BELATED recognition of one of the greatest Scottish-born heroes of the American Civil War has been accorded to Colonel David Ireland who is being commemorated by having a highway named after him in New York State.

The Colonel David Ireland Memorial Highway is in Binghamton, New York, the county seat of Broome County near the border with Pennsylvania.

It is near to a "historical marker" – equivalent to a blue plaque in the UK – unveiled in June at the site of the former Camp Susquehanna where Ireland trained the 1,000 men of the 137th New York Volunteer Infantry.

Born in Forfar in 1832, Ireland emigrated to New York City as a young child because his father, to whom Ireland was apprenticed, had gone to work there as a tailor.

With the threat of war looming, Ireland joined the local militia, the 79th Cameron Highlanders, and in May, 1861, the regiment was mustered into the service of the Union side in the Civil War.

They became the 79th New York Volunteers under Colonel James Cameron, and the regiment fought in the first major battle of the war, the First Battle of Bull Run, which was won by the Confederates.

Cameron was killed and the regiment was in disarray with some officers and men involved in a mutiny. At the age of just 29, Ireland took over as Captain and re-formed and led the 79th in a successful ambush of Confederate forces, for which he was made Captain in the regular army.

He was then sent to New York to recruit and train the regiment which became the fabled 137th, who were to be involved in a dozen battles and play a famous role at one of the most significant encounters of the war, the Battle of Gettysburg.

From July 1 to July 3, 1863, Ireland and his men held out against ferocious Confederate assaults on their position on Culp’s Hill defending the right-wing of the Union Army.

Eventually Ireland led two bayonet charges that cleared the hill of their enemy, and the Union forces won the victory in the most savage battle in US history, with a total of some 50,000 soldiers killed on both sides.

Ireland led his regiment through more battles, even returning to lead an entire brigade after he was wounded at the Battle of Resaca. He led his troops into Atlanta in the first week of September, 1864, but died of dysentery a few days later. He was just 32.

Ireland is buried in the Spring Forest Cemetery in Binghamton and though civil war historians and researchers have long been aware of his crucial role at Gettysburg in particular, the Memorial Highway is believed to be the first major commemoration of the man from Forfar. Historian David Clutz told the press in New York State that the volunteers were just ordinary men “but they had an extraordinary leader who would train them to become an extraordinary regiment”.

Cutz added: “Then fate placed them in position, time after time, to make a crucial impact in winning the Civil War and preserving our country’s Union. Saving the battle of Gettysburg, lifting the siege of Chattanooga, capturing Atlanta and then Savannah, Colonel Ireland and the 137th made the crucial difference by their skill, courage and sacrifice.”

In a statement announcing the honour for Col Ireland, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “Colonel David Ireland exemplified the best of New York, defending our Union at a time when division threatened to tear it apart.”

Local Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said: “It’s been more than 150 years since Colonel Ireland and his men trained here in Binghamton.

“Many of the soldiers from the 137th still have descendants living in the area who have helped carry on their story, but the historical marker we dedicated this summer and this new highway dedication ensures that they will be remembered for generations to come.”