Tag: 69th New York Infantry

Wikipedia says: The 69th New York Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. It is from New York City, part of the New York Army National Guard. It is known as the “Fighting Sixty-Ninth”, a name said to have been given by Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. An Irish heritage unit, as the citation from poet Joyce Kilmer, illustrates, this unit is also nicknamed the “Fighting Irish”, immortalized in Joyce Kilmer’s poem When the 69th Comes Home.

…The 69th Infantry Regiment traces its Civil War honors through three units, the 1st Regiment of the Irish Brigade (69th Infantry New York State Volunteers (NYSV) (1st Regiment of the Irish Brigade)), the 182nd New York Volunteer Infantry (69th Artillery, serving as infantry, the 1st Regiment of Corcoran’s Legion) and the 69th National Guard Infantry (State Militia). The Irish Brigade was noted for its ability to tackle tough missions. As one war correspondent said during the Civil War, “When anything absurd, forlorn, or desperate was to be attempted, the Irish Brigade was called upon.”

Bull Run

The 69th New York Militia was called up and sent to Washington in April 1861. After engaging in the assault in the First Battle of Bull Run, the regiment, along with the Fire Zouaves, formed the rear-guard of the Union Army and protected it as it made its retreat towards Washington. The commander, Col. Michael Corcoran, was taken prisoner during two charges at a Confederate artillery battery. Besides their colonel and second-in-command, the 69th sustained losses of 41 officers and men killed, 85 wounded, and 60 prisoners. Thomas Francis Meagher, Captain of the regiment’s Zouave company, was promoted to colonel. The immense painting commemorating this, “Return of the 69th (Irish) Regiment” by Louis Lang, is on display at the New York Historical Society.

The Seven Days

After 90 days of service, the 69th New York State Militia was mustered out and re-enrolled as the 69th New York State Volunteers. Meagher proposed the creation of an Irish Brigade in which the 69th would form the first regiment. Meagher was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the new brigade. The “Irish Brigade”, then 3,000 strong, saw heavy action during the Seven Days battles.

Malvern Hill and Antietam

At Malvern Hill, the 69th led the brigade in a charge against advancing Southern troops. The 69th forced the retreat of the famed Confederate Irish Regiment Louisiana Tigers, an event for which General Robert E. Lee gave the regiment its nickname, “The Fighting 69th”. Later, in both World War I and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 69th and the Louisiana Tigers fought side by side against a common enemy.

At Antietam, General Meagher personally led the 69th as the Irish Brigade charged the Sunken Road. They fought for three hours and made five charges against dug-in Confederate forces at the Sunken Road. Fighting became hand to hand as the 69th charged into Confederates lines. Eight color-bearers were shot down. General Meagher had his horse shot out from under him and he was carried unconscious from the battlefield. Suffering devastating casualties, the 69th withdrew. They suffered 60% casualties.

Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg

The regiment was virtually destroyed in its uphill attack on the well-prepared Confederate positions on Marye’s Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg, suffering more casualties than they had at Antietam. Tragically, Confederate defenders at Mayre’s Heights consisted of the 24th Georgia Regiment which was made up of Irish immigrants. Though they were also Irish, the 24th Georgia Regiment repelled their Irish counterparts fiercely. Afterward, the audacity of the attack was saluted with a rousing cheer by the Confederate defenders. The salute came with a price. The 69th lost 512 out 1,000 men and they lost 14 out of 15 officers. The day after the battle, the 69th was issued its famed “2nd Colors”, one set of which was later given to the Oireachtas by John F. Kennedy on the centennial of the battle.

After Chancellorsville, only 300 men remained in the regiment. General Meagher resigned as commander of the Irish Brigade, stating that “the brigade ceased to exist.” The 69th’s commander, Patrick Kelly was named as the new commander of the brigade.

At Gettysburg the regiment, vastly outnumbered, held the Wheatfield until it was overwhelmed. At the Wheatfield, using their smooth-bore muskets loaded with buck and ball and advancing rapidly, they were initially able to drive Confederate forces back. Other Confederates were advancing, however, and maneuvered around the flanks of the Irish Brigade. Receiving devastating fire on two sides, they were forced to withdraw. Out of 75 men in the regiment that entered this fight, 5 were killed in action, 14 were wounded, and 6 were listed as missing.

Petersburg and Appomattox

Following Gettysburg, the Irish Brigade ceased to exist as a functioning unit and was disbanded in June 1864. The depleted ranks of the 69th Regiment were filled with new volunteers and draftees from New York’s Irish ghettoes. At the end of the summer of 1864, the 69th rejoined its Irish comrades as 1st Regiment of the 2nd Irish Brigade. The brigade served until the end of the war and was present at the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox. Out of more than 2,000 regiments that served with the Union Army, the 69th lost more men than all but six regiments.

Return and reconstitution

The regiment marched in the Washington, D.C. victory parade and returned to New York. All the regiments of the Irish Brigade were disbanded except the 69th, which remained part of the New York National Guard. The 69th remained a place of unity and culture for Irish Americans in the post-war years. It was called into active service in 1898 for the Spanish–American War, transported to Chickamauga, Georgia, Tampa, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama, but it did not see combat due to the brevity of that war. In 1916, the regiment was posted to McAllen, Texas, along the Mexican border during the Punitive expedition.

Officers of the 69th

Officers as of November 1st 1861:

Snr. Staff.

Col. Robert Nugent (Commanding Officer)

Lt. Col. James Kelly (Second in Command)

Maj. James Cavanagh

Adj. James J. Smith

QM. Dennis F. Sullivan

Surgeon J. Pascal Smith

Asst. Surgeon James A. Reed

Chaplain Thomas Willet

Company Commanders

A Company, Cpt. James Saunders

B Company, Cpt. Thomas Leddy

C Company, Cpt. Jasper Whitty

D Company, Cpt. Timothy L. Shanley

E Company, Cpt. William Benson

F Company, Cpt. James E. McGee

G Company, Cpt. Felix Duffy

H Company, Cpt. James Lourey

I Company, Cpt. Thomas Scanlins

K Company, Cpt. J. P. McMahon