Documentary Historical Publications of the United States Government,
appointed by President Roosevelt in February, 1908, as an assistant
committee to the Committee on Department Methods. Hon. Lawrence O.
Murray, now Comptroller of the Currency at Washington, D. C., and at
that time in the Department of Commerce and Labor, is a member of this
committee, and the Society acknowledges with its thanks the receipt from
him of a copy.
On February 11th, the President sent it to Congress with a message, and
message and report have since been printed as Senate Document No. 714 of
the session concluded March 4th.
The report contains a review of the course hitherto pursued by the
government in the matter of historical publications; a general survey of
the publications hitherto made, and of the gaps still existing between
or among them; a body of recommendations for filling such gaps,
especially by the inception of a series of National State Papers; and
finally a series of suggestions for the organization of a permanent
Commission on National Historical Publications, with a bill which, it is
hoped, will be introduced in the sixty-first Congress.
The Fifth Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American
Historical Association was held at the University of California November
21st last. Papers were read by Professor E. D. Adams of Stanford
University concerning the annexation of California, Mr. Don E. Smith and
Professor J. N. Bowman of the University of California, and by Mr. F. J.
Taggart. The proceedings lasted the entire day, sessions being held in
the morning and afternoon, followed by a banquet in the evening.
The publications of the American Association for International
Conciliation are being sent forward to the members of our Society, and
are readable and interesting documents by learned authorities upon the
subjects they present. At the suggestion of the Secretary of the
Association, the addresses of our members were sent him, and he has
written each that the publications of the Association will go forward to
them if they so request it. All that it is necessary to do to receive
them is to write the Secretary. His address is: “F. P. Keppel,
Secretary, Sub-Station 84, New York City.”
Hon. Thomas W. Bicknell, Providence, R. I., President of the Rhode
Island Citizens’ Historical Association and an applicant for membership
in our Society, has recently published in the Journal of American
History an interesting article entitled “First White Owners of Land in
America.” Mr. Bicknell is also the author of “Sowans,” a work treating
of the early history of Barrington and Warren in Rhode Island.
Among the contents of the last issue of the _American Historical
Magazine_ is “Heroes of the Battle of Point Pleasant,” by Delia A.
McCulloch.
In the January issue of the _Essex Institute Historical Collections_ is
an article on “Captain John Manley of Marblehead, a Man of Irish
Descent,” by Robert E. Peabody.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
It has been the custom of the Society since its organization to have one
annual meeting and two or more field days each year. The annual meeting
in each instance has been called for the early evening, and the business
affairs finished in a few minutes; then a short reception would take
place, followed by a dinner, on the completion of which some historical
papers would be read and addresses of interest made.
This proceeding is not calculated to sufficiently advance the interests
of the Society, or enable it to truly do the work for which it is
organized. Some historical associations have annual meetings at which
there is a morning and afternoon session, followed by a dinner in the
evening, while others have sessions lasting two or three days. It is
impossible to crowd into a single evening, part of which has been taken
up in partaking of a good dinner, any significant number of historical
papers, much less to have a discussion on them.
Valuable addresses have been made that have not been printed in the
Journal, and all that is left of them in the minds of the members is
hardly more than pleasant recollections of the speakers. All the leading
historical associations procure valuable papers from members, and, after
they are read, discussion upon the subject-matter is thrown open, the
good points gathered, and all reported in print later for the use of the
members.
This Society could profitably take a day and an evening for its annual
meeting. A morning session should be had, called to order at ten
o’clock. Two or three papers could be read and discussion had upon each,
followed by a recess from one to three p. m. Further papers and
discussion might then be entertained and the meeting adjourned, with all
the business completely transacted, in time for the dinner in the
evening, at which short and interesting speeches, good music and general
recreation after the day’s work would be in order.
These annual conventions should take place in different parts of the
country, and those interested in our work will be sure to be on hand. In
looking over some of our old records, it appears that requests have been
made by members for meetings to take place in Richmond, Va., Charleston,
S. C., and Detroit, Mich. In neither of these places has an annual
meeting or a field day of the Society taken place.
Members of the Society are earnestly requested to furnish the
Secretary-General with correct addresses. When a member removes or
changes his address, the Secretary-General should be notified
immediately, otherwise the publications and communications of the
Society may be lost or fall into unauthorized hands.
The necessity for prompt payment of dues ought to be manifest to every
member. The Society has no income except from the $5 a year contributed
by the annual members. No officer or member receives any salary, and the
finances are carefully and economically managed by the Executive
Council. We have no expense for rental for the Society’s headquarters,
and have no recent record of any officer of the Society accepting even
his traveling expenses in matters connected with the Society.
Nevertheless, the income is small, and our expenditures for printing the
annual volume, gathering historical matter, postage, stationery and
typewriting are large and do not leave the Society at the end of the
year with any substantial balance in the Treasurer-General’s hands.
[Illustration:
COL. C. C. SANDERS (Deceased).
Gainesville, Ga.
Late Member of the Executive Council.
]
Donations of money or bequests by will or otherwise are earnestly and
respectfully solicited, and any member who will take the trouble to read
the constitution and note the purposes for which the Society is
incorporated can readily see the great and lasting service to our people
and American history in general that could be made, in addition to what
the Society is now doing, to make better known the Irish Chapter in
American History.
Some members well able to pay are in arrears from two to four years in
their dues, notwithstanding the fact that several tactful circulars and
repeated statements have been forwarded them by committees and officers
of the Society. The attention of members is called to section 8 of the
by-laws, which reads as follows:
“8. A member neglecting for two years to pay his annual fee shall be
notified of such omission by the Secretary-General. Still neglecting for
three months to pay the dues, such delinquent member shall be dropped as
no longer belonging to the Society.”
Many of our members belong to other historical associations, and, by
keeping in touch with their works, become of greater service to us. The
American Historical Association, the headquarters of which are at the
Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C., and the leading state
historical associations are cordially recommended to our members.
Members are earnestly requested to furnish the Secretary-General with
biographical sketches. It is necessary to have these for our archives,
and we hope that no member will allow his feeling of modesty to
interfere with keeping the records of the Society complete. These
sketches will not be published in the Journal if a member shall so
direct. Read over your biographical sketches in the membership roll, and
if they are not correct or should have additions, notify the
Secretary-General.
Current items of interest relating to the doings of Americans of Irish
extraction are solicited from every member by the Secretary-General. If
a good article is met with in a newspaper or magazine, it will be
thankfully received and filed in the archives if you will send it
forward. It is by keeping abreast with the current history that we
fulfil one of our greatest duties.
Donations of historical works, ancient or modern, or, in fact, books of
any description, are solicited for the Society’s library. Copies or
originals of old deeds, wills, bills of sale of slaves, curiosities in
American or Confederate money, plate, postage stamps, old prints,
pictures and the like are also solicited. When received, they will be
carefully indexed and filed, with the name of the donor attached. Every
member can readily find something of interest to send, and the
aggregation will form a nucleus for a good library and possibly a
museum.
Volumes I, II, IV, V and VI of the JOURNAL of the Society are out of
print. We have fifty copies of Volume III and ten copies of Volume VII
left. The Executive Council have ordered fifteen hundred copies of
Volume VIII, so that we may be sure every member will have a copy and
the Society have some to spare.
These volumes out of print have become very rare, and some of them are
held at high prices. If a sufficient demand appears from members who
desire to have a complete set of the Society’s publications, the subject
will be brought before the Executive Council for action, with the
possibility that some of the volumes may be ordered reprinted.
REILLY OF F
(Captain H. J. Reilly, Battery F, Fifth Artillery, “The Fighting Fifth,”
U. S. A., killed on the walls of Pekin, in the relief of the legations,
during the Boxer uprising.)
By JOHN JEROME ROONEY.
I.
Know you the story, friends, know you the story?
No hero is mine of the plume and the lance—
Yet worthy to claim the green bay of glory
In the lay of the singer of oldest romance.
Then, when the song of the minstrel is gone,
Forget not how Reilly—brave Reilly went on!
II.
Out from the East, like a bolt from the sky,
Thrilled the wild rumor of danger and dread—
Out from the East flamed a prayer and a cry—
A cry of the living, a cry of the dead—
Straight to the heart of the nations it came,
And the nations were shaken, as wind shakes a flame!
III.
There, ‘mid the millions of Mongols, they stood—
One grain in the desert, a drop in the sea—
Mothers and children—brave men of our blood—
What is their fate? Say, what shall it be?
How can we name the thing that we fear?
The heart, at the thought, is palsied and seer!
IV.
Onward! the cry of the East and the West—
Onward! spoke Chaffee, Columbia’s son:
The nations were calling their bravest and best
For the work of a giant before them undone.
No time now to palter with quavering breath—
’Twas action and rescue—’twas rescue or death!
V.
And the word came to Reilly—it spoke not again—
Brave Reilly with all his bold lads of the guns—
(Ah, if any came out from El Caney’s red rain,
’Twas by the grace of the Lord—not Hispania’s sons!)
Oh, a stancher band never turned face to the foe
As onward with Reilly, straight onward they go!
VI.
They battered the walls of the forts of Taku,
They lifted the door-knock and pounded it well—
And the door?—the door was a breach looking thro’
An entrance well dusted by shrapnel and shell.
The fort, like a mist of the morning, was gone,
And Reilly went on—bold Reilly went on!
VII.
On by the railroad—still onward they press’d—
Thro’ rampart—thro’ swamp, like a sword of the Lord—
True sons of the East, true sons of the West,
A knight of King Arthur confronting a horde!
And Battery F, unafraid of the brunt,
Kept its pace, and its guns, right up to the front!
VIII.
See! See! the walls of the Capital rise
Away to the right, a vision of power—
They are flashing a signal—our loved one’s replies—
They are lost had the guns been delayed but an hour.
Like a cyclone they open and thunder their doom
And the flame from their mouths is the light in our gloom!
IX.
Battery F opened up like a hell,
With a roar like a lion—a serpent’s fierce hiss—
Solid shot under! above with the shell!
Gates were not made to be pounded like this.
Trembles the portal—with a shot it is gone—
And Reilly went on—bold Reilly went on!
X.
From the compound a cheer, like a voice from the grave,
Rolls upward and out and upward again;
The Lord—He is gracious and mighty to save,
And he works by the hands of His valiant of men!
Still, was work to be done—stern work to be done—
Ere the wall’d town within was level’d and won.
XI.
Then “Forward,” called Reilly—and forward they swept
To the walls where the foe had rallied his horde.
Like a boy, to a ladder the Captain has leapt,
You can see, far in front, the gleam of his sword.
Then up thro’ the smoke, like a wraith, he has gone—
And Reilly went on—bold Reilly went on!
XII.
O sweet harp of Erin, sound gently thy lay!
O star of Colombia, be swift with thy light!
He fell—and the summit of Glory that day
Was the rampart he scaled alone in the fight.
In a beam of the splendor a moment he shone—
And Reilly went on—brave Reilly went on!
[Illustration:
EDWARD CARROLL.
Leavenworth, Kansas.
A Member of the Society.
]
The above is a true story, every word of it. The United States
Government brought Captain Reilly’s body home and buried it in the
Arlington Cemetery, near Washington, and erected a splendid shaft to
mark this brave soldier’s memory. Captain Reilly, as his name
indicates, was of Irish stock.—J. J. R.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SANDERS, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE AMERICAN IRISH
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. A WORTHY AND
DISTINGUISHED ASSOCIATE.
By A. W. VAN HOOSE, PRESIDENT BRENAU COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY, GAINESVILLE,
GA.
On August 3d, 1908, there died at his home in Gainesville, Ga., one of
the most remarkable men that it has been my good fortune to meet.
Descended on his father’s side from Rev. Moses Sanders, a Baptist
preacher who emigrated from England to this country in the year 1765,
and on his mother’s side from Thomas Smythe, a man distinguished for his
great learning and for the many sweet poems that came from his pen, an
Irishman, who with a party of friends, left Dublin, Ireland, in 1798 and
made his home in Charleston, S. C., Colonel Sanders combined in his
nature, disposition and temperament, the very best characteristics of
the English and Irish, whose descendant he was.
For twenty years I knew him intimately, and I have no hesitation in
making the statement that he was one of the most remarkable men of the
generation in which he lived.
If I were asked in what respects he was remarkable, I would answer,
First in his broad patriotism and deep love of country. Although he was
little more than a boy when Georgia, in which state his parents had
settled, seceded and issued her call for her sons to take up arms in
defense of principles which they knew to be right, young Sanders, who
had received a splendid military training at the Georgia Military
Academy, was one of the first to respond to his country’s call, and
during all those years of carnage and bloodshed, he gave his best
strength, mental and physical, to the cause of the Confederacy. For
distinguished bravery and great ability in military matters, he was soon
made Colonel of the 24th Regiment of Georgia Volunteers and in the
battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill,
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Harper’s Ferry, The Wilderness,
Spottsylvania Court House and other great struggles, the Confederacy had
no braver soldier or more efficient officer than he. At Spottsylvania,
he was severely wounded and his command suffered greatly; he was
captured at Sailor’s Creek, May 6, ’65, and until July 25th, suffered
the awful horrors of the Federal Prison at Johnston’s Island. During the
war, he was offered the rank of Brigadier-General, but with that modesty
which characterized his whole life, he declined the honor.
While he loved the cause of the Confederacy with all the ardor of his
great soul, when Lee surrendered at Appomatox, Colonel Sanders ceased
fighting and applied himself diligently to building up the waste places
of his beloved country and to making a competency for himself and
family, and the great success which attended his efforts in both
instances is the second reason that I would assign for calling him a
remarkable man. In 1871, he married Miss Fannie Amelia Scarborough, who
until the day of his death, was a blessing and an inspiration to him.
Together they came to Gainesville, a little mountain village, in 1871,
immediately after their marriage, to build their home and fortune. By
industry, economy and great business ability, Colonel Sanders succeeded
in amassing a splendid estate, and at the same time was always first in
his contributions to any public enterprise or private charity. No one
will ever know how many cases of distress he relieved; for he obeyed the
Scriptural injunction and never allowed his left hand to know what his
right hand was doing. The writer of this sketch, was often at the State
Bank, of which Colonel Sanders was President for many years, and has
seen numbers of the old veterans, unfortunate men of all classes and
even the negroes of the city, ask for aid and never once were they
refused. On the day that he died, I heard numbers of men, with tears in
their eyes, say, “I have lost the best friend that I ever knew”; his
funeral services were attended by every class of people in our city and
country, and after his more intimate friends came and with streaming
eyes looked into the face of him who had befriended them for so long.
Such a funeral has been accorded but few men in our country. Colonel
Sanders was also remarkable for his literary and scientific attainments.
Although he professed to be only a business man, he was a great student
of men and affairs; he was a great reader of history and the record of
all nations, from the earliest period to the present day, was an open
book to him; he had traveled extensively and the literature and
civilization of Europe and Egypt and the Holy Land, were so fully and
accurately impressed upon him, that he could entertain his friends by
hours in recounting his experience as a traveler. But best of all,
Colonel Sanders was remarkable in his childlike devotion to and faith in
Jesus Christ, the Man of Galilee, in whose footsteps he had followed for
many years. He was one of the very few men of my acquaintance who,
though devoted to his business, always kept a Bible in the President’s
office of the State Bank, and oftentimes have I called to see him only
to find him immersed in the beauties of the great prophecies of Isaiah,
or reading the Songs of David, the sweet singer of Israel, or studying
the life and character of Him who came into the world to save men from
their sins. For years, he was a pillar in the Baptist Church of this
city; he always taught a class in Sunday School and his presence there
was always an inspiration to the Superintendent. During an intimate
acquaintance for more than twenty years, I do not think that I ever
heard him speak an unkind word of any one and when the summons came, his
house was in order and he was ready to meet his Master and give an
account of the deeds done in the body. I was with him very often during
his last illness and his faith in the promises of Him whom he had served
so long and so faithfully, was beautiful and sublime. Not a word of
business care or anxiety was heard around the sick bed of Colonel
Sanders; he seemed in constant communion with God, and though he had
large financial interests, in these last days he made no mention of
them.
To the writer of this sketch, his death was a great personal loss; when
I began the work of building a school for girls in Gainesville nearly
twenty-five years ago, Colonel Sanders was my friend and supporter;
during all the years of struggle and trial in the early days of the
school he gave me the benefit of his advice and counsel and never
refused any financial assistance when called upon to extend it. It was
his confidence in a struggling young man that often nerved my arm and
heart to continue the work which I had undertaken. And when the end had
come, and I looked upon that face, calm and sweet, having the appearance
of one who had only fallen asleep, I thought of the words of the great
poet and said to myself:
“His life was gentle,
And the elements so mixed in him,
That Nature might stand up and say to all the world,
Here was a _man_.”
PATRICK J. McTIGHE.
A worthy member of the American Irish Historical Society was deceased at
Binghamton, N. Y., August 4, 1908.
Patrick J. McTighe was born in Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland, in 1840,
and received his education in a university at Dublin. His parents
arrived in this country about fifty-five years ago, settled in
Binghamton and were among the few pioneer Irish Catholic residents of
that section. About forty-five years ago Mr. McTighe followed his
parents to Binghamton and secured a position as teacher in one of the
public schools. After teaching about two years he entered the employ of
the wholesale grocery firm of Jackson, Denton & Marks. This firm changed
several times and many different partners were admitted and retired
while Mr. McTighe was connected with the business.
Following are a few of the firm names which the original house passed
through before Mr. McTighe acquired the present business: Jackson &
Marks, Marks & Bean, Bean & Company, McTighe, Truesdell & Davidge. Mr.
McTighe was a silent partner in the firm of Bean & Company, and was an
active partner in the firm which he later bought out and reorganized
under the present name of the McTighe Grocery Company, with offices and
warehouses at No. 69 Fayette Street.
[Illustration:
MR. JOHN G. HARDY.
Of the William J. Feeley Company.
Providence, R. I.
The Talented Sculptor of the Sullivan Memorial.
]
Mr. McTighe had been prominent in political, religious and social
circles in this city for many years. In addition to his membership in
the American Irish Historical Society, he was a member of the Catholic
Club of New York, the Knights of Columbus, and many other orders and
societies. He was president of the local branch of the old Land League
during the season of its most effective work; a former president of the
Binghamton Board of Trade for several years, and was a police
commissioner of that city. During the presidential election of 1892 Mr.
McTighe served as a presidential elector when Grover Cleveland was made
president.
He had been a devout communicant and a member of the board of trustees
of St. Patrick’s Church since the time when this church was the only
Roman Catholic edifice in Binghamton. Aside from being a moving spirit
in the church proper he took a lively interest in the many branch
societies of St. Patrick’s.
He is survived by his widow, whose maiden name was Miss Mary A.
McDonald; two sisters, Mrs. Anne Wall and Mrs. Mary Murphy; a nephew and
a niece, John and Florence McDonald, whom he brought up from childhood
as his own children; two nephews, Patrick and John McTighe; and two
nieces, Frances McTighe and Elizabeth Wall.
Mr. McTighe always kept green his memories of the “Ould Sod,” and was in
touch with all movements to better the condition of the Irish people.
His recent efforts to aid the Kerry fishermen were especially
praiseworthy.
Mr. McTighe was the leader in the movement to raise the fund raised in
Binghamton to aid the Quilty fishermen, who rescued the sailors of the
_Leo XIII_ last autumn. The editor of _The Binghamton Press_ was made
treasurer of the fund, in recognition of the sermonette editorial, based
upon the thrilling story of the wreck, while Mr. McTighe took active
charge of raising the money and sending it to Ireland.