Peninsula Campaign

Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula. Siege of Yorktown, Virginia.

Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks

One enlisted man was wounded.

Fair Oaks

One enlisted man was wounded.

Seven days before Richmond

Battles of Gaines’ Mill

About Fair Oaks

Peach Orchard and Savage Station

White Oak Swamp Bridge and Glendale

Malvern Hill

One officer and 18 enlisted men were wounded, 1 officer and 50 men missing.

Maryland Campaign

Battle of Antietam

The regiment was commanded by Colonel John Burke. Captain John Kavanaugh, Lieutenants Patrick Lydon, George Lynch, James Mackay, Henry McConnell, Cadwallader Smith, 1 other officer and 57 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Fowler, Captain Michael O’Sullivan and 134 men wounded, and 2 men missing out of 341 men engaged in the attack on the Sunken Road, or “Bloody Lane.”

When General Meagher was stunned by a fall from his horse Colonel Burke was to take over the brigade. Burke, however, had disappeared. Lieutenant Colonel Fowler took over the regiment but was wounded, leaving command to Captain Joseph O’Neill, who was the only officer not killed or wounded in the attack. After the battle Burke was charged with abandoning his regiment (see October 20).

From the Irish Brigade monument at Antietam:

On 17, September 1862, the Brigade crossed Antietam Creek (9:30 a.m.) at Pry’s Ford. As it formed at the edge of a cornfield Father William Corby, Chaplain rode along the line, giving absolution to the soldiers. The 69th New York occupied the right then the 29th Massachusetts, the 63rd and 88th New York crossing the cornfield, the command encountered a rail fence which was torn down under severe fire an opposing Confederate column advanced within 300 paces of the brigade . After several volleys, the Irish Brigade charged with fixed bayonets. At 30 paces it poured buck and ball into General George B. Anderson’s Brigade (2nd, 4th, 14th and 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiments) which fell back to ‘Bloody Lane’. After fierce combat its ammunition exhausted the Irish Brigade was relieved.

From the brigade marker at Antietam:

Meagher’s Brigade led the advance of Richardson’s Division and, in the field just north of this, became engaged with the Confederate Brigade of Geo. T. Anderson, which was forced to retire to the Bloody Lane.

At this point, Meagher’s advance was checked and a severe contest ensued, but 30 yards separating the opposing lines.

Its ammunition having been exhausted, the Brigade was relieved by Caldwell’s but, later in the day, advanced to a position on the high ground, south of this point, in suport of Caldwell and Brooke.

Battle of Fredericksburg

The 63rd New York Infantry brought 162 men to the field Captain John Sullivan and 6 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, Adjutant James Brady, Lieutenants Richard Moore, William Quick, Patrick Riordon, 2 other officers and 27 enlisted men were wounded and 4 enlisted men were missing.

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.

“Mud March”

Chancellorsville Campaign

Battle of Chancellorsville

Captain John Lynch was killed, 1 enlisted man was mortally wounded, 2 officers were wounded and 2 men missing.

Gettysburg Campaign

Battle of Gettysburg

The battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Charles Bentley. He was wounded on July 2nd and Captain Thomas Touhy took command. The 63rd brought 112 men to the field in two companies (A and B) and lost 5 enlisted men killed, 2 mortally wounded, 1 officer and 7 enlisted men wounded, and Lieutenant Dominick Connolly and 7 enlisted men captured or missing.

From the Irish Brigade monument at Gettysburg:

The brigade entered the battle under command of Colonel Patrick Kelly 530 strong, of which this contingent, composing three battalions of two companies each, numbered 240 men. The original strength of these battalions was 3,000 men. The brigade participated with great credit to itself and the race it represented, in every battle of the Army of the Potomac in which the Second Corps was engaged, from Fair Oaks, Jule 1, 1862, to Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865.

< See Captain Touhy’s Official Report on the Battle of Gettysburg. >

Bristoe Campaign

Auburn and Bristoe

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men wounded and 7 missing

Mine Run Campaign

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

Battle of the Wilderness

Major Thomas Touhy, Captain Peter Boyle, and 21 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 68 men were wounded and 8 missing.

Spotsylvania Court House

Lieutenant James Smart and 11 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 16 enlisted men wounded and 3 missing.

Po River

Assault on the Salient or “Bloody Angle”

North Anna River

Totopotomoy

Cold Harbor

The regiment lost 12 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Captain James Brady, Lieutenant David Rood and 13 enlisted men wounded and 5 men missing.

Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg

Major Miles McDonald and 10 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenant Edward Maxwell and 20 enlisted men wounded and 15 missing

Siege of Petersburg

The 63rd New York Infantry lost 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 25 enlisted men wounded and 19 missing in the nine month siege exclusinve of those listed in the battles below

Jerusalem Plank Road

Lieutenant Patrick Maher was mortally wounded.

Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom

The regiment lost 11 enlisted man mortally wounded, 9 wounded and 1 missing

Ream’s Station

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed.

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run

Watkins’ House

The regiment lost 1 enlisted man wounded

Appomattox Campaign

Captain Edward Carroll and 4 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 4 enlisted men wounded, and 2 men missing in the last two weeks of the war

White Oak Road

Sutherland Station and fall of Petersburg

Captain Edward Carroll was killed.

Sailor’s Creek

High Bridge. Farmville

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.