The American-Irish Historical society has become a permanent
institution. We are now entering the third year of our existence.
Success has attended our efforts from the start, and the future is
bright with prospect for continued good work.
The society already has a membership of close to 1,000, and the
material will compare favorably with that of any historical
organization in this country. Among our members are representatives
of the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of the Cincinnati, the
Sons of the Revolution, the Military Order of Foreign Wars, the
United States Medal of Honor Legion, the Society of Tammany, the
Bunker Hill Monument society, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion
and several other patriotic bodies.
We have also in our membership representatives of literary and
educational organizations such as the Papyrus club of Boston, the
Twentieth Century club of that city, the American Oriental society,
the New England Historic-Genealogical society, the Royal Society of
Northern Antiquarians, Denmark, and the Archæological Institute of
America. Relative to the great American universities, we number in
our ranks alumni of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Boston, Johns Hopkins,
Bowdoin, Brown, Notre Dame, the University of Vermont, the
University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia. The
Catholic University at the national capital is represented on our
roll by its rector, its vice-rector and three of the faculty.
We have among our associates descendants of David O’Killia
(O’Kelly), the Irishman who located on Cape Cod, Mass., as early as
1657; of Barnabas Palmer, an Irishman, born in 1725, who was present
at the capture of Louisburg, and of Gen. Stephen Molyan of the
American Revolution. Three great societies composed mainly of men of
Irish lineage are likewise represented in our organization. I refer
to the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, founded in 1737; the
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia, and the Friendly Sons
of St. Patrick of New York city.
We have with us, too, many people who are prominent in law,
medicine, and journalism, and many who have attained eminence on the
bench, in science and art, and in mercantile pursuits. With this
composition, the American-Irish Historical society can legitimately
claim to be well equipped in personnel for the work it has in view.
In the war with Spain, just closed, our Society was well
represented, and one of our members perished in battle before
Santiago de Cuba. Of the Society there fought on Cuban soil:
Theodore Roosevelt of the Rough Riders; Capt. John Drum of the Tenth
U. S. Infantry, Major W. H. Donovan of the Ninth Massachusetts, and
Sergt. E. F. O’Sullivan, also of the Ninth.
Gen. M. C. Butler of the Cuban Evacuation Commission is of us, while
in the Sixty-ninth New York we are also represented.
Since our last annual meeting seven members have died. They were:
Dr. Joseph H. Fay, Fall River, Mass.; Mr. Andrew Athy, Worcester,
Mass.; Mr. John R. Alley, Boston, Mass.; City Marshal John E.
Conner, Chicopee, Mass.; Rev. Philip Grace, D. D., Newport, R. I.;
Capt. John Drum, U. S. A., and Capt. John M. Tobin, Washington, D.
C.
Captain Drum, of the Tenth U. S. Infantry, was killed in battle near
Santiago, Cuba, July 2, 1898. A braver soldier never lived. His
obsequies took place in Boston, our Society contributing an
appropriate floral offering. Captain Tobin died in December, last,
at Knoxville, Tenn. Up to within a short time before his death he
had been assistant quartermaster, First Brigade, Second Division,
First Army Corps. During the Civil War he served gallantly in the
Ninth Massachusetts regiment, particularly distinguishing himself at
Malvern Hill, and being wounded at the Wilderness.
In June, last, the Society observed its first field day, the
exercises taking place at historic Newcastle, N. H. The occasion
proved of great interest to all participating. The place for the
field day event this year has not yet been selected.
Since our last annual meeting a gathering under the auspices of our
Rhode Island members has been held in Providence. It was presided
over by Dennis H. Sheahan, recently clerk of the General Assembly of
Rhode Island, and was an unlimited success. Among the guests were
President Andrews of Brown University, Prof. Alonzo Williams of that
institution, and other prominent gentlemen.
The Society is to be congratulated upon the issuance of its first
bound volume of Proceedings. The edition numbered 1,100 copies and
has been distributed among the members, while copies have also been
sent to public libraries, colleges, and historical societies. Of the
pamphlet, “Irish Schoolmasters in the American Colonies,” 2,000
copies were issued and disposed of in like manner. The pamphlet on
“The Scotch-Irish Shibboleth” numbered 1,500 copies.
The Society has on hand and is constantly accumulating much valuable
material relating to the Irish chapter in American history. We are
hampered to some extent, however, by the absence of a publication
fund. I hope that sooner or later methods will be devised and steps
taken to provide for this deficiency. At present the only income the
Society has is from the membership fees. The prompt payment of these
when due, therefore, becomes a matter of no little importance.
Largely owing to the representations of our friends at Washington,
the secretary of the navy has selected the names of three American
naval officers of Irish blood for three of the new torpedo craft.
These names are O’Brien, Barry and Macdonough. The first is to be
applied to the torpedo boat now building at Elizabethport, N. J.,
and the two others to torpedo-boat destroyers. The _Macdonough_ is
now under construction at Weymouth, Mass. The _O’Brien_ is to be
launched at Elizabethport probably the coming May.[1] I would
suggest that the occasion and the place be appropriate for our field
day celebration this year.
I cannot close without calling the attention of the society to the
continued good offices of Gen. James R. O’Beirne and Hon. John D.
Crimmins, both of New York. This year, as last, these gentlemen have
been indefatigable in arranging for our annual meeting here, and
have spared no effort to make the occasion a thoroughly successful
one. Mr. Francis C. Travers, Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet and other
gentlemen residing in New York have also shown much active interest,
and deserve the gratitude of the society.
The report of the secretary-general, thus presented, was accepted and
adopted.
Hon. John C. Linehan, of Concord, N. H., submitted his report for the
year. It showed the following aggregates: