This front line Louisiana unit from Robert E. Lee`s Army of Northern Virginia was involved in the thick of the fighting in the East in virtually every battle. Its hard service included Stonewall Jackson`s Valley Campaign, The Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. After recuperating, the Bloody 6th went on through the horrendous battles of 1864, the long siege of Petersburg, and the sad drama of Appomattox Court House. Jim Gannon, a journalist and former editor with the Wall Street Journal, has spent years mining libraries and research facilities. The result is a book grounded on a treasure trove of journals, diaries, newspaper accounts and letter collections, all of which combine to recount the 6th Louisiana`s history from the bottom up . Thus, in addition to the battles and marches, we learn who these men were, where they came from, how they were raised for service, and the importance of their Irish heritage to their lives and belief systems. Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers comes alive through the words of its foot soldiers and line officers, staffers, and generals.