What Brigade lost the most Irish Immigrants in the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863?

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Our friend Damian Shiels poses the question: What brigade lost the most Irish immigrants in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg? The answer may surprise you.

It was not the Irish Brigade.

Damian and I have long tried to expand discussion of the Irish in the Civil War beyond the Irish Brigade or even Irish regiments. Most Irish served in non-"ethnic" regiments. Damian addressed this by looking at the iconic Irish Brigade experience in the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. You know, the fighting right after Fr. Corby offered general absolution to the soldiers.

Damian says that he wanted to look "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."

"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."

Read the rest of this fascinating article here:

http://irishamericancivilwar.com/20...shmen-of-gettysburgs-wheatfield/#comment-4338
 
corby.JPG
 
Are the man laying on the ground and the one with his head thrown back in the foreground wounded, or having some sort of spiritual experience? Do you know Pat? This was before the fighting started, wasn't it?
Thanks for posting the article and the painting.
 
Are the man laying on the ground and the one with his head thrown back in the foreground wounded, or having some sort of spiritual experience? Do you know Pat? This was before the fighting started, wasn't it?
Good Questions. Here is the full painting:

corby3.JPG


There is an apparently dead soldier on the right and the soldier nearest to him appears to be wounded.
 
As for the kneeling man with his head thrown back:

corby6.JPG


I am not so sure. Could be exhaustion. Perhaps he is throwing his head back to pray silently while looking heavenward. Catholics would not have yelled during an absolution or other religious service, so I don't think it was to call out "Amen" or "Hallelujah". He may have a bandaged head. The man to his left is looking at him with some concern.

Maybe I will start a thread on the painting.

Interesting fact: The painter was a 19 year old Notre Dame student.
 
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