The Sprig of Green ~ Joseph Bradford!
Came across this one by accident and hadn't heard of it before. It tells the story of an Irishman at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 and the Irish Brigade's assault on the Confederate lines on Marye's Heights which ended in a decisive victory for the South. Incredible back story to it as well whichever side you believe. I know I've mentioned or remarked on it before but given the number of Irishmen who fought on both sides in this war there is very little mention of them here on this side of the Atlantic or indeed the part they played in the American War of Independence. Strange you might say! But I'll leave that to the historians. There were Irish Brigades in almost every war you could think of over the past few centuries, which brings me to an excerpt from a poem by Emily Lawless.
'War battered dogs are we
Fighters in every clime
Fillers of trench and of grave
Mockers, bemocked by time
War-dogs hungry and grey
Gnawing a naked bone
Fighters in every clime
Every cause but our own'
Emily Lawless
1845 - 1913
Clare Coast 1710.
With the Wild Geese
*The above video was loaded by Dirigo History Project and with thanks.
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