COL Byrnes, Richard

Richard Byrnes​

Born: 1832

Birthplace: County Cavan, Ireland

Occupation before War:

1844: Immigrated to the United States from New York​

1851 – 1861: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 2nd​ Cavalry Regiment​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 5th​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1862 – 1864: Colonel of 28th​ Massachusetts Infantry Regiment​

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1862: Regimental Commander in the Battle of Fredericksburg​

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1863: Regimental Commander in the Battle of Chancellorsville​

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1863: Led 265 men onto the field at Battle of Gettysburg​

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1863: Recruiter for his regiment in Massachusetts​

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1864: Irish Brigade Commander in the spring months​

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1864: Mortally Wounded at Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia​

Died: June 12, 1864

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Age at time of Death: 30 or 31 years old

Burial Place: Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, New York

 

[Pollaco]

In some biographical references his surname often appears as Byrnes with an S, in some biographys it's just Byrne. Either way he became a casualty after taking over the Irish Brigade at Spotsylvania and leading an assault at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864.