Col. Michael Corcoran, at the Battle of Bull Run, Va. - July 21st 1861. : The desperate and bloody charge of the "Gallant Sixty-Ninth," on the Rebel Batteries.

At the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia, on July 21, 1861, Colonel Michael Corcoran led the famed 69th New York State Militia, the Gallant Sixty-Ninth,” in a desperate charge against well-fortified Confederate batteries. Fierce and bloody fighting followed as the Irish regiment pressed forward under heavy fire, their determination earning admiration even in defeat. Though the Union army was ultimately driven from the field, the bravery of Corcoran and his men became legendary, symbolizing both the sacrifice and resolve of immigrant soldiers who rallied to the Union cause in the war's opening year.