The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-04-27


man, and the SiXty-ninth would have been
still earlier in the field, but its colonel was,
on his anniversary, under arrest and order
for court martial, because, with true Irish
love of home and nation, remembering the
wrongs of the country of the parentage of
himself and his reg ment, he bad refused to
parade his command and doff the green
plume and lower the flag before Prince
Albert Edward of England on the occasion
of his visit to America, as if condouing the
many expressions and fragrant injustices
which Irishmen had suffered at the hands
Of the crowned heads of his family.
Colonel CorcOraE had also the good for
time to command the only Irish regiment
that took part in the first battle of Bull
Run, and after a series of gallant and well
sustained charges, made by order of the
brigade commander, now the general oom-
manding the armies of the United States,
upon the batteries of the enemy, in which
he lost his lieutenant colonel and 15O of his
mon, was personally thanked on the field
by General Mcdowell, who was spectator
of their brave efforts.
When the fortune of the day turned
against our forces Corcoran's regiment,
forming a part of the rear guard Of the fly
ing troops, left the field in good order,
their coors flying and twice repulsed the
charge of the enemy's cavalry, in the latter
of which their commander was wounded,
and with TWO cf his officers, Captain McIvor
and Lieutenant Connolly, and some thirty
privates, fell into the hands of the enemy,
and as prisoners of war had the still fur
ther honor of being the first recipients ofthe
courtesy of the rebels in Libby prison.
What are the peculiar elements of the
Irish character which enable them, from
general to private, thus to distinguish them
selves as soldiers?
l have already commented upon and
shown devotion 10 every cause and under
every banner for which they have enlisted,
but even this has an added idiosyncrasy.
An Irishman always seems to feel, i'll what
ever army he is enlisted, as if in some way
he was fighting the battles of old Ireland,
and is always cndeavoring to put 1.-The
green above the red, for whether the flag
to which he gives his allegiance bears the
red cross of England, the feur de- us or the
tri-color of France, the double headed eagle
of Austria, pillars of Spain gorgeous with
gold, or the stars and stripes Of America,
the Irishman always manages, in spite of
army regulations, in spite of rule, to set up
the golden harp OF Erin, with its green sur
roundings, and follow where that leads
the green shamrock of his native hills
seems ever present with him. AS rule
an Irish regiment never breaks. They al
ways stand or retreat together; therefore
they seem to possess naturally the first
element which it is the Office of discipline
to supply to the army.
In speaking of capability for disciplined
by no means claim for the Irish soldier the
acquisition of exactness in the minutiie of
dress and bearing which is sought to be
obtained by the martinez. 1t is always
very difficult for the Irishman to have
every button of his coat fastened, his belt
with the breastplate precisely i'll front, or
his cap set exactly squarely upon his head.
Nobody can enforce that. Tue coat will
always be open, the belt awry and the cap
tilted jauntiiy side or thrown back
ward--but still the main rS>Suisites of d is
ciplne are in him. The Irishman can
never be made to touch his ha. to his Of
ficer with the courteous flourish of the
French soldier or the studied precision of
the German; but lie is polite and deferen
tial to his officer if he respects him for his
Justice or conduct, and loves him, and will,
when wounded, bear him to a place of
safety and comfort and nurse him with the
care and tenderness of brother. Indeed,
the Irish soldier seems to scOrn all trlf1ing
details and precision of the parade and
makes them very frequently the subject of
his keenest wit and brilliant repar;ee.
| remember at one time observing on
Ship Island an Irish captain drilling his
company, being very proud of them and
their movements. Drilling them under
the eye of his general, lie was very careful
that their line should be perfectly straight
and their movements very precise. Being
in the exei else of his command in their
deployment as skirmishers the order was
given to rally on the reserve, and when
they came into line it had not that exact
precision that the captain would have liked
to exhibit. Ranging his eye along the
from. he detected one soldier on the left ba ok
a half pace or so from bis required posi-
ton, and calling out to him angrily, "What
are you about there, Mike Lee? Dress up
on the left ~ The order was probably
obeyed, accompanied with reply in stage
whisper that sent litter through the com
mand, ''Faith, captain, | am as well dress
ed as yerself, barring the sword and sash. ="
Allow me another instance, taken from
actual life, which will illustrate precisely
my meaning and show you what good sol
diers good officers may soon make of Irish
recruits.
When the New England division was
being recruited, organized and disciplined
at Camp Chase, near Lowell, Governor
Buckingham, of Connecticut, had recruit
ed, but not to its full number, the Ninth
Connecticut. Owing to the fact that its
ranks were not filed its officers could not
get their commissions, and the troops could
not be mustered into the service of the
United States, aud no special authority
could be exerted over them, aud they re-
manned near Hartford for weeks, with no
employment save that mischief the proverb
tells us ''the devil delights to fDd for idle
hands to do" l suspect they had become
almost terror to the staid Connection.
meu in their neighborhood. The exuber-
ance of thei: spirits must find some vent,
and, uncontrolled and undlsciplined, they
found vent in many a roguish prank, which
made them exceedingly undesirable neigh
bors and although to the New England
division but one regiment had been assigned
from Connections, Governor Buckingham
wrote to the general commanding, asking
him if he would do him the favor to accept
of the Ninth. Certainly" was the reply,
II will send for them" They came and
their ill-neigh hborhood reputation with them
increased, as distance ever magnifies. On
arriving at the rendezvous. near Lowell,
tie city uieut at IN Sxnre In a laroe