Battle of Secessionville

The regiment suffered 67 casualties in a charge through an impassible bog, including Sergeant John J. McDonald, carying the colors.

Battle of Groveton

Second Battle of Bull Run

The regiment suffered 135 casualties, including Lieutenant Colonel George W. Cartwright, who was wounded, and Lieutenant William Flynn, who was killed. Captain Andrew A. Caraher of Company A took command of the regiment.

Battle of Chantilly

The regiment took part in a charge led by General Isaac Stevens that ended in a torrential thunderstorm, with General Stevens killed. It suffered 99 casualties, including Lieutenant Alexander Barrett, who was mortally wounded.

Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Captain Andrew A. Caraher, the regiment lost 18 killed, 40 wouned and 1 missing in fighting near Burnside’s Bridge, including Lieutenant Nicholas Barrett, who was killed.

From the War Department marker for Christ’s Brigade along Rodman Avenue on the Antietam battlefield:

On the morning of the 17th Christ’s Brigade was in reserve on the eastern slope of the ridge on the left bank of the Antietam, nearly opposite the Burnside Bridge.

About 2 P.M., after Sturgis’ Division had carried the bridge, the Brigade crossed and, following the stream and road to Sharpsburg, filed to the right where the course of the former diverged to the east and formed line on the narrow plateau at the foot of the bluff southeast of this point. After the formation of the Corps line, the Brigade advanced, under a heavy fire from Cemetery Hill and the high ground west of the road, to within a few yards of this point where it was checked. After a short delay the 79th New York advanced as skirmishers and compelled the Confederate Artillery to retire. The Brigade was about to move forward, when the attack of A.P. Hill on the left of the Corps obliged it to fall back to the Antietam, where it remained until the evening of the 18th, when it was relieved by Morell’s Division of the Fifth Corps.

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 32 killed or mortally wounded, 116 wounded, 1 captured and 11 missing of the 416 men engaged in the attack on Marye’s Heights. Lieutenents Edwin Weller, William Holland and John Sullivan were killed and Major Andrew Caraher and Captain Charles Sanborn were wounded.

After the charge General Edwin Sumner rebuked a soldier for not being in company formation. The soldier responded, “This is all my company, sir.”

The regiment is honored on a monument to the Irish Brigade on the Fredericksburg waterfront at the City Dock. From the monument:

While posted here in the early morning of Dec. 13, 1862, the men of the Irish Brigade placed sprigs of boxwood in their caps in honor of their Irish heritage. Later in the day, they took part in the futile assaults against confederate positions on Marye’s Heights. After the battle, the Union dead closest to the Confederate positions wore sprigs of boxwood in their caps.

At Falmouth

Lieutenant Colonel Cartwright returned to the regiment after recovering from his Bull Run wounds. Ten captains and lieutenants resigned due to the ongoing discipinary struggle with Colonel Byrnes, who had brought in several replacement officers from outside the regiment.

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment suffered 26 casualties, mostly in helping to save from capture the guns of the 5th Maine Battery.

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Richard Byrnes. It brought 265 men to the field, losing 8 killed, 57 wounded and 35 missing in fighting in the Wheatfield and around the Stony Knoll.

Auburn and Bristoe

The regiment suffered six casualties in skirmishes during the retreat from Auburn Hill

Skirmish at Robinson’s Tavern along Plank Road

The regiment lost nine men charging taking a line of rifle pits

Battle of the Wilderness 

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Cartwright, the regiment lost 24 killed, 81 wounded and 8 missing, including Cartwright, who was severly wounded, and Captains James McIntyre and Charles Smith, who were killed. Major Andrew Lawler asumed command.

The regiment lost 3 killed, 5 wounded 2 captured and 1 missing to artillery fire while digging in after crossing the river.

Spotsylvania Court House

The regiment lost 21 killed, 74 wounded, 8 captured and 3 missing, including Captain James Magner, who was killed.

Assault on the Salient

The regiment lost 62 men in the attack on the “Mule Shoe”

Second Assault on the Mule Shoe

The regiment lost 42 men, including Major Lawler and Captains William Cochrane and James Magner, all killed or mortally wounded.

Totopotomoy

Under the command of Captain James Fleming, the regiment lost 13 men in picket skirmishing.

Cold Harbor

Under the command of Captain James West, the regiment lost 48 men, including Captain West, who was killed. Colonel Byrnes, commanding the brigade, was mortally wounded, dying in a Washington hospital on June 12. After the battle the regiment had less than 100 men fit for duty commanded by Lieutenant John B. Noyes, with only one other lieutenant.

First Assault on Petersburg

The regiment lost 19 men.

Jerusalem Plank Road

The regiment lost 12 men repulsing a Confederate attack.

Deep Bottom

Commanded by Captain Fleming, the regiment led the brigade in turning the Confederate left flank, capturing four 24pounder Parrott Rifles while suffering only founr men lost.

Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom

The regiment lost 15 men in a demonstration against a Confererate battery, including Captain Nolan, who was killed.

Charles City Cross Roads

The regiment lost 18 killed and 22 captured

Ream’s Station

The regiment lost 10 killed and 24 captured or missing after repulsing three Confederate attacks, being forced back from its breasworks, and then regaining them in a counterattack.

Hatcher’s Run or Boydton Road and White Oak Road

The battalion lost 17 men killed and 53 wounded capturing outer Cofederate picket lines in preparation for a breakthrough attack, including Major Fleming, who was wounded, and Lieutenant Thomas Parker, who was killed. Captain Patrick Black took over the battalion.

Sutherland Station and fall of Petersburg

The battalion lost Captain Black and five other men wounded in its last action of the war, capturing 150 Confederate prisoners, two cannon and a battle flag.

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.