in the cold grey light of morning after the deal had gone down i awoke and shook all over hoping a dram would bring me round well i stared at the sight all around me dusted blue and faded grey men in heaps were scattered men who fought and died the other day i lived my youth in connemara roving from town to town i shipped on board of the amelia to new york city i was bound not for honor nor for country we killed for three square meals a day off the boat and pack on shoulders gun in hand we re here to stay in fredericksburg we rose to meet them though we knew the price we d pay but the irish brigade will not surrender faugh a ballagh clear the way general meagher he gave the orders up we rise boys charge away the hills were rife with blood and murder as we gouged and tore our way mcmillan s rebels they fired upon us shot and shell buck and ball their green flag rose high above them as ours fell on the battle wall well hand to hand and face to face there a young rebel he charged me in the fray i turned around and my blade went through him i did the devil s work that day for i saw my face there before me in the boy that i mew down he could ve been a friend or brother or another exile from my town three thousand strong rose to fight them in antietam s ripening corn but fredericksburg was our undoing three hundred left to weep and mourn 