The cornerstone of the new Armory was laid April 23, 1904, the forty-fourth anniversary of the departure of the regiment for the Civil War. This splendidly equipped building, from a military standpoint, on the west side of Lexington Avenue, between 25th and 26th Streets, was completed within two years. It occupies the entire front on the Avenue, extending in depth over 300 feet, and is provided with every modern requirement. On October 13, 1906, the regiment left its old armory over Tompkins Market, and made its formal entry into its new home, on which occasion it was escorted by the 7th Regiment, the Old Guard, 1st and 2d Batteries of New York, and the 9th Regiment of Boston, that justly renowned Irish-American Military organization of the old Bay State.

At the Dinner given by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the evening of May 20, 1902, in honor of the representatives of the government of the French Republic, at the unveiling of the Rochambeau Statue at Washington, the delegates were escorted by the 69th to Delmonico’s. In response to a toast, Admiral Fournier of the French Navy said: “The 69th Regiment reminded me by its very appearance of a crack French regiment on parade.”

CAPTAIN JAMES CONNOLLY,
of Coronado, Cal.
Vice-President of the Society for California.

Again on the 17th of March, 1905, the regiment escorted the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt to the 121st Annual Dinner of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the first appearance of Mr. Roosevelt at any public function in his native city after his installation in the high office of President of the United States for the term for which he had been elected. In his address upon that occasion President Roosevelt said:

“I wish to express at the outset my special sense of obligation—and I know that no one present will grudge me doing so—my special sense of obligation to Colonel Duffy and the officers and men of the 69th, who were my escort today. I shall write Col. Duffy later making formal acknowledgment to the regiment of my appreciation, but I wish to express it thus fully tonight.”

Colonel Duffy commanded the regiment during the Spanish War and for many years after its discharge from the service of the United States and return to its position in the National Guard of the State. He is entitled to great credit for the energy, industry and persistency with which he labored, happily successfully, to secure for the regiment the new armory into which he had the pleasure of leading it. Colonel Duffy enlisted as a private in Company “E,” June 3, 1867; promoted Corporal May 14, 1868; Sergeant, September 10, 1868; First Lieutenant, March 14, 1871; Regimental Adjutant, December 31, 1874; Major, September 10, 1875; Lieutenant Colonel, March 25, 1896; Colonel, April 13, 1898, and was brevetted Brigadier General August 14, 1903, for long and meritorious service, and after forty-two years of continuous service was retired, at his own request, in 1909, with the rank of Brigadier General, since which time the regiment has been under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Louis D. Conley, a young officer of experience and capacity, who is zealously laboring to maintain the high record of the regiment for efficiency.

A grave injustice has resulted for years owing to the defective records of the Adjutant General’s Office, no mention appearing therein of the services rendered during the Civil War by the 69th Volunteers of the Irish Brigade or of the Irish Legion. These omissions are about being supplied, as appears from the following letters, composing a part of a correspondence upon the subject, and as it is a most interesting matter of recent occurrence, I give them in full as kindly furnished me by the courtesy of Colonel Conley:

“Sixty-Ninth Regiment Infantry National Guard, New York,

“68 Lexington Avenue,