Book excerpt: When President Lincoln issued his 1861 call to arms, the 63rd, 69th and 88th New York Volunteers were among the first to step forward. Comprised primarily of first and second generation Irish immigrants, these three regiments were later joined by the 28th Massachusetts and the 116th Pennsylvania. Suffering heavy casualties, this Irish Brigade, commanded by Thomas Francis Meagher, was one of the most famous fighting groups of the Civil War. This work provides a balanced, historically factual picture of the Irish Brigade and its commander, focusing on their role in the Seven Days' battles and at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Primary sources range from veterans' memoirs published just after the war to letters and memoirs published as recently as 1996.