was certainly worth watching. He was mad as a march hare at being
trapped in such a manner; something was wrong in the line of
communication—somebody had made a mistake. But he was Sherman all the
time that afternoon. I could not help studying this remarkable man
whenever I got the opportunity. Great as his anger was at the beginning,
he became later on, calm and resolute. The interior of this earthwork
contained about thirty or forty men and quite a number of cooks, waiters
and followers of the headquarters’ guard. The general with his hat off
in the broiling sun was a marvel to look at. When a man was shot he
would get one of these headquarters’ employees and say to him: “Don’t
you see that man is killed? Take his cartridge box and his gun and load
it. Fight for your country, sir.”
I had four men with me in defending one point. Two were wounded, which
left myself and two others, Privates Warner and Klineham. Pretty soon
Warner was shot in the neck and killed instantly. The rebels had gotten
in the trees around the fort, and were doing serious damage to those
inside. The General was ever moving about, and I was afraid they would
hit him. The only one of my companions from my company was shot in the
breast, and, I supposed, mortally wounded. When he was hit he said to
me, “Sergeant, give me my knapsack, I want to go home.” I said, “Harry,
what is the matter?” “Huh,” he said, and pointed to his breast. The
blood was spurting from his wound, and I put my finger to his back to
find out if the ball had gone through. My finger sunk into a cavity, and
I thought he was done for. I put him in a protected position and went
direct to General Sherman, who was only a few feet away.
I said, “General, these men are being killed from the trees and you will
surely be hit if you don’t keep under cover.” What do you suppose I got
for an answer? “Sergeant,” said the General, “attend to your business,
sir; attend to your business, I will take care of myself, sir.” I
stopped at once making suggestions to the General as to his safety.
Of course, I was not in a position to see anything of the fighting
outside. I was a “lone fisherman” guarding my post. I was the only one
left.
The behavior of the battalion in the earthworks and other shelter
enabled us to hold our own until reinforcements came about four o’clock.
The first man to reach the fort and report to General Sherman was Col.
Tim O’Meara and his orderly bearing a green Irish flag of the 90th
Volunteer Irish regiment.
The advance of reinforcements caused the rebels to fall back—without
Sherman and his “Little Battalion of Regulars,” as he always called
them.
The next order of business was to look after the wounded and bury the
dead, which was done as soon as possible. It was now dark. Officers were
being congratulated by the General with instructions to convey these
congratulations to their men.
A singular thing happened that night. A captured rebel lieutenant was
shot through the kneecap, which was shattered by the ball. Amputation
about the knee was necessary. He waited calmly until his turn came to be
treated. He was a fine handsome fellow. I felt sorry for him. He was a
large heavy man. I helped put him on the improvised operating table and
held his limb while the surgeon was taking it off. He wore high, cavalry
boots up to the knee. In removing the boot, I discovered a paper inside.
It was a pass through the lines for the day before. This man was
evidently the spy who brought news of Sherman’s departure for Iuka,
Sunday morning.
In conclusion I think we did a good day’s work, even if it was the
Sabbath day. The 13th U. S. Infantry and the 66th Indiana Volunteers are
entitled to equal credit in this memorable engagement. They displayed
the highest soldierly qualities and genuine American manhood.
After we had taken an invoice of the humanity on hand, we found that we
had lost in killed, wounded and missing a little over twenty-five per
cent. of our command. I shall never forget the moment I saw that green
flag and poor Colonel O’Meara saluting the General after the battle of
Collierville. Being an Irishman myself, I naturally felt proud that the
flag of the Emerald Isle had led the way to help save Sherman.
MEMORIAL TO ROBERT EMMET.
A unique memorial to Robert Emmet, to be erected by the subscriptions of
Americans of Irish birth or descent, is proposed by Miss Anna Gallagher
of Boston, Mass., to take the form of a ship to bear the name of the
Irish patriot.
It is proposed that the craft shall be a combination of merchantman and
steamship to ply between ports in Ireland and America for the
transportation of Irish merchandise and passengers.
Miss Gallagher and those who are associated with her in the project
intend that the Robert Emmet shall be built in an Irish shipyard,
probably Belfast, by Irish workmen, and the materials used in the
vessel’s construction shall be of Irish production or manufacture. The
furnishings of the vessel are also to be of Irish make.
Laying patriotism and sentiment aside, the promoters of the enterprise
hope to open a wider market and create a more general demand for the
products and manufactured articles of the Emerald Isle.
For three months each year the Robert Emmet will be used for a vacation
ship, enabling those who so desire to take an ocean voyage in
comparative luxury at an expense, the promoters claim, less than that
now demanded for steerage passage by the regular steamship lines. All
passengers will be carried in one class and one rate.
Miss Gallagher is the originator of the Daniel O’Connell memorial, which
is to take the form of a building somewhere in Boston or its suburbs for
business or other purposes, including a hall of fame to perpetuate the
memory of great Irish men.
CELTIC CROSS ON IRISH FAMINE VICTIMS’ GRAVE.
In the presence of about 7,000 American and Canadian Irishmen a monument
was unveiled and dedicated at Grosse Isle, Quebec, Aug. 15, 1909, to
commemorate the spot where 12,000 Irish immigrants, victims of the
famine fever and the ship fever of 1847–48, are buried in the long
trenches at the Quarantine Station on Grosse Isle, in the St. Lawrence
River, forty miles from Quebec. The monument is a beautiful Celtic cross
and it was erected by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The solemn
ceremony was attended by many prominent Americans and Canadians of Irish
blood.
The story which the monument will bring to the new people flocking to
this great country will be a story filled not only with the heart’s
blood of a great race, but with undying evidence of the equal faith,
charity and hospitality of the French, who were the first settlers on
these shores. A tale of terror and suffering, of faith and courage, of
devotion to fellowman and unswerving loyalty to the faith of their
fathers under the most bitter adversity is entwined about the great
cross which now stands to mark the graves of ten thousand unknown
martyrs.
Dignitaries of the Church, high officials of state, priests and laymen,
Irish and French, humble and of high degree, stood side by side beneath
the open sky, or kneeled silently before the great cross with but one
thought—the honor of the martyrs who had died for their faith. To do
honor to their memories men had gathered from a score of Provinces and
States; many had traveled thousands of miles. Awe inspiring in its
solemnity, the scene carried to every bowed heart a meaning far beyond
the words of the speakers and left a mark which should last through a
lifetime. A new epoch, a renewal of faith and brotherly love, was begun,
and few there were in attendance who will not carry the spirit of the
great gathering with them into daily life.
From every standpoint the great ceremony was a success. Not a flaw
occurred in the arrangements or their execution. In spite of the
comparative inaccessibility of Grosse Isle, every man, woman or child
who wished to attend the ceremonies was provided for. A perfect day
smiled on the scene, as boat after boat, crowded with passengers, left
Quebec in the early morning. No one was left. No accident marred the
occasion. Thousands had gathered in the city during the day and night.
Special trains from Ottawa and Montreal brought their quota of members
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of church dignitaries and government
officials.
To the untiring zeal and energy of the A. O. H. officials was due the
success of the great undertaking. P. Keane, P. Doyle, T. Heavers, P.
Scullion, T. Heaney, J. Foley, H. N. Morrow, H. Cundy and other officers
of the order in Montreal were in charge of the excursion from there.
Having already taken a leading part in the movement with the national
convention of the order in Indianapolis last year, which resulted in the
decision to erect the great memorial cross, these men were vitally
interested in the successful completion of the plan and their efforts
were fully rewarded.
The train from Montreal, carrying a delegation of several hundred, left
Saturday night, and the party arrived in Quebec by six o’clock Sunday
morning. There they scattered about the old town until the sailing of
the boats, between nine and ten o’clock.
From Ottawa almost an equally large delegation was in attendance. From
Toronto, Winnipeg and other cities representatives of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians flocked to the great celebration, and many States
contributed their quota. As far away as Colorado branches of the order
sent representatives, while four delegates traveled from Winnipeg. The
States represented were Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New
York, Wisconsin and Colorado.
The sail down the river from Quebec to Grosse Isle was a fitting prelude
to the program which followed. Forming at the wharf on Grosse Isle the
procession, headed by the band, moved toward the cemetery. Following
were the Hibernian Knights of Montreal, Halifax, St. John, etc., the
Hibernian Cadets of Montreal and Quebec, the National Board and
officers, Hibernians of Montreal, Quebec and other cities, clergy, altar
boys, invited guests and congregation. There Low Mass was celebrated by
Father Hanley, C. SS. R., and following the sermon and attendant
ceremonies the vast audience moved to the high promontory of Telegraph
Hill, where the granite cross with its tablets overlooked the placid
river.
Almost more impressive than the scene of the kneeling thousands before
the open altar near the old cemetery was the scene at the foot of the
great cross. Chief among the speakers at the monument was the Hon.
Charles Murphy, Secretary of State. Introduced by Chairman C. J. Foy as
a man who needed no introduction for his prominence in the country and
his rise to power and influence, Mr. Murphy took the platform facing the
cross and the broad expanse of the river, with the eager audience
gathered in a natural amphitheater on the rock at his feet.
Tears came very near the surface as Mr. Murphy opened his address with
the reading of a telegram which he had received from Vancouver, B. C., a
day or two before. “This telegram,” he said, “means to me the undying
loyalty and devotion of the Irish people, and coming as it does from a
family scattered throughout the continent, for the memory of a
grandmother long since dead, is particularly touching and typical.”
The telegram is self-explanatory. It follows:
VANCOUVER, B. C., Aug. 11, 1909.
HON. CHARLES MURPHY:
Our beloved grandmother Graham was one of the fever victims of 1847.
Enclose $10 for flowers for the monument, and accept thanks of,
JAMES HARRISON BROWNLEE,
(_Prov. Surveyor, Vancouver_).
ARCHIBALD GRAHAM BROWNLEE,
(_Mining Engineer, Denver, Colo._).
MRS. STANTON,
_Chicago_.
Continuing Mr. Murphy took as the keynote of his address the fact that
the monument now stood as much an evidence of an enduring bond between
the Irish and the French as it did to the memories of the martyrs whose
graves it marked.
Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, Chief Justice, also spoke briefly at the
monument. The whole terrible tragedy was a manifestation of faith and
loyalty, said he, which has helped and through the ages will help men to
die as men should, or live as men should.
Continuing, he thanked the Papal Delegate and the Lieutenant-Governor
for their presence and closed with the remark: “Ireland has not been
desecrated and persecuted for nothing. It is her pride and her glory but
to point to the Cross.”
At the early services at the open altar near the old cemetery the Rev.
Father Maguire, Provincial Chaplain, A. O. H., preached an eloquent
sermon, telling of the trials and sufferings of the ship fever victims
and the devotion of the priests.
Mr. C. J. Foy, National Director A. O. H., presiding at the ceremonies
at the monument, made a stirring address. Speaking briefly of the
history of Ireland, he drew the great fact that though always
persecuted, and always hounded, the Irish had never bowed in submission,
and had never allowed a stain upon their religion or upon their homes.
In this he cited the French as a nation of similar pride.
Mr. Matthew Cummings, National President of the A. O. H., made a
touching and eloquent address, citing points in Irish history showing
the sadness of the nation’s history.
Mr. J. Turcotte, M. P., delivered an effective speech in French,
expressing the sympathy of the French Canadians with the Irish, their
admiration for the abiding faith and their pleasure in assistance at
this memorial for their martyrs.
A short address in Gaelic by Major McCrystal, National Director A. O.
H., concluded the speeches.
Monsignor Sbaretti, Papal Delegate, then blessed the cross and the
ceremonies were at an end.
Returning to Quebec in the early evening, the beauty and solemnity of
the sunset on the river lent the final touch of grandeur to the day. In
Quebec the delegations scattered and took their various trains during
the course of the evening.
Among the prominent men present were Monsignor Sbaretti, Papal Delegate;
Lieutenant-Governor Pelletier, Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, Chief Justice;
Hon. Charles Murphy, Secretary of State; Mr. M. Cummings, National
President, A. O. H.; the Hon. E. B. Devlin, M. P.; the Hon. C. R.
Devlin, J. A. Turcotte, M. P.
Beautiful floral pieces were presented by the provincial government, the
Ste. Jean Baptiste Society of Montreal and Ste. Jean Baptiste Society of
Quebec, and an anchor from Mrs. Lemieux of Quebec.
IRISH PIONEERS IN SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
The early history of the Irish in Springfield and vicinity is of deep
interest to those who are in sympathy with the sturdy people who are so
important an element in our City, State and Nation. There are
revelations in even a cursory insight into early Irish history
hereabouts. Few persons imagine how early Irish people were settled in
the vicinity of Springfield.
In “The Irish Pioneers of the Connecticut Valley,” by Edward A. Hall,
and published in the “Papers and Proceedings of the Connecticut Valley
Historical Society,” one may learn of the earliest records of the Irish
in this vicinity. In 1684 Henry Chapin sold sixteen acres of land on the
west side of the Connecticut to John Riley and this was described as
“north of the Riley tracts,” so this was not the first land hereabouts
owned by an Irishman. This is part of the so-called “Ireland parish” and
the present site of the Brightside home. Miles Morgan made his mark upon
the deed in the form of a pickaxe in witnessing it and it was recorded
by John Holyoke.
It is probable that the Irish who were in New England at that time were
those who came, under the contract made in 1642, to supply three hundred
men and two hundred and fifty women in the prime of life for immigration
to New England. These Irish men and women were drawn from near Cork,
Kerry, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary, from the purest blood of the
south of Ireland. The early Irish who came to this city and vicinity
probably numbered among them some who were in this first large migration
to New England. Other towns about Springfield were able sooner to
support a Catholic Church, for until about 1840 Springfield was a
mission of Hartford or Chicopee. Rev. George Reardon, the first pastor,
was not a resident pastor, but lived in Worcester and conducted many
missions for miles about. Rev. John Dougherty, who came from Boston in
1848, was the first resident pastor. A house for him on Howard street
was bought from Noah Porter.
The first church was bought of the Baptists and moved by George Dwight
from its location at the corner of Maple and Mulberry streets to the
corner of Willow and Union streets. This was bought in 1846 and cost
$3,500. The lot on Union street added another $1,000 to the expense of
getting the little seventy by forty-five foot church ready for the first
Catholic services held in Springfield in a church building. Pastors from
Hartford and other places had for years before this said Masses in the
open air or in homes. But even with the starting of the new St.
Benedict’s Church there was interruption of the regular services. The
first resident pastor remained but three years, and for a time another
could not be secured, services being conducted by the Chicopee priest.
Many Springfield Catholics walked to Sunday morning services at Cabot,
now Chicopee Center. Rev. Michael P. Gallagher, the next priest, was the
early Catholic clergyman here whose work was of the deepest importance.
He bought in 1860 the property at the corner of State and Elliott
streets, which has been added to until it has reached its present size
and importance. Father Gallagher was a keen business man. The numbers of
the Irish in Springfield increased rapidly during the second quarter of
the nineteenth century. Two localities where the first Irish gathered
their little houses were Ferry street and along old Mechanics row, which
ran between Howard and Bliss streets. Some of these people came all the
way from Ireland to the back yards of their future homes by boat. Irish
residents of Springfield now can recall relatives of theirs who came
from Ireland to New York, New York to Hartford and from Hartford to
Springfield in little steamboats.
William Hart and Mrs. Timothy Kenefick came from Ireland in the same
vessel in 1833, and records say that their children were the first
Irish-Americans baptized in the city. Fathers Reardon and Brady
performed the ceremonies at the time, when Mass was being said there
once a month or so in the family of some Catholic. The numbers of Irish
coming from their native country to America rapidly increased because of
the inducements which labor held out in the building of railroads and
the demand for factory employees caused by the rapid development of the
country. The famine of 1847 caused a veritable stampede to America. It
is said that there were twelve hundred Irish Catholics in the city when
Rev. M. P. Gallagher took the pastorate in 1856.
There were well-known names among the early Irish who lived in
Springfield. One of the most famous of these was Gen. Robert Emmet
Clary, who fought in the Civil War. He and his brothers and his sisters
were born in the home of their father, which was situated on Benton
Park, at the corner of State and Federal streets. The father, Ethan
Allen Clary, was a well-known figure in Indian wars and in the war of
1812, when he was Commissary of the Port of Boston. John Mulligan,
president of the Connecticut River Railroad, was a well-known
Irish-American. He came to the city nearly seventy years ago from
Hartford, where his father lived. He was the first child of Irish
parents born in that city. Mr. Mulligan came to Springfield to work for
the Western Railroad and later came to be chief executive of the
Connecticut River road, which was later absorbed by the Boston and
Maine.
Those who remember the early Irish as they were characteristically are
filled with astonishment at the contemplation of what some of the
descendants of those people have become. Along in the first of the time
the Irish were in Springfield in large numbers almost all of them were
laborers. The men were employed any way that they could earn money
without much skill. Many of the women were employed as servants. There
was hardly an Irishman in business and for years not one in a
profession. Many remember Malley’s little dry goods store, which was
near where the Gilmore hotel is now, and which was burned in the big
fire which took the Haynes Opera House. For years there was also a
little shoe store on Main street, between Harrison avenue and Hilman
street, kept by James Burke.
No one needs to have pointed to him the contrast which the virility of
those early Irish have made possible in their descendants. Irish are in
every activity of the city life, and the best of them are filling
creditably positions in every profession and business.
CONFERENCE WITH THE VICE-PRESIDENT FROM VIRGINIA AND MEMBERS OF THE
SOCIETY FROM THAT STATE.
In response to an invitation from Capt. James W. McCarrick,
Vice-President of the Society for Virginia, to the general officers for
a conference at Norfolk, Va., to discuss ways and means of adding to the
Society’s membership rolls from the lists of eligible Americans of Irish
blood in that State, President-General Quinlan, Chairman Lenehan of the
Membership Committee, and the Secretary-General visited Norfolk June
24th last and were met at the steamship wharf by Capt. McCarrick,
General McGinnis and Mr. John Burke, and were escorted to the Virginia
Club, which was made headquarters during the day.
After a short visit to points of interest throughout the city the party
returned to the club and from there went to Ocean View, where they were
joined by Hon. Joseph T. Lawless, Mr. John O’Connell, Mr. George Maxwell
of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, President W. R. Boutwell of the Pilot
Association, and Capt. Foster of the William A. Graves Company, where a
bountiful southern dinner was served, which for novelty and excellence
was greatly appreciated by all present.
Further consideration of the work of the Society took place, and
speeches were made of an encouraging nature by all present and plans
laid for a campaign of membership in Virginia.
The party dispersed late that afternoon, and the officers returned to
their homes in the north well pleased with their visit.
SPLENDID ACHIEVEMENT IN ILLINOIS.
No less enthusiasm in the good work of swelling the ranks of the
American Irish Historical Society is displayed by the Illinois Chapter
thereof, and it is with great pleasure we are able to state the results
of the excellent work done in that regard.
On October 19th, 1909, in response to a call from Vice-President
Moloney, a meeting of the Illinois members was held at the Auditorium
Annex in the city of Chicago, and, as a result of that meeting,
fifty-one members of high standing and ability were enrolled on our
books, forty-two of whom thus far have qualified.
To Mr. Moloney is due most of the credit for obtaining these valuable
acquisitions to our membership roll, and the thanks of the Society are
hereby tendered him for the ability and painstaking efforts expended in
its behalf. Our roster for Illinois is a constant reminder of the noble
work accomplished by him, and a no more fitting tribute to his interest
in the welfare of the Society can be paid than the character of the
individuals whom he has submitted for membership and who represent the
highest type of American citizenship.
GOOD NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA.
The Knights of St. Patrick, one of the most worthy and respected
organizations on the Pacific Slope, composed of Irish Americans, who are
not only interested in the land from which their ancestors came but in
the United States and its institutions, conceived a plan in April last
to bring together a number of leading citizens who would become members
of the American Irish Historical Society, with a view to joining in its
work and if possible forming a State Chapter thereof.
Capt. James Connolly, Vice-President of the Society for California, and
John Mulhern, Secretary of the Knights of St. Patrick, with earnest and
most commendable effort discussed their plans with various individuals,
and on February 17, 1910, sent the names of the following gentlemen to
Treasurer-General Dooley, with checks for membership fees:
February 17th, 1910.