When the sun set on the second day of the battle of Gettysburg, the fate of the Union right flank lay in the hands of a single regiment – Col. David Ireland’s 137th New York Volunteers. Now came the real test of their courage, discipline, and determination. Would they break and run, like many other volunteer regiments had done at Chancellorsville? No. They fought as they had been trained by Col. Ireland and held position against all odds, and so preserved the Union right on Culp’s Hill that night.
Ordinary men, led by their remarkable commander David Ireland, became an extraordinary regiment that tipped the tide of battle at Gettysburg, Wauhatchie, and Lookout Mountain. In September 1864, Ireland’s men entered Atlanta, insuring Lincoln’s reelection. With Sherman in the March to the Sea, they captured Savannah and marched through the Carolinas to the end of the war. Writings of more than thirty men of the 137th NY, their commanders and opponents, provide a first-hand view of the regiment’s 15 battles and 2000 miles of hard-marching. Fields of Fame and Glory may at last bring them deserved fame – they long ago earned the glory.