The Irish standard., 1898-01-08
IRISH BRIGADE BADLY CUT UP.
In Memory of Erin They Wore
Sprigs of Evergreen.
DISPLAY CONSPICUOUS vAL0R
Ennobled the Irish Race By Their
Splendid Gallantry.

| Tho city OF Fredericksburg, Va,
made historic by the memorable battle
fought there on Dec. 13, 1862 is To-
Gated In fertile valley on the right
bank OF the Rappahannock, about fifty
miles north of Richmond The Rappa-
| hammock at the point Is skirted by low
crests of hills, which, on the northern
bank run parallel and close to the
| river. and on the opposite side stretch
| backward from the river, and leave a
| sem1-clrcular plain six miles in length
| and from two to three miles In breadth,
lnclosed within their line before they
again approach the river. Immediately
| above the town tho bluffs are bold and
bare Of trees.
On this range of hills and between
| these spurs, in the second week of De-
ccmbcr, 1862, the confederate army un-
Ger Lee. 10000 strong was posted The
command OF Gen. Lonystrcet occupied
'hat portion of the range in the im-
| mediate Vicinity of Fredericksburg, his
Right resting on Marye's Hill, on tie
| crest Of which was posted Col .. .alton's
far-famcd Washington Artillery. This
| range of hills WAS 80 completely COM
manded that Gen. Longstrcet the day
before received the report from his chief
! OF artillery, Col. Alexander. that "wc
| Will comb 1t as with a fine comb. A
| chicken could not live on that field
when we open fire.
The army of the Potomac was cr-
ganized In the divisions under Gems.
,, Sumner, Hooker and Franklin. 1t was
proposed by Burnside to move on Rich
| mond by way of fredericksburg Ilr-
coin had given Il reluctant consent,
saying tho plan could only succeed IL
| the move was made very quickly How
quickly 1t was Aonc was seen in the
| fact that 1t wns Dec. /, before Burnside
was ready to cross the Itnpahnnnock 1T
Fredericksburg. No serious attempt
was mndo to prevent tho throwing of
the bridges across the river, and tha
| whole of the 18th was spent In cross,
Ing and preparing for the battle next
day, u delay which gave Lee time to
bring Jacksohl's corps to his assist
| aMe. AS Leo was strongly intrenchad
he did not wish to oppose the crossing
of tho river. The attack on the con
fcdcratc left could only be made on
Mnryo's Heights. The dreadful en-
gagcmcnt and the charge of the Irish
Brigade is thus described by Gen.
Thomas Francis Mcughcr, the COM
mander of the Irish Brigade, in his
report to Gen. Durnside:
"a little before o'clock Saturday,
the 18th inst, we received orders to
| full in and prepare instantly to take the
field. Tho brigade being In line. 1
| addressed, separately, to each reg!-
| mcnt Il few words, reminding it of It's
duty and cxhorting 1t to acquit itself
of that duty bravely and nobly to tho
last. Immediately after the column
swept up the street toward the scene
of action, headed by Col. Robert MI
gent, Of tho Sixty-ninth, and his vet
| Gran rcgimcnt-evcry officer and man
! wearing IL splig of evergreen in lis
hat. In memory of the land of his birth.
Emerging from the strect-having
| nothing whatever to protect 1.-THE bri-
| gade encountered the full force and
| fury of the cncmys fire, and unable to
resist or reply to 1t, had to push on to
| the mil-race, which may be described
as the first Of the hostile dcfenses.
|
| Crossing this mill-racc by means of q
| single bridge, divcrging to the right,
we had to dcploy into line of battle.
Tho Sixty-ninth, under Gen. Nugcnt.
being on tho right, had to stand itl
ground until the rest of the brigade
came up and formed.
II directed Col. Nugent to throw out
two companies as skirmishers on the
right flank. This order was being car
ried out, when the other regiments OF
the brigade coming up with brisk
step, and drploying into line of battle,
drew down upon themselves a terrific
| fire. Nevertheless, the line was beau.
tifnlly and rapidly formed, and boldly
| advanced, Col. Nugent leading on the
right, Col. Patrick Kelly, commanding
the Eighty-cighth, being next in line,
both displaying courageous soldership.
Major Joseph O'Neil, commanding
the Sixty-third, was as true that Jay
as he has ever been. His command
took position on the left of the center
of the line. The center was assigned.to
| the Twenty-cighth Massachusetts, COM
manded by Col. Byrne, this regiment
having in its possession the only
green flag under which the Irish Dci-