Postcard from USA
The Irish Brigade at Antietam (Sharpsburg, Maryland — September 17, 1862
On September 17, 1862, at the Battle of Antietam, the solitude of the Maryland countryside was torn apart near Sharpsburg. Northern attacks against Robert E.
Lee’s thin left line failed, and the Federal attack shifted toward the center.
Leading the way was General Thomas Francis Meagher and his “Irish Brigade,” composed of immigrants and displaced Irish nationals. Brave and reckless, they surged toward a road that was ablaze with Confederate muskets. The green flag of the 69th was riddled. Eight color bearers had already fallen, and the Irish green was trailing in the dust. Then Meagher cried out, “Boys, raise the colors and follow me!” Within minutes, the brigade suffered a staggering 60% loss and earned lasting fame for one of the war’s greatest displays of battlefield
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