Part 45

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.