The Fighting 69th
The Fighting Sixty Ninth

Nowadays The Fighting 69th is an infantry regiment of the US Army. The history of this regiment starts during the Great Famine in the 1840's when countless poor Irish families emigrated to the United States.
In contrast with their wealthier predecessors these immigrants were not welcome. They has a hard time finding jobs and houses and were blamed for epidemic diseases. Aversion turned into hate and in November 1851 Irish immigrants in New York founded a militia to protect their homes and families. Eventually this militia became known as the Fighting 69th. Many fled members of Young Ireland, among them Thomas Francis Meagher, also known as Meagher of the Sword, joined this regiment.
The first feat of arms of the Fighting 69th was the North American Civil War. From that time on the regiment has been deployed in numerous hotspots all over the world.

The Irish roots of the regiment, although the unit is fairly low on immigrant Irish nowadays, are still to be seen in the Regimental Cocktail: one part whiskey on three parts of champagne. The story is that this cocktail was born when there was no Vichy water available to mix the whiskey with.

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The Fighting 69th / The Fighting Sixty Ninth

Come all you gallant heroes,
And along with me combined
I'll sing a song,
it won't take long,
Of the Fighting Sixty Ninth
They're a band of men brave,
stout and bold,
From Ireland they came
And they have a leader to the fold,
And Cocoran was his name

It was in the month of April,
When the boys they sailed away
And they made a sight so glorious,
As they marched along Broadway
They marched right down Broadway,
me boys,
Until they reached the shore
And from there they went to Washington,
And straight unto the war

So we gave them a hearty cheer,
me boys,
It was greeted with a smile
Singing here's to the boys who feared no noise,
We're the Fighting Sixty Ninth

And when the war is said and done,
May heaven spare our lives
For its only then we can return,
To our loved ones and our wives
We'll take them in our arms,
me boys,
For a long night and a day
And we'll hope that war will come no more,
To sweet America

So we gave them a hearty cheer,
me boys,
It was greeted with a smile
Singing here's to the boys who feared no noise,
We're the Fighting Sixty Ninth

So farewell unto you dear New York,
Will I e'er see you once more
For it fills my heart with sorrow,
To leave your sylvan shore
But the country now it is calling us,
And we must hasten fore
So here's to the stars and stripes,
me boys,
And to Ireland's lovely shore

And here's to Murphy and Devine,
Of honour and renown
Who did escort our heroes,
Unto the battle ground
And said unto our colonel,
We must fight hand to hand
Until we plant the stars and stripes,
Way down in Dixieland

So we gave them a hearty cheer,
me boys,
It was greeted with a smile
Singing here's to the boys who feared no noise,
We're the Fighting Sixty Ninth

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