88th New York Infantry

88th New York Volunteer Infantry
New York flag
Active	November 1861 - June 30, 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Seven Days Battles Battle of Antietam Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg Battle of the Wilderness Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Battle of Cold Harbor Siege of Petersburg First Battle of Deep Bottom Appomattox Campaign

The 88th New York Infantry was a volunteer regiment in the Union Army's Irish Brigade during the American Civil War.

The regiment was mustered into service in the autumn of 1861 at Fort Schuyler in New York when the government approved the commissioning of an Irish Brigade. Its men were gathered in the states of New York and New Jersey from the various Irish masses of those states.

In the beginning, the 88th was not one regiment, but two. One regiment was originally the 2nd New York Infantry, the other, the 4th, respectively under command of a Colonel Baker and Colonel Thomas F. Meagher, future commander of the entire brigade. The two colonels finally reached an agreement that the two regiments should be combined into one.

When the issue arose of what number the regiment would be given, many arguments began over it. The men eventually settled on the number 88, in honor of the British Army's 88th Connaught Rangers, a unit composed of Irishmen, also where many of the now American troops received their training.

In December of that year, the unit left Fort Schuyler for Virginia. At the time of departure, the unit contained 880 men and officers. Once in Virginia, they made camp for the winter until the next year.

In 1862, the 88th officially joined the Army of the Potomac and fought in the Seven Days Battles, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

The 88th fought at the battles of Gaines Mill, Glendale, Savage's Station, and Malvern Hill during the Seven Days Battles in Virginia.

At the Battle of Antietam, the Irish Brigade was one of the many brigades to charge the famous "Bloody Lane," a road that was sunken down into the ground over years of use, now held by two Confederate brigades. The whole Irish Brigade was armed that day with M1842 .69 caliber smoothbore muskets loaded with buck and ball. The Irish Brigade did not break the Confederate line at the Bloody Lane, but fired round after round of the deadly buck-and-ball into the Confederate troops until exhausting their ammunition. The 88th and the rest of the Irish Brigade suffered 60% casualties that day.

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Wikipedia