Meagher's Irish

As one of the newer and most vivid tributes on the battlefield, the monument to the Irish Brigade was dedicated in 1997. Commanded here by the Irish-born and enthusiastic Brigadier General Thomas F. Meagher, the brigade included the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York Infantry Regiments (all recruited in New York City), and the 29th Massachusetts. Leading Richardson's Division, the Irish Brigade went into battle with emerald green flags. Attacking the Sunken Road (Bloody Lane), this famed fighting unit sustained 540 casualties (113 killed, 422 wounded, 5 missing). During the action, Meagher was supposedly left stunned and had to be carried from the field after his horse had been shot from under him.