The Irish standard., 1909-05-08
THE SECRETARY OF WAR ACTED D|SC0URTE0USLY
London Punch Goated Over the Destruction the Brave
Irshmen Who Lost Their Lives on
the Battefields.

Some of the Brigade fell. but the others
seized the ropes and dragged the
guns with them, General Meagher all
the time directing the movement. AS
the Irish Brigade advanced through,
the road they met tho 14Oth Pennsyl-
vania, with one Of the guns which they
were unable to carry for want of help.
Here the remnant OF the Irish Brigade
for 1t numbered only $40 men going
into action-did good service; for,
had the rebels seized the battery and
turned it upon our army, regular
panic might have ensued.
AS the Irish Rrisade reached the
plain at the end of the wood, General
Hancock rode up to General Meagher,
and very elnphatically called out:
General Meagher. you command the
retreat" Thus did the men of the
Irish Brigade enact tho scenes Of
Gaines Hill over again; and by their
opportune presence at this critical mu----
diN tIVIi lhutlIItdDN; TeSOIuClOn
prevent a. temporary panic from de-
generating into an utter and irremedi-
able defeat. or the $50 men of thu
Irish Brigade led into action, only $50
appeared next morning.
Previous to the battle of Chance-
lorsvlllc General Meaghcr asked per-
mission of the War Department to bo
allowed to como to New York to re-
cruit his command The following is n
copy OF the brave generals appeal for
justice sent tn Secretary Stanton on
Feb. ~. 1858:
"To the Honorabc Secretary of War:
Sir: 7 have The honor to request
that three regiments of the Brigade I
command may be ,nporarly relieved
from duty in the field. make this
application for TIL: following reasons:
"The Brigade NORMALLY consists Of
five rcgimrnts--tl1c 69th n. y, SSth
N. " 63d n. y, 18th Penn. and the
18th Mass. The aggregate strength is
made UP of 1879 officers and 1,O5S EN-
listed men. The e9tii, 88th and SD
arc the three original old regiments.
They left the city Of New York in No
vembcr and Decembcr 1861, 2O50
strong. The battle of Fair Oaks was
the first battle in which these regi-
mcnts fought. They did severe duty
before Richmond, this duty requir-
ing them to defend the front Of tho
army at Fair Oaks. throw up extensive
carthworks, perform duty every third
day, support the command ofMaj. Gen.
Hooker on three occasions when he
was forcibly pressed bv the enemy, and
ultimately fastening to the relief and
covering. In conjunction with the Bril-
gade commanded by Brig. Gen. French,
the retreat of the army corps under
Maj. Gen. Porter at Gaines Mill.
'On the retreat Of the Army of the
Potomac from before Richmond this
Brigade participated in the battles OF
Peach Orchard, Savage's Station,
White Oak Swamp, Glendale and Mall
vern HILL First in the advance OH the
march through Maryland to Antietam,
they supported Mat. Gen. Hooker at
South Mountain, and two days after
were conspicuously engaged in the
great attack which compelled the en-
eny to recross the Potomac.
"The records of the Brigade. thus
far. close with the day on which the
assault was made on the enemy's lines
and batteries. and all his redoubts and
fortified works and heights in the rear
of Fredericksburg. No history, how
ever wildly and powerfully written.
could do more than these plain and
stern statistics do in attestation of the
cordial loyalty and devotion unto
death of this Brigade, in the good and
glorious cause in which it stayed it's
reputation.
"Iie confines himself to the respect
full duty of directing the attention Of
the Secretary Of War to the fact that