A History of the Fighting 69th, the Fighting Irish

After the failed Young Irelanders Rebellion of 1848, many of the movement’s leaders made their way to New York. They sought to form an Irish Brigade to free Ireland from British control, they began to organise independent military companies in New York City. Their intention was to rally Irish migrants who were discontented with British control of Irish affairs. In 1849 these Irish companies were adopted by the state and merged to form an Irish regiment which is the officially recognised beginnings of the 69th Regiment. The Regiment was assigned to the Army of Virginia, after the First Battle of Bull Run, they formed the rear-guard of the Union Army as it made its retreat to Washington. At Malvern Hill the 69th led the charge of the Irish Brigade against the famed Confederate Irish Regiment Louisiana Tigers, leading General Robert E. Lee to call them the ‘Fighting 69th’. They suffered huge casualties at Antitam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. After the Civil War the Fighting 69th became part of the New York National Guard. During World War One, the 69th were shipped to France as part of the American Expeditionary Force, where they witnessed heavy combat with three of their number been awarded the Medal of Honor. During World War II, the regiment served with the 27th Division in the Pacific, taking Makin Island, Saipan and Okinawa. The 69th were among the first military outfits to respond to the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In 2004, the Regiment was deployed to Iraq performing combat patrols in Taji, Radwiniyah and Baghdad.