More Irish than the Irish: The Forgotten Irishmen of Gettysburg’s Wheatfield
Discussion of the Irish at Gettysburg is dominated by the Irish Brigade. Their contemporary and post-war fame– together with their striking battlefield monuments– have contributed to this continuing focus. As the most famed ethnic Irish formation of the conflict, their actions at Gettysburg have arguably even eclipsed those of the 69th Pennsylvania Infantry, the green flag unit which as a single regiment sustained substantially more mortal casualties than the entire Irish Brigade during the fighting. It may surprise some readers to learn that even within Gettysburg’s Wheatfield sector, where the Irish Brigade fought, they were not the formation to suffer the most Irish-born fatalities. Indeed, it is possible that they may actually be placed third when it comes to that dubious distinction.
I have discussed in many posts how a continuing focus on ethnic Irish units, particularly the Irish Brigade, has served to narrow both popular and historical discussion of the Irish during the American Civil War. Though storied formations like the Irish Brigade deserve attention, it is important to remember that the vast majority of the Irish in uniform served in non-ethnic formations; if we wish to fully examine topics surrounding the Irish experience, it is to these men and their families that we have to turn. In order to explore the degree to which these ethnic regiments and brigades have the capacity to dominate memory, I decided to look specifically at the Wheatfield sector on Gettysburg’s Second Day, and two other brigades that contained large numbers of Irish. The results of that analysis reveal that if we want to properly discuss the Irish experience in and around the Wheatfield– particularly in terms of losses– we have to look beyond the Irish Brigade. Our gaze must also fall upon the men of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division of the Union Fifth Corps: the United States Regulars who entered the fight under the command of Colonel Sidney Burbank.
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The grave of Private John Conway at Gettysburg National Cemetery. A native of Doon, Co. Limerick, he was mortally wounded on 2nd July 1863 while serving with the 11th United States Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Corps (Find A Grave:OPPSheryl)
The Irish Brigade that advanced into the Wheatfield in the late afternoon of the 2nd July 1863 was by that point in the war a much reduced force of just over 530 men. By the time their fight at Stony Hill and eventual retreat from the Wheatfield was over, some 32 of them had been killed or mortally wounded– the Brigade suffered c. 37% casualties. As the Irishmen and their division were forced back by the Confederates, it was the United States Regulars who were called upon in an effort to stem the Rebel tide. Specifically, the two brigades of Regulars that formed part of the Fifth Corps’ Second Division (a division which also included Paddy O’Rorke’s 140th New York Infantry). The First Brigade under Colonel Hannibal Day consisted of the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 12th and 14th United States Infantry, amounting to more than 1500 men in total. Their companion brigade– which would lead the way at Gettysburg– was much smaller. Colonel Sidney Burbank’s Second Brigade was made up of the 2nd, 7th, 10th, 11th and 17th United States Infantry, and counted a little over 900 men in the ranks. Between them, Day and Burbank had hundreds of Irishmen under their command. (1)
Like the Union Navy (which was 20% Irish-born), the United States Regular service had long been a traditional source of employment for Irish emigrants. Immediately prior to the war it was dominated by Irishmen, and during the conflict 20% of all Regular enlistments were Irish. By the time these soldiers were thrown into the fight late on Gettysburg’s Second Day, there was little they could do to stem the Rebel push. From their position near Little Round Top, Burbank’s men, supported by Day’s, were directed into the Plum Run Valley and towards the Wheatfield. By the time they crossed Plum Run they began to take flanking fire from Confederate’s in Devil’s Den, but continued on towards their objective. Both brigades made it to a stone wall to the east of the Wheatfield, where they witnessed elements of Caldwell’s division (which included the Irish Brigade) being forced back by the attacking Rebels. Burbank’s men went in, with the left of their line moving through a stretch of Rose’s Woods, the right wheeling into the Wheatfield itself. Within minutes there were Confederates on their flank and threatening their rear; after a brisk firefight they had little option but to retrace their steps back to the stone wall. Still the enemy came on. With Southerners moving further to the right the Regulars risked being cut off, and both brigades now had to continue their retreat back from whence they had come. Recrossing Plum Run as Confederate bullets plunged into them from three sides, the orderly fashion in which they conducted their retreat was long remembered by those who witnessed it. Eventually they reached the cover of their own artillery, who commenced firing over their comrades’ heads to stem the ardour of the pursuing enemy. All told, the two Regular brigades had spent less than an hour in the Wheatfield sector. Day’s men had not even had an opportunity to directly confront the enemy, spending their time in reserve and retreat. Despite this, their losses were severe. Day’s Brigade suffered over 25% casualties, Burbank’s smaller formation a crushing 47%. Of these men, how many were Irish? (2)
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Officers of the 14th United States Infantry photographed in 1862 (Library of Congress)
Using John W. Busey’s work on the Union dead of Gettysburg as a baseline, I sought to uncover how many of the Regulars who were killed or mortally wounded at Gettysburg were Irish-born. Bear in mind that this is not a measure of how many of the Regulars regarded themselves as ethnically Irish-American, so is naturally an underestimate of that figure. It is immediately evident from looking at those who died that a number of the American, English and Canadian-born dead of Burbank’s and Day’s brigades were from Irish communities. Busey identified the birthplaces of a large number of the Regular dead, analysis which I have supplemented with additional research into the U.S. Army Register of Enlistments and Pension Files (Tables 1 & 2 below). This demonstrates that at a minimum 57 Irish-born men were killed or mortally wounded with the Regulars on Gettysburg’s Second Day. This figure may be as high as 63 (when those with Irish surnames but with no known nativity information are included). (3)
Of the total, 25 of the Irish-born fell in Day’s First Brigade. Busey identifies 97 total fatalities associated with the Brigade, making the Irish-born percentage almost 26%, or just over one in four. To reiterate, this is an underestimate of ethnic Irish/Irish-American losses, as it does not include those of unidentified nativity and those from Irish families born outside Ireland. The total ethnic Irish figure may well exceed the fatalities in the Irish Brigade (32), and are certainly comparable to them. More detailed analysis of the First Brigade’s slightly more than 1500 men is required to determine how many were Irish American, but again, it may well be comparable to the full size of the Irish Brigade, perhaps slightly fewer. The details of these Irish-born are included in Table 1 below. (4)
NAME
REGIMENT
AGE
OCCUPATION
BRIGADE
COMPANY
COUNTY
Sullivan, Patrick
3 United States Infantry
21
Peddler
1 Brigade
I
Cork
Sullivan, Peter
3 United States Infantry
28
Laborer
1 Brigade
F
Longford
Tighe, Patrick
3 United States Infantry
35
Laborer
1 Brigade
I
Leitrim
Beaty, James
3 United States Infantry
38
Soldier
1 Brigade
B
Galway
Pyne, John
3 United States Infantry
20
Tailor
1 Brigade
I
Clare
Carroll, Michael
4 United States Infantry
30
1 Brigade
H
Tipperary
Larkin, John
4 United States Infantry
21
Farmer
1 Brigade
K
Derry
McDonald, Roger
4 United States Infantry
29
Shoemaker
1 Brigade
H
Cavan
Patterson, Richard
4 United States Infantry
26
Laborer
1 Brigade
H
Clare
Reilly, John
4 United States Infantry
28
Soldier
1 Brigade
K
Dublin
McManaman, Peter
4 United States Infantry
41
Soldier
1 Brigade
H
Mayo
Donoghue, John
6 United States Infantry
26
Laborer
1 Brigade
G
Galway
Fenton, William
6 United States Infantry
21
Shoemaker
1 Brigade
H
Cork
Lennon, Joseph
6 United States Infantry
35
Soldier
1 Brigade
D
Dublin
Donovan, Michael
12 United States Infantry
18
Farmer
1 Brigade
D
Cork
Kenney, Daniel
12 United States Infantry
25
Farmer
1 Brigade
C
Offaly
Rogers, Hugh
12 United States Infantry
29
Soldier
1 Brigade
D
Derry
Cavanagh, Daniel
14 United States Infantry
20
Laborer
1 Brigade
G
Roscommon
Degnan, Patrick
14 United States Infantry
22
Laborer
1 Brigade
G
Leitrim
Eagin, James
14 United States Infantry
21
Laborer
1 Brigade
D
Offaly
Horan, Barney
14 United States Infantry
1 Brigade
D
Offaly
McManus, James
14 United States Infantry
21
Painter
1 Brigade
F
Fermanagh
Mulligan, Thomas H.
14 United States Infantry
25
Mason
1 Brigade
A
Longford
Murray, Thomas
14 United States Infantry
31
Carpenter
1 Brigade
F
Longford
Rooney, Martin
14 United States Infantry
18
Laborer
1 Brigade
F
Unknown
Table 1. Identified Irish-born dead of First Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps (Busey 1988 & Shiels 2018).
The same analytical technique was used to assess the losses in the Second Brigade. Of the slightly more than 900 men of Burbank’s Brigade, Busey identifies 134 who lost their lives. My work has confirmed a minimum of 32 of these men as Irish-born (again, not ethnically Irish/Irish American). This is just under 24% of the total, again some one in four. This figure matches the fatalities experienced by the Irish Brigade, but it should be noted that the Irish Brigade figure is a global one, not all of them were necessarily Irish-born. When one considers that it is improbable that more than 50% of Burbank’s men were Irish American (indeed likely somewhat fewer), it is clear that the Irish Regulars of the Second Brigade suffered a significantly higher real and proportional loss in the Wheatfield sector than did the Irish Volunteers of the Irish Brigade. The details of the Second Brigade Irish-born are included in Table 2 below.
NAME
REGIMENT
AGE
OCCUPATION
BRIGADE
COMPANY
COUNTY
Cooly, John
2 United States Infantry
33
Laborer
2 Brigade
B
Mayo
Cooper, John
2 United States Infantry
23
Laborer
2 Brigade
H
Laois
Selmon, John
2 United States Infantry
24
Laborer
2 Brigade
H
Limerick
Willis, John
2 United States Infantry
25
Laborer
2 Brigade
K
Tyrone
Hare, John
2 United States Infantry
32
Laborer
2 Brigade
I
Down
Stanton, James
2 United States Infantry
35
Boatman
2 Brigade
H
Mayo
Connolly, John
7 United States Infantry
21
Laborer
2 Brigade
I
Roscommon
McBride, Bernard
7 United States Infantry
21
Laborer
2 Brigade
B
Monaghan
Mee, John
7 United States Infantry
47
Soldier
2 Brigade
E
Galway
Wilson, William
7 United States Infantry
35
Turner
2 Brigade
E
Antrim
Gill, Michael
7 United States Infantry
30
Soldier
2 Brigade
I
Longford
Keenan, John
7 United States Infantry
29
Soldier
2 Brigade
A
Monaghan
Craig, James
10 United States Infantry
26
Soldier
2 Brigade
K
Down
Crotty, John A.
10 United States Infantry
42
Soldier
2 Brigade
D
Waterford
Davis, William R.
10 United States Infantry
26
Housepainter
2 Brigade
H
Cavan
Fenaughty, Michael
10 United States Infantry
26
Bugler
2 Brigade
G
Limerick
McGorman, Owen
10 United States Infantry
27
Soldier
2 Brigade
D
Offaly
McKenny, Peter
10 United States Infantry
29
Laborer
2 Brigade
G
Down
O’Keefe, Michael
10 United States Infantry
23
Shoemaker
2 Brigade
H
Tipperary
Kennedy, Michael
10 United States Infantry
26
Soldier
2 Brigade
D
Meath
Carlen, Michael
11 United States Infantry
27
Farmer
2 Brigade
E
Unknown
O’Keaffe, John
11 United States Infantry
21
Laborer
2 Brigade
F
Unknown
Roach, John
11 United States Infantry
22
Shoemaker
2 Brigade
G
Cork
Conway, John
11 United States Infantry
21
Laborer
2 Brigade
F
Limerick
Rochford, Henry
11 United States Infantry
28
Soldier
2 Brigade
Waterford
Cahill, William
17 United States Infantry
25
Farmer
2 Brigade
H
Unknown
Duffy, William
17 United States Infantry
26
Laborer
2 Brigade
D
Unknown
Landers, Michael
17 United States Infantry
27
Laborer
2 Brigade
H
Unknown
McNamee, Barney
17 United States Infantry
35
Laborer
2 Brigade
B
Unknown
Mehan, Patrick
17 United States Infantry
34
Laborer
2 Brigade
C
Unknown
Downey, John
17 United States Infantry
21
Carpenter
2 Brigade
D
Dublin?
McHugh, James
17 United States Infantry
23
Shoemaker
2 Brigade
B
Unknown
Table 2. Identified Irish-born dead of Second Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps (Busey 1988 & Shiels 2018).
The purpose of this analysis has not been in any way to diminish either the history, service or actions of the Irish Brigade, who rightly remain a major focal point for those interested in the Irish experience of the American Civil War. But at least 180,000 Irish-born served under Union arms; when those of non-Irish birth who considered themselves part of Irish American communities are included, the ethnic Irish contingent in the Federal military must have substantially exceeded 200,000 men. We cannot hope to understand the experience of these individuals, their families and their communities until we explore in detail the majority who did not serve in ethnic formations. The trials of the Irish U.S. Regulars in the Wheatfield sector serve as a case in point– theirs is demonstrably a story that should form an integral part of our discussion, analysis and memory of Irish involvement on this portion of the Gettysburg battlefield.
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The view across Plum Run towards the Wheatfield from Little Round Top. This was the ground traversed by the U.S. Regulars on 2nd July 1863 (Damian Shiels)
(1) Busey 1988: 64, 116, 118, 135, 221, Gottfried 2012: 118, 258, 260; (2) Johnson 2012: 202, 295, Pfanz 1987: 295-302,Gottfried 2012: 258, 260; (3) Busey 1988, US Army Register of Enlistments, Widows Pensions; (4) Busey 1988;
References
U.S. Army Register of Enlistments.
Civil War Widow’s Pensions Files.
Busey, John W. 1988. These Honored Dead: The Union Casualties at Gettysburg.
Gottfried, Bradley M. 2012. Brigades of Gettysburg: The Union and Confederate Brigades at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Johnson, Mark W. 2012. “Where are the Regulars?” An Analysis of Regular Army Recruiting and Enlistees, 1851-1865. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University at Albany, State University of New York.
Pfanz, Harry W. 1987. Gettysburg: The Second Day.
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