The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-10-03

Col. James A. Euilsgala.

The following sketches of Col. James
A. Mulligan, the brave defender of Lex
ington, Mo-, are given by gentleman of
Detroit, who has been intimately scquaint-
ed with him for the past five or six wears
Col. James A. Mulligan was born in
the city of Utica, n. Y, in the year 1929
and is consequently in his 32d year His
parents were natives of Ireland After
the death of his father, whi ,h took place
when he was child, his mother removed
to Chicago, where she has resided with
her son for the past % years She mar
ried respectable Irish American in Chi
cago, named Michael Lantry, who has
steadily watched, with father solicitude,
the expanding mind of the brave young
soldier. He was educated at the Catholic
College of North Chicago, under the su-
perintendence of the Rev. Mr. Kinsellar,
now of New York city. He is strict
member of the Catholic Church In 1852,
1858 and 1854 he read law in the office
of the Hon. Isaac n Arnold, Congressman
from the Chicago district. For short
time he edited Tie Hcste,n Tablet, a semi
religious weekly newspaper, in Chicago.
In 1896 he was admitted an attorney at
law In Chicago. At this time he held the
position of I'd Lieutenant in the Chicago
Shields Guards, one of the companies at
tached to the Irish Brigade, now in Mis-
souri,, and which has done so we'll at Lex
ington.
la the winter of 1857 Senator Fitch, of
Indiana, rendered him clerkship in the
Department of the Interior. He accepted
the position, and spent the winter at
Washington. During his residence in
Washington he correspondcd with the Uti-
ca Telegraph, over the signature of Satan
After his return from Washington he was
elected Captain of the Shields Guards
On the news arriving of the bombardment
of Fort Sumter, he threw his soul into the
National cause The Irish-American COM
panies held meeting, OF which he was
Chairman. Shortly after wards he went
to Washington with letter, written by
the late Senator Douglas on his deathbed,
to the President, rendering regiment to
be called the "Irish Brigade" He was
elected Colonel, and immediately went to
work with a will. The course of the
brigade" up to the battle of Lexington,
is well known; it has molly, brayely aud
honorably done its duty.
Col. Mulligan is worthy of all praise.
A purer, better man does not live in the
State of Illinois Since he was able to
tell the difference between ale and water,
a glass of spirituous or malt liquor has not
passed his lips, He is rigid temperance
man, although he is jocund and whole
souled to a fault. He is six feet three
inches in hight, with a wiry, elastic frame,
large, lustrous, hazel eye, an open, frank
Celtic face, stamped with courage, pluck
and Independence, surmounted with a
bushy profusion of hair, tinctured with
gray. Honorable in all relations, respect
ed by all, he has won his way by untiring
industry and unquestionable courage. On
the 10th day of October, 1859, he was
married to Miss Marian Nugent, by the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago.
A fine scholar, good speaker, a brill
liant writer, promising lawyer, was he
when the banner of the Union was insult.
ed. Now he is-long may he continue sc
-one of the brave defenders of the Union
In one of his last letters received by the
gentleman above alluded to. he says: al
| die-if fall in defense of our laws and
Constitution; let my example be followed
by abby every man who loves the fame
and renown of the fathers who made us a
great and honored people"