Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-08
Written for THE EVENING STAR
THE IRISH BRIGADE.
No. III.
(Copyrighted lSS6l

NO. IL.
Copyrighted 1867
IT was while Burnside's army was still occu.
pying Fredericksburg after the disastrous battle
that the memorable banquet of the Irish Brig
ade took place. 1t had been planned weeks
before and the brigade suter, 'Fat Donahue,"
as much an Institution as Jack Gossin himself,
had gone to Washington TO get the materials, in
the belief that there would be more active
operations that year. as the season far
advanced, and all the usual preparations for a
winter camp were well under way. Donahue
arrived loaded down with all manner of good
things, just in time 70 see the army on the move
70 cross the river. There noting for him to
do but to follow, and, If we were fortunate
enough to win a victory what would be more
hitting time for a banquet: / know 1t CRATES
narshly upon our modern sense of propriety,
the idea OF men feasting even in the hour of
triumph, when so many of their comrades and
friends lie dead and manned and suffering
around them. But war at the best is barba-
risn: and while in the interest OF humanity all
should be done that Is possible To alleviate
actual suffering, attempts TO raise it to the
plane of taste and sentiment as a rule either
especially desirable To- avoid. Macaulay speaks
with just Indignation of the wanton and
|ic , Irivolity OF wars WREN the gentlemen
men of the French Guard To IRE first, and
tendency TO sentiment gave us, in place OF such
Ringing songs as why, soldiers, Why, should
We be Melancholy" and "(iarTy owen" such
uoeiu! dittieS as "Dear Mother, I've come
Home to Die and when this Cruel War Is
Over
But to return to the banquet There was Dom
anGe, and there were the eatables and the
GTnkabieS. They would not keep, and so IL
was decided 10 have the banquet. large
room, which had probably been the town-hall,
was fitted up, and there the survivors of the
CARNAGE gathered We We're invited, as being
bTgated with them. As the wine circulated
the high spirits and natural gayety OF the most
light-hearted race OF modern times broke
through the atmosphere OF death which hung
around that strange least, 10 which can think
OF no parallel except the CHASTITY bunQuet OF
That chOlera-strIcken battaliOn,-
"Tbe cup To the dead already,
And huFrth ior the next That dies"
Every third place was vacant. and as hand
Sought hand in the grasp of fellowship, you
could almost fancy shudder at the idea of
CORY shape take one of the unoccupled places.
When Meagher rose to speak OF the dead his
elOqueucc became almost une6rthly, and that
nothing might be wanting 10 this weird drama,
while his glowing words were thrilling the
parIakers OF such heroism and melting the
comrades of the dead, the heavy boom of
artillery shook the old building, and the guns
which had decimated the gallant brigade
opened as If TO peal the requiem. II was no
funeral pagesntry, but the stern reality re-
minding US that We were in danger at any mo-
ment OF an attack which might drive the de-
feated army into the river, and convert disas-
trous repulSe into absolute ruin. Orders came
at once, and the awake, as it literally was, was
over.
The winter that followed in the camp near
Falmouth was my first winter really IN the
Held, for the winter OF '61, passed III tile neigh
borhoOd of Washington, presented little of the
distinctive character OF actual campaigning.
All our amusement was found in the city. We
had few acquaintance outside OF our own Or
ganizatiOn and those that we met casually in
Washington. But at Falmouth the camp was
our home, and very gay and cheerful one it
was Few persons who saw the little log hutS,
rooted by wall-tents pitched upon them, with
Ireplaces OF clay and chimneys crowned with
Hour barrels, could realize the comfort and the
1ollity that reigned within. OF course brigade,
division, and corps headluarter; were on "a
larger anC correspontlngly better scale. until
the climax was probably reached in the engi-
neer tent at army headquarters. This was a
Sitley tent pitched on u stockade OF hewn logs
about the height of q man head
Those who are only familiar with the dimen-
sionS of a Sioley tent when on the ground would
scaTceiy believe the amount Ot room il inciosed
by this arrangement. 1t reminded one of the
OId-faShiOned circus of our childish u,sys from
which we derived so much more solid and heart
feIt enjoyment than from the modern three
rings with their bewiidering profusiOn. \
gigantic fireplace made the line of arc al
most equal 10 quarter of Il circle. When this
was heaped up 10 its throat with the fit-pine
logs OF a Virginia forest, and the scant space in
the centre was filled with the varied elements
which would be found in such u representative
gathering of the bone and brains and heart of
The North, our feelings toward our plying friends
ana relations who were 50 kindly doing all in
their power TO alleviate the horrors of "a winter
Camp, with Valley Forge III their minds eve
were similar To those which Dibdin as..ribes to
his jolly tars, W no wondered what the poor land
lEbUers did when it blew. y feature not to be
forgotten of these nights was the apparition of
dizziness in the composition of cocktails and
toddies could only be equaIed By the urbanlty
with which they pressed them upon not as u
rule reluctant recipients. have no doubt that
General William VI. Graham, OF the Fourth
Artillery, can recall that seductive ..moke'
who used to approach his visitors with the I'M
varying formula, Gap n Graham's compli-
ment. and he desires To know eli You will dash
a little tOSsicatin' nuid On de nlucuss MEM
brane." 1t in SUCH scenes that We learned
TO thoroughly know the Irish Brigade and 10
form friendships which to-day stretch forth
Ana mere Is the proper place 10 pay our tribute
10 Jack Gos>In, whose Maine has occurred more
thai once In this Article, but whom have not
attempted TO describe from the feeling that gal.
liant and dashiug soldier as he was and there
was no inner III the army, 1t was after all his
manners, his dress, his speech, his history in "A
word, Gossin, the man that justified in ais Single
person all the " Malleys and lin tons and Lore
9uers that Lever has drawn Born in County
Galway, Jack went abroad when quite a Young.
ster, and served In the Austrian cuir;.ssjers
Returning 10 Ireland in ali the bravery of ms
d1shing service, he married, not exactly Sc
cEeUy, but certainly against the wishes of her
father, the daughter Oh one OF the great landed
prOprieiOrs, an English barouet (ieneraI |
Meagher sversion OF the marriage was this: The
Old gentleman had not regarded with favor the
attentions vi This dashing risti-Austrian and
said one morning at breakfast "My dear i
wish You would discourage any attentions from
this Lieutenant 0Hssln- de is a man whom l
Said the young lady, with perfert nonchaiance
=. am 80 sorry, papa, that you didn't speak OF
II sooner, Tor was married TO Lieutenant Cos
sin this morning before breakfast" Sir Will
liam did not cut his daughter of literally with
The conventional shilling, but he probably
never accepted Jack.
Inc nrst time ever saw him on the march 7
SAID, ~ no II that curious h.ure?' tie stooped
badly Ills seat was any thing but yrc.i,,I.
suFrups very short, loo: thrust IN to the iIstcp
Knees rather up ana toes turned cslreIessiy ont
My cpinpi IlDn said, THAT is The famous lack
Ooss!il, tliC best rider in the Army OF thu. P,t,-
mae i though. he was joaIng NV idea of
AorseIiaEshIp was ;ne long loose seat that was
The ISiI0H Iii the Middle SIdtes-toe irst tO,,ch-
Ing The stIrTOI-iron. which dangIed gracefully
upon II, seat maintained almost entirely y hal
ai4cc JACK was on an old Grimsiey saddle a
L4Sh-Teaheu, bra>S-bOund affair. with His, artiI-
IeFH drivers big brass Stlrrup, which Intensified
the apPafeh tWkWaTtness OF his seat. But lack
s4oCciiilS IN his saddle on The march WAS one
thlis, anu JACK In battle, gallopIng over the
most linP-.sS,-Die ground with hand as light as
a. ~Olils1ii ; AID az strong steel, su1t
ana jack IN ali tnc glory OI SIX Jacket aud butf
tops upon u %ciI-httlug hunting saddle WAS still
aiiotLSi. lEch ie ae'siiIic tie bean ideal
% Inc gentleman rider. / have seen :; great
CcsaI vi COCO rough riding from Dennis Ready
and captain Pepper and Clement Ailowzy AMI
Sdptt!n Lives ID the uay OF Pat Me;tuy and
OOAOLue, but such a combination OF the widest
Insanity Of courage and Judgment that could
walt patiently Tor the last SIX strides l have
never seen The marvellous part of il WAS his
faculty OF lnoculatins his horses with Cpssin
W nat the professional OF to-day does with the
highest OTCd ana best scloOled animal that
graduates from the Hat mot the best school
however, for the neid), he did with some scrub
10 VI hars tor,