In Honor Of The Brigade At The Battle of Fredericksburg on St. Patrick’s Day

Mark thank you for posting this in the comments. It is so good I wanted to put it as a post. Thank you so much.
In honor of St Patricks day, a day early since I won’t be at my terminal. To all the Legal Immigrants who made this country possible.
Briefly this was written, after the Battle of Fredericksburg, in honor of the Brigade that put it on the line for their adopted country. Before the Battle General Maehger ordered all of his Brigade to put sprigs of ‘Boxwood’ in their caps, so that the whole world could see that the Irish died facing the enemy. On that fateful day the made 13 assaults on Maryre’s Heights all were dismal failures.

THE IRISH DEAD ON FREDERICKSBURG HEIGHTS
Softly let thy footprints fall,
Upon this holy ground,
In reverence deep,
For those who sleep,
Beneath each lowly mound
Here hath many a noble son,
Of trodden mother land,
Whose joy thro’ life,
Was hope of strife.
For their love of native land.
They came from Carlow’s fertile plains,
And Wexford’s woody vales,
From Innisbowen,
And green Tyrone,
And Wicklow’s hills and dales.
They came to seek amid the free,
Homes to reward their toil,
In which to see
That liberty
Unknown on Erin’s soil.
And well they loved the chosen land;
When menaced was her might,
Each grsteful heart
A willing part
Took in her cause to fight.
And her they lie in unblessed earth,
No kindred eye to weep,
Far, far away,
From the abbey’s grey.
Where the sires and grandsires sleep.
Oh! Many a matron, many a maid,
Mourn in their native isle,
For the dear ones here,
Who no more shall cheer
Their hearts by their gladsome smile.
In many an ancient chapel there,
Nestled on the green hill side,
Will the good priest pray,
On the Sabbath day,
For his boys who in battle died.
Let us offer too, our orisons,
For each of the mayyr band,
Who nobly gave
Their lives to save
The might of their adopted land.
Kate M. Boylan
Jersey City, New Jersey
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1863