DOMHNAIGH -- On December 10, 1710, the Irish regiments in the service of Spain fought in the battle of Villaviciosa during the War of Spanish Succession. France and Spain had fought since 1701 to have Louis XIV's grandson, Philip of Anjou, placed on the Spanish throne. They were opposed, however, by the forces of England, Holland, Austria, Portugal and Prussia, who were attempting to place the crown on the head of Archduke Charles, son of Hapsburg (Austrian) Emperor Leopold I.

(Left: Uniforms and colonel’s flag of the Hibernia Regiment.)

The war had been raging across Europe; Italy, Spain and Holland, among other countries, had seen numerous battles. Archduke Charles landed in Spain in February 1704. The battle of Villaviciosa took place as Charles and his allied army retreated from Madrid, which they had managed to hold for several months. Three Irish regiments fought with the Spanish army in this battle, commanded by Col. Don Demetrio MacAuliffe, Col. Don John de Comerford and Col. Don Reynaldo Mac Donnell. This last became known as the Hibernia Regiment. Though all three regiments had fought well, it was later said that the dragoons of Count Daniel O'Mahony, a cavalry commander in Philip's army, as well as those of Marquis de Val-de-Canas saved the battle for Philip by flanking the allies' left and getting into their rear just as it appeared Philip's army had lost the battle. O'Mahony also damaged the allies on their retreat by capturing 700 of their pack mules, laden "with all the plunder of Castile."

CÉADAOIN -- On Dec. 13, 1862, the Irish Brigade of the Army of the Potomac suffered horrendous casualties as they assaulted massed Confederates firing from within a sunken road beneath Marye's Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg.

(Right: Courtesy of Historical Art Prints
Don Troiani's "Clear the Way," showing the 28th Massachusetts advancing its colors against Confederate fire at Fredericksburg.)

The attack, ordered by the new commander of the Army, Gen. Ambrose Burnside, was undoubtedly one of the most ill conceived of the entire war by an army whose staff was famous for ineptitude during the war's first half. Just 3 months earlier, the Irish Brigade had been similarly mauled as it assaulted another Confederate position within a sunken road during the Battle of Antietam. Now, reinforced by the Irish 28th Massachusetts, which had replaced the 'Yankee' 29th Massachusetts, and the 116th Pennsylvania, the Brigade would advance with only one of its signature green banners. After Antietam, the bullet-torn flags of the New York regiments were no longer fit for use and had been returned to the city. Replacements were on the way but did not arrive in time to be carried that day. Only the 28th Massachusetts would carry a green banner up Marye's Heights that day; but that would not be the only green to go into the fight with the Brigade. As they stood in formation in Fredericksburg, with a few Confederate shells falling around them, Brigade commander Thomas Francis Meagher and his staff distributed sprigs of boxwood that the men placed in their caps. Only about 1,200 men began the Irish Brigade's advance toward one of the finest natural defensive positions that either side ever occupied during the war. The Confederate infantry not only had the sunken Telegraph Road at the base of the heights in their favor, but also a stone wall on the side facing the Federals. And the rebel artillery had the heights behind them to fire over their own men and down on the Federal advance. Gen. French's division had already assaulted the position and failed, as had Zook's brigade of Winfield Hancock's division. The Irish Brigade, also in Hancock's division, was next, going in at the double quick, rifles at 'right shoulder shift.' It was more like murder than war, but on the Brigade went, through a maelstrom of shot and shell. The Georgians in the sunken road, many of them also Irish, cut down the Brigade by tens and twenties; great gaps appeared in their ranks until finally they had done all humans could do and they lay down to try to hold their position. The National flag of the 69th would be saved by the color sergeant., who wrapped it around his body under his great coat before he died. One flag would be lost -- a guidon or camp color of the 69th. It was the only flag of any kind that the regiment would ever lose. The Brigade losses would total over 540, about 45%. With some stragglers still making their way back, the entire Brigade numbered barely over 260 men present for duty the next day. When that sad remnant of the Irish Brigade fell in for morning formation on the 14th, Gen. Hancock noticed three privates of the Brigade, standing off by themselves, slow to fall in. 'Damn it, you there," shouted Hancock, "close up on your company!" One of the privates saluted and answered, "Sir, we are a company." "The hell you say," replied Hancock, no doubt saddened and impressed. He straightened up and returned the salute smartly, "As you were."

• Read more about the Irish at the battle of Fredericksburg.

SATHAIRN -- On Dec. 16, 1971, soldier and politician General Richard Mulcahy (left) died in Dublin. Mulcahy was born in Waterford. After being educated in the Christian Brothers schools, Richard went to work for the postal service, like his father before him. He was a member of the Gaelic League and joined the Irish Volunteers soon after they were formed in 1913. During the Easter Rising in '16 he was second in command to Thomas Ashe during the Volunteers' attack at Ashbourne. Mulcahy was arrested and interned at Frongoch. He was released during the general amnesty in 1917 and was soon appointed Chief of Staff of the republican army. He was elected MP from Clontarf in 1918 and was Minister of Defence until Cathal Brugha assumed the post in 1919. Mulcahy worked closely with Michael Collins during the War of Independence and supported the treaty in 1922. He was Chief of Staff of the National army as well as Minister of Defence in the Free State government. He tried very hard to arrange an accommodation with the republican forces to avoid the civil war before it began and then met in September 1922 with de Valera to negotiate an end to the war. When those efforts failed, he vigorously prosecuted the war against the republicans. Following his failed effort with de Valera, he asked for, and was granted, a Special Emergency Powers act which gave him a free hand against the republicans. Between November 1922 and May 1923, 77 republicans would be executed as a direct result of this Act. After the war, Mulcahy remained involved with Irish politics, serving in the Dáil, Senate and in various government ministry posts and was leader of the Fine Gael party through the late 40s and 50s. He retired from politics in 1961 and spent the last 5 years of his life organizing his papers, which he donated to University College, Dublin, before his death.

VOICES

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War An illustration of the stone wall that protected Confederate riflemen firing upon the Irish Brigade.

'It will be a sad, sad Christmas around many an Irish hearthstone in New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.' 
        -- An unidentified officer in the Irish Brigade's 88th New York Infantry quoted in The Irish American newspaper after the battle of Fredericksburg.

'Stand calmly by your posts. Bend bravely and undaunted to your work. Let no cruel act of reprisal blemish you bright honour. Every dark hour that Michael Collins met since 1916 seemed but to steel that bright strength and temper his gay bravery. You are left each inheritors of that strength.'
-- Gen. Richard Mulcahy's message to his army after the shooting death of Michael Collins in 1922

'The Comte de Mahoni (sic) acquired a great deal of glory on the battle-day of Villaviciosa, at the head of the dragoons. The King was so satisfied with him, that he conferred upon him a Commandership of the Order of St. Jacques.'
        -- From the report of the battle of Villaviciosa by a British historian

December - Nollaig

BIRTHS

10, 1605 - John Lee founds the Irish College in Paris.
10, 1710 - Irish in Spanish service fight at the battle of Villaviciosa.
13, 1905 - Críostóir Mac Aonghusa (writer and promoter of the Irish language - Blackwater, Co. Offaly)
14, 1791 - Charles Wolfe (poet and clergyman - Blackhall, Co. Kildare)

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

10, 1822 - Thomas Devin (Union General, son of Irish immigrants - New York City.)
10, 1960 - Kenneth Branagh (Actor and director.)
11, 1809 - The Spanish garrison at Gerona, including the Irish Ultonia regiment, surrender to Napoleon's troops.
11, 1799 - Charles Edward Kilmaine, Gen. in the French army, dies in Paris.
11, 1920 - Black and Tans and Auxiliaries go on a rampage of burning and looting in Cork, following ambush.
12, 1714 - Thadeo O Daly, is appointed a colonel in the Portuguese Army by King Dom Joao V.
13, 1867 - Fenian explosion of Clerkenwell gaol.
13, 1862 - Battle of Fredericksburg (VA) - Irish Brigade attack on the "Sunken Road."
14, 1602 - Red Hugh’s O’Donnell’s brother, Rory, surrenders to Mountjoy at Athlone.
14, 1715 - Irish-born Thomas Dongan, soldier and colonial governor of New York, dies in poverty in London.
14, 1918 - Sinn Fein, pledged to an Irish Republic, wins 73 of 105 Irish MP seats.
14, 1921 - Dial Eireann begins Anglo-Irish treaty debate.
15, 1899 - Irish units of the Boer army face the Dublin Fusiliers, Connaught Rangers and the Inniskillings in the battle of Colenso
15, 1993 - Albert Reynolds and John Major announce that Sinn Fein can enter all party talks if violence ends.
16, 1971 - General Richard Mulcahy, soldier and politician, dies in Dublin.