The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-02-08
THE IRISH BRIGADE.

Among the many military orgatll-
cations in New York fifty years or
more ago, there were several compa-
nies exclusively of Irishmen. In two
of these membership could be attained
only by men who were born in Ire
land, but there were other Irish com
panies where the term "Sous of Ire
land" included American born de-
scendants of Irish parents.
The Irish organizations grew rapid
ly, and In 1851, were consolidated and
formed into a regiment which received
the numerical designation "6o."
When the Civil war broke out in 1861,
it was looked upon as one of the best
regimental organizations in New
York.
The term of service for which the
Goth enlisted was three months, but
In that time it took part in the battles
of Blackbnrn's Ford and Bull Run.
s.Axauv suzrnhers of the s6okh-were can
tured in the latter bloody light, the
colonel being one of the number.
The regiment returned from the front
in August, and a few days after it
was mustered out of the service an
order was issued by the War Depart
ment for the organization of an Irish
brigade. Under this call eight
hundred members of the GOTH enlis-
ted for three years in the GOTH Regi-
ment New York Volunteers, and
went to the front under the command
of Colonel Robert Nugent, with James
Kelly as lieutenant colonel and James
Cavanaugh as major. The other
New York regiments in the brigade
were the 63d and 68th. The 28th
Massachusetts, and the roth Pennsyl-
vania were added to the Irish Brigade,
with two batteries, commanded by
Captains Hogan and Mcmahon.
The brigade fought in twenty-one
battles. and a number of lesser engage
ments, and while our army was de-
feated in a number Of those battles,
and driven from the field, the 6oth
was never routed nor thrown into
panic.
In its long term it lost IS officers
and 246 men killed, total 25o, while
86 men died of disease, accident, etc.,
and So died in prison, of starvation
and exposure, while confined in a
treeless inclosure, without shelter
winter or summer. Its total deaths
were 4o1 while its wounded numbered
536, and its missing 2o4, making
total of I,I4o, number far greater
than were ever present with the regi-
ment at any one time. A number
of its missing later returned to its
ranks, but most of them were never
accounted for and were no doubt bur-
led en- its many battle fields, in un-
known graves. Young Irish lads
from home, were continually joining
the regiment as recruits.
The regiment never lost a color,
though 1t captured many. At Antie-
tam, then In Richardson Division OF
the second corps, 1t fought at the
s'bloody line," where eight of its
color bearers were successfully shot
down. At Fredericksburg, the color
bearer of the Goth was found dead
with the colors concealed. wrapped
around his body, a bullet having
pierced the colors and his brave yonng
heart. In that battle, the GOTH lost
IS officers and I22 men killed and
wounded, out of I8 officers and 2Io
men engaged.
The Goth lost more men killed,
than any other regiment from the
state of New York. OF the 2,ooo
regiments serving in the war, only
six lost more men killed than the 6oth,
and had the fate of its 2oI missing
been known it is probable its killed
would not have been exceeded by any
other regiment.
The records of all European wars,
have nothing to compare with the
soldierly character ofthe young Irish
men, who followed the colors of the
Goth. The Goth was brigaded through
the entire war in what was well
known in the Army of the Potomac,
as the Irish brigade. 1t was composed
of the 63d, 6oth and Ssth New York,
28. Massachusetts,, and 10th Pennsyl
vania. all Irish regiments. Itwas the
best known of any brigade organiza'
ton In the entire army, it having
made an unusual reputation for dash
and gallantry. It belonged to the
first division of the Second Corps,
and was numbered as the Second Bri
| gade. The brigade lost over 4,ooc