James A . Mulligan James A . Mulligan ( 1829 – 1864 ) was colonel of the 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War . On February 20 , 1865 , the United States Senate confirmed the posthumous award to Colonel Mulligan of the rank of brevet brigadier general of U . S . Volunteers to rank from July 23 , 1864 , the day before he was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Kernstown , near Winchester , Virginia . He commanded the Federal forces at the First Battle of Lexington in Missouri , and later distinguished himself in other engagements in the Eastern theater prior to his death in battle . Biography . Early life . James Mulligan was born in 1829 in Ithaca , New York . His parents had immigrated from Ireland , and his father died when he was a child . His mother remarried a Michael Lantry of Chicago , Illinois , and moved there with her son , who later attended the Catholic College of North Chicago . From 1852 – 54 Mulligan read law in the offices of Isaac N . Arnold , U . S . Representative from the city . He was admitted to the bar in 1856 , and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the " Chicago Shield Guards " . Raising the Irish Brigade . At the onset of the Civil War , Mulligan raised the 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861 , which was locally known as the " Irish Brigade " ( not to be confused with a New York unit by the same name ) . This unit included the " Chicago Shield Guards " . In September 1861 , he led his troops toward Lexington , Missouri , as word had been received that this vital river town would be attacked by the pro - Confederate Missouri State Guard under Major General Sterling Price . Battle of Lexington . The Battle of Lexington , often referred to as the " Battle of the Hemp Bales " , commenced on September 13 , 1861 , when 12 , 500 soldiers of the Missouri State Guard began a siege of Mulligan ' s diminutive command ( only 3 , 500 in all ) , entrenched around the town ' s old Masonic College . On September 18 , Price ' s army mounted an all - out assault on Mulligan ' s works , which failed . Cannon fire continued throughout the 19th . On the 20th , units of Price ' s army used hemp bales soaked in the Missouri River as a moving breastworks to work their way up the river bluffs toward Mulligan ' s headquarters . By 2 : 00 p . m . , Mulligan had surrendered . Combined casualties were 64 dead , and 192 wounded . Price was reportedly so impressed by Mulligan ' s demeanor and conduct during and after the battle that he offered him his own horse and buggy , and ordered him safely escorted to Union lines . Camp Douglas . Colonel Mulligan was commander of Camp Douglas , a prisoner of war camp at Chicago , IL , between February 25 , 1862 and June 14 , 1862 . The camp had been constructed as a short term training camp for Union soldiers but was converted to a prisoner of war camp for captured Confederate soldiers after the fall of Fort Donelson , on February 16 , 1862 . One in eight of the prisoners from Fort Donelson died of pneumonia and various diseases . The camp became infamous for its inhumane condition and large death toll . Colonel Mulligan may have been a poor administrator , but unlike some later commandants , he had made efforts to improve conditions at the camp which were hampered by an inadequate budget and bureaucratic indifference . He may have been influenced in his effort to improve conditions at the camp by his treatment by General Price after he was captured at Lexington , MO . Middle Department duty . Colonel Mulligan and his regiment were assigned to the Railroad Division of the Middle Department between December 17 , 1862 and March 27 , 1863 . Then they were assigned to Brigade 5 , Division 1 , VIII Corps in the Middle Department between March 27 , 1863 and June 26 , 1863 . Fort Mulligan . Between August and December 1863 , Mulligan oversaw the construction of Fort Mulligan , an earthworks fortification located in Grant County , West Virginia . Confederate Major General Jubal Early would later pay tribute to Mulligan ' s engineering skill after occupying the fort during his Valley Campaigns of 1864 . This fort remains one of the best - preserved Civil War fortifications in West Virginia , and has become a local tourist attraction . Battle of Leetown . On July 3 , 1864 , only three weeks before his death , Colonel Mulligan distinguished himself in the Battle of Leetown , fought in and around Leetown , Virginia between Union Major General Franz Sigel and Confederate Major General Jubal Early . Federal troops were retreating in the face of Early ' s relentless advance down the Shenandoah Valley during his Second Valley Campaign . Hoping to buy time to concentrate Union forces and supplies , Sigel ordered Mulligan to hold Leestown for as long as humanly possible . The colonel was only allotted two regiments of infantry ( including his old 23rd Illinois ) , five pieces of artillery , and 1 , 000 dismounted cavalrymen ; he would face six Confederate infantry divisions , five brigades of cavalry and three battalions of artillery . Mulligan was told to expect no help whatsoever ; he was to hold as long as possible , then conduct a fighting retreat as slowly as possible to cover the other withdrawing Union units . The battle began at 6 : 00 a . m . on the morning of July 3 when Major General Robert Ransom , in command of Early ' s cavalry , ordered Brigadier General Bradley T . Johnson to attack at Leetown . At the same time another cavalry unit charged 600 Union cavalry stationed at Darkesville , while 1 , 100 Confederate cavalry under Brig . Gen . John McCausland swung around the Union force at North Mountain and Williamsport Road , capturing the North Mountain Depot . Colonel Mulligan led his minuscule force out of their trenches after Johnson ' s initial charge , driving the attackers back upon the divisions of Generals Robert Rodes and Stephen D . Ramseur . Although the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion , Mulligan managed to hold Early ' s main force at Leestown for the entire day before being compelled to give way — albeit very slowly . Mulligan continued to battle Early all the way from Leestown to Martinsburg , Virginia , buying valuable time for Union commanders to concentrate their forces in the Valley . Death . On July 24 , 1864 , Mulligan led his troops into the Second Battle of Kernstown , near Winchester , Virginia . Late in the afternoon , Major General John B . Gordon ’ s Confederate force attacked Mulligan ' s 1 , 800 soldiers from ground beyond Opequon Church . Mulligan briefly held off Gordon ' s units , but Confederate Major General John C . Breckinridge , a former U . S . Vice President , led a devastating flank attack against the Irishmen from the east side of the Valley Pike . Sharpshooters under Confederate Major General Stephen D . Ramseur then attacked Mulligan ’ s right flank from the west . Now encompassed on three sides , the Union battle line fell apart . With Confederates closing from all around , Mulligan ordered his troops to withdraw . As he stood up in his saddle to spur his men on , Southern sharpshooters concealed in a nearby streambed managed to hit the Union commander . Mulligan ’ s soldiers endeavored to carry him to safety , but the unyielding Confederate fire made this an impossible task . Mulligan was well aware of his situation , and the danger his men were in , and so he famously ordered : " Lay me down and save the flag . " Mulligan ’ s men reluctantly complied . Confederate soldiers captured Mulligan , and carried the mortally - wounded Colonel into a nearby home , where he died two days later .