Dispatches From Gettysburg
Irish America Marks The Battle's 135th Anniversary
"Out on the field, the pyrotechnics were going off, the cannon roared
incessantly and we heard the gun chiefs and battery commanders bellowing
orders: "Prepare to fire by battery!" and so forth. My head began to hurt from
the concussions of the blasts. Two companies down, in the 69th NY Co. A's
ranks, I heard Chaplain Rob Carter (I think it was him) praying the "Hail
Mary" out loud over and over and over. And it went on. And on. And on. . . ."
-- Sgt. Kevin O'Beirne, 155th New York Infantry (July 6, 1998)
GETTYSBURG, PA. -- The United States was not the only country whose natives were
killing each other at Gettysburg. Irish-born soldiers by the thousands as well
filled the ranks and the graves -- of the armies of both North and South at
the momentous battle.
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Photo by Kevin O'Beirne
Federal infantrymen defending the "Stone Wall" lay prone as the Federal batteries behind them begin to fire en masse upon surging Confederates at the 135th anniversary portrayal of "Pickett's Charge." |
Inspired by the battle's 135th anniversary, we set out to explore the Irish facet of this decisive moment in the history of the American republic with daily reports sent worldwide during the battle's recent re-enactment. The July 3-5 event drew more than 100,000 spectators over the course of its three days, perhaps as many as 20,000 re-enactors, hundreds of horses, and 135 full-scale cannon. Among the participants was "The Irish Volunteers," who assembled a battalion of 300 men to portray various Irish units engaged at Gettysburg.
Scores of participants required medical attention for their exertions in Gettysburg's legendary summertime heat and humidity. One participant, Confederate re-enactor Clinton W. Epps, was accidentally shot in the neck by a re-enactor from France. Fortunately, he is recovering. In the midst of this mayhem. WGT's correspondents worked quietly at the scene, traveling with the troops, fully partaking of the event's considerable exertions, and sending back daily reports.
We gathered their reports and sent them via e-mail to our more than 500 e-mail update subscribers even before the re-enactors answered the battle's call the next day. Our coverage, with its focus on the Irish-American experience, resulted in nearly 10,000 words of colorful narrative and commentary contained in 20 dispatches. Replete with more than 15 photographs, period illustrations and features on several notable Irish figures who fought at Gettysburg, our "The Irish Battle at Gettysburg" section offers a unique and colorful perspective of the Irish emigrant in America.
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| Lt. Patrick Craddock, of Cleburne's Brigade |
WGT Editor Joe Gannon, 1st sergeant of the 27th Connecticut Infantry, and five others volunteered for the rather arduous reporting duties amid the event's rugged conditions, heat and humidity. The team was led on the field by Charlie Venturi, of Bristol, Ct., who used the nom de plume "Dooley," one of Venturi's Irish forebears. Also sending dispatches were Irish Brigade Association mainstay Charlie Laverty; John Concannon, national archivist for the Ancient Order of Hibernians; Patrick Craddock, of Cleburne's Brigade, offering a Confederate perspective; and Kevin O'Beirne, sergeant with the 155th New York Infantry (Corcoran's Legion), who reported on the Irish Volunteers battalion's portrayals of Irish units in the battle scenarios. Venturi collected the others' dispatches and filed them over a pay phone to us at our New York City headquarters.
The re-enactors wrote, each evening near exhaustion, under considerable hardships.
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| A portion of a dispatch by WGT correspondent Kevin O'Beirne. |
This is evident from looking at their work, handwritten, in pencil, on paper torn from notebooks. Their dispatches are soiled with sweat and grime and what seems like blood in one instance. There is a startling realism, intimacy and immediacy found in their words, and they paint marvelous word-pictures.
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| "Dooley" |
"Dooley," in particular, covered himself with glory. He gathered the dispatches from the far-flung correspondents, in the process suffering bloody blisters while walking the width and length of the miles-long camps. Charlie's grit was inspirational. On one occasion, he waited an hour to use one of the event's five pay telephones. By the time he got through, it was too dark to read the dispatches so he called them in early the next morning.
The spirits of Irish notables who fell at Gettysburg " -- James McKay Rorty, James F.X. Huston, Patrick O'Rorke, and all Erin's slain -- inspired everything these "living historians" undertook during this extraordinary weekend.
Our correspondents' reports offer a mix of excitement, pathos, esprit, joy, humor and great sadness. They took the field with their emotions and senses at a sharp edge, honed by years of study and experience re-enacting. Their dispatches speak of their personal quests to bring to life -- and better understand themselves -- the experience of the Irish who preceded them on those killing fields.
We've never swerved from our old green flag
Upborne o'er many a bloody plain;
'Tis now a torn and tattered rag,
But we will bear it proudly oft again.
-- 'Song of the Irish Brigade' (1863)
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THE PREPARATIONS
IRISH REGIMENTS ADVANCE ON GETTYSBURG
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT WITH THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS BATTALION
HAMBURG, N.Y., Wednesday, July 1 (1998), 8 p.m.
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| The seat of war, from the New-York Daily Tribune shortly before the battle. |
The largest group of Irish living historians in reenacting, the Irish Volunteers Battalion, is on its way to Gettysburg for the landmark 135th Anniversary reenactment of the greatest battle in American history. The Battalion, which puts 250-300 of its own men into the field, will portray several roles during four different battles that will occur over the course of the 3-day reenactment. For the weekend, the Irish Volunteers will be commanded by Colonel Kevin Air of Arlington, Virginia; Air is the man who founded the Battalion in early 1994. Second-in-command will be Lt. Col. Steven Eames, of Maine, and third-in-command will be Major Brian O'Connor of Rochester, New York. The Irish Volunteers Battalion expects to field the following numbers from its member units:
28th Massachusetts (Irish Brigade), Cos. A, C, & H (from New England): Approximately 90 men in 3 companies; Major Steven Eames, Commanding.
155th New York (Corcoran Legion), Co. I (from Buffalo, NY): Approximately 55 men in 2 companies; Captain Larry Wagner, Commanding.
28th Massachusetts (Irish Brigade ), Co. B (from Virginia): Approximately 40 men; Colonel Kevin Air, Commanding.
140th New York (O'Rorke's Regiment), Co. B (from Rochester, NY): Approximately 40 men; Captain Brian Bennett, Commanding.
69th New York (Irish Brigade), Co. A (from New York City): Approximately 30 men; Captain Ronald McGovern, Commanding.
23rd Ohio Volunteers, Co. B (from Youngstown, OH): Approximately 12 men; Lieutenant John Brown, Commanding.
28th Massachusetts (Irish Brigade), Cos. B & K (from England and Ireland): Approximately 12 men; Lieutenant Tony MacKenna, Commanding.
In addition, the Battalion will be joined by a group of three non-Irish units from Maine that will add approximately 40 additional men to the roster for the weekend.
The Irish Volunteers' schedule for the three day event is as follows:
Thursday, July 2
10:00 a.m. Camp Layout Complete. Members commence set-up of camps.
Friday, July 3
a.m.: Battalion Drill
4:00 p.m.: Day 1 Battle "Heth, Buford, Ewell, the Iron Brigade" - Irish Volunteers will portray the non-Irish I Corps 16th Maine Regiment.
9:00 p.m.: Irish Volunteers Camp - Fenian meeting.
Saturday, July 4
10:00 a.m.: Day 2 -- "The Wheatfield" -- The Irish Volunteers will re-create the Irish Brigade's charge, marching under the reproduction flags of the 28th Massachusetts and 69th New York.
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| Col. Patrick O'Rorke |
2:00 p.m.: Day 2 -- "Little Round Top" -- The Irish Volunteers will portray the 140th New York, a unit commanded by Colonel Patrick H. O'Rorke, of County Cavan. The 140th saved the Federal right flank on Little Round Top.
7:00 p.m.: Catholic Vigil Mass in the camp of the Irish Volunteers. Father Mike Kelly, 28th Massachusetts, Co. B, is the celebrant, assisted by Deacon Robert Carter, S.J., 69th New York, Co. A.
Sunday, July 5
AM: Battalion Drill
10:00 a.m.: Catholic Mass.
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| Col. Dennis O'Kane |
1:30 p.m.: Day 3 -- "Pickett's Charge" -- Irish Volunteers will portray Dennis O'Kane's Irish 69th Pennsylvania, a "Green Flag" regiment that was part of the 2nd Division, 2nd Corps. The Irish Volunteers will be joined in this scenario by the re-created 69th Pennsylvania from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Battalion will portray hard-fighting regiments in each of its battles during the weekend:
The 16th Maine, a non-Irish unit, was stationed on the I Corps flank on Day 1 of the battle of Gettysburg. After valiantly defending their ground, the 16th Maine was cut off and surrounded, losing 80% of its men, but the regiment's soldiers tore their flags to shreds rather than allow their capture; the Irish Volunteers will have reproduction Maine flags to destroy in the battle reenactment.
The Irish Brigade, reduced to only 10% of its original strength by the time of the battle of Gettysburg, charged through the Wheatfield on the second day of the battle and drove a numerically superior forces of South Carolinians back several hundred yards, until supporting units retired and compelled the Irish Brigade to retreat as well; the tiny brigade went into battle with only 530 men in five battalions and sustained 40% casualties.
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| Headlines from the New-York Daily Tribune just before news that the battle had begun. |
The 140th New York, a regiment that was 25% Irish, charged without orders up and over Little Round Top and saved the Federal position. The 140th lost 133 men in the fight, including their Irish colonel, Patrick O'Rorke, who was killed at the head of his regiment.
The 69th Pennsylvania, after fighting well during the second day's fighting, saw its heaviest action at Gettysburg during Pickett's Charge. The 258 Irishmen from Philadelphia were stationed directly in front of the Copse of Trees that was the principal objective of Pickett's Confederates. The 69th never retreated one inch during the battle, although Rebel troops lapped over both their flanks when supporting regiments gave way, and the unit sustained over 50% casualties, inclduding their gallant commander, Colonel Dennis O'Kane, who was mortally wounded.
In summary, wherever the Irish of the Union army fought at Gettysburg, there will be the Irish Volunteers Battalion
to carry on their memory and ensure that their actions are not forgotten. Irish Volunteers Battalion camps will be campaign-style (no tents) in the woods, in a fashion similar to the way the real soldiers at Gettysburg lived during those terrible three days in July 135 years ago.
Throughout the course of the event, periodic updates on Battalion actions, as well as lists of battle casualties (if they can be compiled) will be forwarded by your Faithful Correspondent. I urge your readers to have no fear for the safety of the glorious Green Flags which the good people of New England, New York, and Buffalo have entrusted to our care. As we have in so many other battles in the past, the Irish Volunteers shall proudly bear the harp-bedecked Green Banner of Ireland aloft amidst the shot and shell of Secession, until our gallant band of survivors shall bring them once more home.
THE ADVANCE
ON TO GETTYSBURG
A LATER DISPATCH FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT WITH THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS BATTALION
HAMBURG, N.Y., JULY 2, 9 a.m. (1998)
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| Brevet Sgt. Kevin O'Beirne |
Within a few short hours, I leave for the Gettysburg reenactment. What goes through the mind of a veteran reenactor at such a time? First, loading the vehicle needs to be done with a semblance of organization. That's easy to do because my pards ("buddies", in modern-day terminology) with whom I'm travelling have a reenacting philosophy similar to mine: "travel light and carry only what the real soldiers of 1863 carried."
I have one 5-lb wool blanket tied to my knapsack, which is packed as light as possible -- in there are just one extra shirt, socks, drawers, and a small journal-book, additional ammunition, and some food. There is no tent packed with our gear. I have my "traps" -- cartridge box, canteen, belt with bayonet, and haversack, loaded with three-days rations, hardtack and coffee, mostly. My Enfield rifle-musket is by the door, and my uniform is in a bag nearby. There is little in that gear to distinguish me as an "Irish" reenactor. I carry a rosary and scapulas in a small bag in my haversack, but that's about it. The rosary, especially, gives great "comfort" when on one's way into battle. Live like the real soldiers did. Try to honor their memory with dignity by emulating their actions as closely as possible -- that's the ticket.
| Around dark, the headquarters orderly will encase the green regimental colors |
When we get to the reenactment site, things will probably be a zoo -- traffic jams, mainly, as thousands of participants' cars crowd on to the same small rural backways to get to the site. Once we find the reenactor parking and ditch the car, that's when the "experience" begins, as we don our uniforms and traps and become Irish-American soldiers for the weekend. We may have a bit of a time finding where the Irish Volunteers Battalion is encamped, but we'll get there without too much trouble (after all, the loads we're carrying are as light as possible -- we're veterans, after all). Once you get in the vicinity of the camp, the Irish Volunteers are usually easy to pick out because Colonel Kevin Air often flys a harp-bedecked green banner over his headquarters' fly.
Once we pick out a spot to bivouack in the Irish camp for the evening, then the experiences begin. Lads from other companies in the Irish Volunteers stopping by just to say "hello" (the Irish of 1998 still have a reputation as being a camp where conviviality reigns), to trading old "war stories" of the last reenactment, and settling in for the night.
One will hear coming from around a few of the Irish Volunteers' campfires a few songs from the Emerald Isle, and quiet laughter as the logs pop and crack. Around dark, the headquarters orderly will encase the green regimental colors in their canvas holder until they are unfurled again on the morrow. Soon, the boys will turn in. In the
morning it's two-plus hours of hard battalion drill (the Irish Volunteers of today, just like those of old, are known for precision drill), and then once more into battle on Friday afternoon.
On to Gettysburg!
Your faithful correspondent
-- Kevin O'Beirne, Sergeant, 155th New York State Volunteers, Irish Volunteers Battalion
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