Irish Jasper Greens Flag Stickers/Magnets

Irish Jasper Greens Flag stickers/magnets based directly off to the militia flag. 

Background:

Before the Civil War, there was a growing population of Irish immigrants coming to Savannah in search of work. To help them feel more a part of their new home, many of these young Irish men got together, and in 1842 they formed their own military unit.

The Irish Jasper Greens, named for Sgt. William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero during the Siege of Savannah, were officially recognized by the state in February 1843. Soon after, they were chosen to represent Georgia during the Mexican-American War in 1846. With no army existing in the South, once Georgia seceded from the Union, these battle-tested veterans promptly volunteered for duty.

During the early months of 1861, the two companies that made up the Irish Jasper Greens helped garrison the river batteries including Fort Pulaski. Fortunately for these men, they were not at Fort Pulaski when it fell under heavy siege in April 1862.

With the fall of Fort Pulaski, the defense of Savannah now moved closer to the city and centered on Fort Jackson. The unit was now stationed at Battery Lee, a large earthen fort built next to Fort Jackson along the Savannah River. Life at Battery Lee, where the Greens served until 1864, was no picnic. Because of the fort's location and poor conditions, illness took more of a toll on the men than did war.

In May 1864, about 200 remaining members of the Irish Jasper Greens were called to Join Gen. Joseph E. Johnson's Army of Tennessee in his attempt to defend Atlanta. The First Georgia Volunteers, which the Greens were a part of, suffered loses during battles at Kennesaw Mountain and Smyrna Church.

Perhaps some of the men killed during this campaign are a part of the reported 28 members of the Greens killed in action and buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah. Two separate monuments stand in the cemetery in honor of these men. The first was dedicated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1904. The second, a statue dedicated in 1910, is believed to stand on the ground where the men killed in action are buried. While there are more than 800 Confederate soldiers buried in Catholic Cemetery, many of which were Irish Jasper Greens, the majority of them were veterans when they died.

Three stickers included in each purchase or one magnet. 

 Artwork produced directly from the original colors by Jim Dunigan.