7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
| 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry ("Irish Seventh") | |
|---|---|
| Active | June 1861 to December 17, 1864 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Battle of Port Gibson Battle of Raymond Battle of Champion Hill Battle of Big Black River Bridge Siege of Vicksburg, May 19 & May 22 assaults Battle of Bogue Chitto Creek |
The 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, commonly known as the "Irish Seventh", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1864 a battalion of veteran volunteers of the "Irish Seventh was consolidated with a sister Irish regiment, the 30th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (the "Shamrock Regiment") and operated as a "demi-brigade" known popularly as the "Missouri Irish Brigade"
The 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry was organized at St. Louis, Missouri, in June 1861 and mustered in for three years service. It was often referred to as the "Irish Seventh" given the large number of Irish immigrants who were enlisted in its ranks.
The regiment was a special project supported by the Federal commanders in Missouri, Brigadier General William S. Harney and Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon. Most of the volunteers in Missouri's early regiments were German immigrants, and Lyon supported the creation of a regiment recruited from St. Louis' Irish-American population to demonstrate that the Union cause in Missouri had support beyond the German-American community. Many St. Louis Irish (the second largest immigrant community in the city) were ambivalent about the new Republican Party and Federal military action against seceding states. In addition, Irish Americans were strong participants in the pre-war Missouri Volunteer Militia, and many resented the May 10, 1861 Federal arrest of the Militia for suspected secession activity. The 7th Missouri was intended to attract ethnic-Irish support by focusing on the Irish community's "ownership" of the regiment, and make a public political statement by demonstrating that there were Irish Unionists in Missouri.
Like other ethnically Irish regiments during the Civil War, the "Irish Seventh" carried a distinctive green regimental color. An article in the July 12, 1862 Boston Pilot described the flag, stating that on one side the flag featured the: "Irish harp, guarded by a savage-looking wolf dog, surrounded by a wreath of shamrocks, surmounted by an American eagle, and supported on either side by flags and other implements of war. A golden halo shoots out and over the whole. On the other side is a 'sunburst' in all its glory, with the Irish war cry as a motto - 'Faj an Bealac![sic]"
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