Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-08-06


| God, that he had never been deserter 10, the
English, though he had been grossly viliied by
| the imputation. Judge Jebb gave him leave 10
state any thing which he thought proper, the
jury bent forward 10 listen TO him, and the cred.
il of respectable gentleman was placed in .
British tribunal upon the single question, whe-
Their he had abandoned the eagles Of Napoleon
for the standards Of the Duke Of Wellington.
Colonel Fitzhenry satisfied every man in court
thai he was not to blame in the event to which
he referred. The jury believed him and ver-
dict Of loooL was fonnd for the plaintiff.
l thought, inis collision between Two persons
WHO had both left their country, and were plae
ed in this coun,er-posi ion, not little singular;
and NV interest having been exci'ed about CO.
lionel Fitzhenry, from what had witnessed at
this trial, inquired into his his DRY, which
found an eventual Que. He left Ireland afier
the troubles Of 1898 and the motive for leaving
his county is sufficiently obvious. Having
reached France, he, aud several other Irishmen
similarly situated, received commissions, and
were appointed officers 6f legion, Of which The
mere skeleton was scarcely formed. i was cali
led he Irish L, gion, but for consids rabIe time
Il was IL great measure, ideal: the refugees,
who were nominaily TO command it, he'd he
rank Of Off ers, but they had no troops under
them. l, was however considered Of impor
lance by the Republican Government TO keep
the min their service because they afforded evil
drnce 10 their persons O. Inc dsaff~c iUn Of Ire
land, & they we're likely to Prove useiuiin an in.
vasiob wi.ia was medii ated Of the time Of their
original formation INTO corps. They amounted
~ sbou, eigh'een gentlemen, & were ordered by
d r,ni.r to repair TO Moriaix, and were placed
there under the command of MI. M'SheePv,
who was charged with the military creation OF
| III Ipi. oT ri, hal
b yo could sca,cei, at the time have been said
; TO exist However small their numbers, they
w'r. deemed ny Of some regard; and when
,iey were assembled Al Morlaix, Auge' eau ask
ed tuem 20 dine with him, and accepted from
them a splendid en,eI tairment in return. The
pl oject # 10, aiding Ireland was soon af.er aban-
donrd. and the army, which was called " The
Army oil England" as il was destined for the
opnques, Of ,hUse countries, was marched into
| Germany, while he IRISH emigrants were sent
ito Quarters in BrIranny, in order thar they
nigh ~ drilled and prepared for active SER
vice They were not long in this 81 ualion be-
fore tho "nfor unae characteristics OF their
county becamr manifest in broils among them
selves. IN tins ittis knot Of Iiishmen, Two fac
tons almost ms an,ly sprang up Arthur o.
Conner was c"ns'd''ed by M Sleepy 10 have
been rsised in o IN undue ele.a ion beyond his,
and s,ra,gh, the O'Connor and '.'Sheepy par
ties were formei in the hear Of Bri,anny by these
unhappy exiIes from a country, from which
they hid Carried nothing but their contentious
ard discordant spirit. A sir gular ins ance of
this unhappy disposition occurred shortly after
they had aiken up their quarters in Britanny.
A lady happened say that there were only
ihire gentlemen susonga, thASr. The
information was supposed TO have been traced !;
and this ground Of quarrel WIS so well cult.
,a,rd, that challenges were exchanged bee ween
all the Officers Of The corps. They all proceed
I'd together 10 a wood, upon fine morning, TO
cut each others ,hroats, when the absurdity Of
the business struck them, and, by the interpo.
si,ion Of one or two sober minded persons, re-
conciis,ion was effto ed. and their swords were
sheafhed. They en- inu unemployed for
considerable time. and whrn years had elapsed,
were marched into Germany, and arrived at
Msyence shorty after the battle Of Jena. A
large body of Poles, who had been aiken pri
soners, were induced to enter the French SER
vice; and Of these y les the q ief nanieriel Of
he Irish legian was o.med tn. Officers being
Irish, and the troops being chiefly composed Of
the oa,ives Of Poland. They were despa,ch.d
80 Walcheren, where hundreds fell victims 10
the Deslilence which proved so fatal to the Br.
fish army Colonel Fitzhrnrv, finding his
"esI,h greatly impaired, Obtained leave 10 60
| to Paris, wnere lac demonstrated with regard to
| 'he lreatmeB: which he & MS countrymen had
experienced and SO far succeeded. that he and
a body Of the Irish legion, amounting TO 1000
| men, were ordered 10 proceed % the Peninsula.
He was appointed "Chef de Battalion, which
gave him the rank # Lieutenant Colonel. At
pampelnna, the Irish corps, as il was called,
d'stinguished itself under his orders. Several
csrti6ra,-s Of the FIRST officers in he service Of
Napoleon were given 10 him. and in all Of them
referred TO his personal rxrrtions. Among the
rest, the following certificate was signed by
Baron lhomi-rrs, at the camp Of Astorga,
April 2, 1910: --
e" certify that the discipline order, and spirit of the
Irish corps owing in great measure, the acti
witty, ZEAL and military qualifications of the .Chef de
Dataon, Colonel Fitzhcnry, since it has been under
bis command have only praises to bes,o~ upon the