured, fell into his hands, was
fetsTistie af0 his -Irish heart that no
!, Of the Southern soldiers, to his disparage
= ment. The interview on the picket lint
4 with General Roger A. Pryor, OF Virginia
under flag Of truce, the day after the bat
tie of Antie.am, marked as it was by Il
: manifest frankuess and the heartiest friend
. liness, on both sides, testifes to this.
4 The rest is well known. and he Is nov
a amongst us, with this record, to help us wit
4 his administrative energy, quick discern
> ment and fertility of resource, to build u
. our young Territory into one of the mos
% powerful, as it must be one of the most opu
~ lent, States Of the Union.