The Irish Brigade and Its Campaigns, with Some Account of the Corcoran Legion, and Sketches of the Principal Officers

An eyewitness chronological account of Col. (later Brig.-Gen.) Michael Corcoran's 69th New York Volunteers State Militia (Irish Brigade), later Irish Legion ("Corcoran Legion"), the second regiment to leave New York for the defense of the national capital in the American Civil War. Covers the spring of 1861 (first mustering of troops to quell Southern rebellion) through July 1865's disbanding of the unit after the close of the war. Also includes related units such as the Old 69th, 63rd New York Volunteers, 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers (another named "Irish Brigade"), 63rd New York Volunteers, and 88th New York Volunteers. An appendix includes a list of battles in which the 69th and later amalgamated units participated, plus biographical profiles of a large number of officers (several in considerable depth, though some only in a few sentences).
Few brigades of the Civil War can boast of a record as distinguished as that of New York's 69th, yet it has never fully received the attention warranted by its record of military excellence, distinctive reputation, and the unusual perspective its members brought to the Civil War. In fact, the 69th was engaged in nearly every major action of the eastern theater; its military reputation was well deserved and its combat casualties, which were some of the highest of the war, are testimony to the soldiers' collective bravery and patriotism. In his post as war correspondent for the New York Herald, Capt. Conygham was an eyewitness to the many battles on which he reported—some of the experiences he would later describe when writing the history of the Irish Brigade. Conygham's account of the unit is one of the best, filled with vivid accounts of battle, wit and humor, and scrupulously gathered information.

Note: This is an scan of the actual book, to replace the poor-quality ePub version. All-new OCR, much more accurate than the original job by Google Books.