GDG- 20th Maine vs 137th NY

[AWard61890 at aol.com]

HI,
 
    In my humble opinion, the defense of Ireland and the 137th NY (and the 
rest of Greene's Brigade), was much more important then the actions of the 20th 
ME.  Capt. Gregg of  the 137th NY actually launched a bayonet attack against 
the 10th VA on Culp's Hill.
 
Holding the Baltimore Pike and gaining the rear of the Union Center would 
have been a whole lot more important then holding LRT (which I highly doubt the 
confederate troops could have done even if the 20th ME were pushed back).  
 
We hear a lot more about the 20th because of Chamberlain's writings and post 
war political career. Ireland was an Irish immigrant who died of dysentery 
outside Atlanta in 1864 so his story gets overlooked.
 
I do need to throw a disclaimer in .... I am not anti 20th ME and I do think 
they fought heroically, but so did dozens of other regiments.
 
Andy Ward



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