Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg is the bloodiest battle in terms of Irish losses, and one in which they got the most recognition. There would be two battles fought in Fredericksburg seperated by five months. The first was fought on December 11-5, 1862 and the second was fought on May 3, 1863 with nearly 200,000 soliders involved, "no other battle would featre a larger concentration of soldiers." The 2nd brigade's entire role in the first battle was the charge of Marye's Heights. During the first battle of Fredericksburg their were 12,600 Union Casualties compared to 5,300 Confederate. 2/3 of those casualties were from Mayre's Heights. The Heights wouldn't be taken then and five months later the hieights would be taken by the Union army, but would then lose the heights the next day. The battle would have far reaching implications as the amount of casualties sustained, and General Burnside saying the charge was a "distraction" for the greater assault on the union left flank, would cause many Irish in New York to believe the Union used them as cannon fodder or meaningless casualties.
"'Officers and men fell in rapid succession,' wrote Lt. Col. St. Clair Mulholland of the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers. "Lieutenant Garrett Nowlenfell with a ball through the thigh. Major Bardwell fell badly wounded; and a ball whistled through Lieutenant Bob McGuire's lungs. Lieutenant Christian Foltz fell dead, with a ball through the brain. The orderly sergeant of Company H wheeled around, gazed upon Lieutenant Quinlan, and a great stream of blood poured from a hole in his forehead.'No cheers or wild hurrahs as they moved towards the foe," remembered Mulholland. 'They were not there to fight, only to die."
"Union soldiers had to leave the city, descend into a valley bisected by a water-filled canal ditch, and ascend an open slope of 400 yards to reach the base of the heights. Artillery atop Marye's Heights and nearby elevations would thoroughly blanket the Federal approach. Sumner's first assault began at noon and set the pattern for a ghastly series of attacks that continued, one after another, until dark. As soon as the Northerners marched out of Fredericksburg, Longstreet's artillery wreaked havoc on the crisp blue formations. The Unionists then encountered a deadly bottleneck at the canal ditch which was spanned by partially-destroyed bridges at only three places. Once across this obstacle, the attackers established shallow battle lines under cover of a slight bluff that shielded them from Rebel eyes.Orders then rang out for the final advance. The landscape beyond the canal ditch contained a few buildings and fences, but from the military perspective it provided virtually no protection. Dozens of Southern cannon immediately reopened on the easy targets, and when the Federals traversed about half the remaining distance, sheets of flame spewed forth from the Sunken Road. This rifle fire decimated the Northerners. Survivors found refuge behind a small swale in the ground or retreated back to the canal ditch valley.Quickly a new Federal brigade burst toward Marye's Heights and the "terrible stone wall," then another, and another, until three entire divisions had hurled themselves at the Confederate bastion. In one hour, the Army of the Potomac lost nearly 3,000 men; but the madness continued."
Casualty List December 11th
63rd- 3 officer killed, 16 enlisted man killed, 12 officers wounded, 115 enlisted men wounded, 12 enlisted missing.
69th- 2 officer killed, 33 enlisted men killed, 14 officers wounded, 70 enlisted men wounded, 9 enlisted missing.
88th- 4 offciers killed, 8 officers wounded, 111-4 killed and wounded enlisted men 50.3 % casualty rate.
(Important to note that wounded includes fatally as many woudln't survive.)