Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-20


THOSE IRISH.
We knew we should elicit a torrent of
Frsirh historic learning from the "Exami.
Der.' We were right in affirming that this
e.udte Journal was perfectly familiar with
The >t ry Of Fon,enoy, and that it was only
iy WAY Of delicute irony the writer affected
:, ;huk Marshal SAKE had never heard Of
any explo, Of any Irish brigade in thar great
ha,,lc. and to affirm that no French historian
bal related il.
Ths Examiner" was not disgusted-on the
contrary. was charmed, to hear of the Forty
tso lri>hmen having distinguished themselves
a. SABINE P.Ss. We now find shat instead of
wishing 10 liSparage Irish prowess, upon that
Or any u,hcr occasion, the writer has quite an
enthusiastic admiration for Irshmen; and it is
ONLY his CONSCIENTIOUS aversion to exaggera-
lion which utliSes him to reject all narratives
Of the ba::!c except that OF NJ. de Eoltaire.-
THIS he t,~is compelled to ignore entirely the
le;:c7 Vt The French Minister Of War from
tie .'d Of battle, stating that the French
commanders, ''in di-may, were making dispo-
s'ri,rs f,r 4 retreat" when Colonel Count
Laly prop >ei change in the plan of attack,
which proved successful. He is also obliged,
reluctantly. 10 ignore the whole circum>tan-
;ial ie;ail in the Biographie UairerssNe,
which. b" thinks, may have been too partial
% the II,5srnians; and even the declaration Of
Of Marshal SAKE. in his published letters
tcei in the Biographie) thar the victory was
u'ques;iona!'ly (sans contredit) due to the
d,pu>iton. recommended by Lally.
There is noble and faithful scrupulosity
evince! in this steady rejection Of every piece
ci eyiie"ce looking like exaggeration, the use
Of which, in fact, would only serve to damage
AMI ;aiat the fame of the examiners" favo-
rte herocS--the Irish lie builds his faith
upon Iol.aire alone, aud even omis to ac.
c'ut ior h" h;storingrapher rejecting that
!a'i 1t b A. ccn-on's despatch whic; speaks
c: tie 'czcelence' OF the Irish troops, "espe-
cIa..: against the English" and that lart
Thc: rIbes the change in the plan Of at
;ie 10 the counsels Of Lally.
ln!.ei rs for this Lally himself, the ''Ex-
s~ner. though reluctantly, gives up all claim
10 him a. an Ir'shmau: she was born in Dau.
9h!me THIS is quite true. His father-Sir
G"rara Lally, of Tullindalv, in the county
Lm"rick-was an officer Of the Irish brigade
a. The time Of the Counts birth :; and he was
BORN il garrison, and made his fir campaign
a,Iwrlye: for the Irish Brigade was not a,
ler" temporary organization Tor o single cam
Iaica, but lasted more than a century The
word ruIlindaly was Frenchfed into Tollcn-
d'l' aad So the family bore the title of Count
La.lt'.Tulcndal. The man was Irish enough
':oT all rract cal purposes" and we are sure
oi the gratitude Of the Examiner" FIR estab-
!!'hi"s his nationality.
Bu; the Examiner" finds with regret that
Ill, yaunted Brigade" at Fontenoy was only
'c1IPsns, and computes that it may have
"a'l>ted Of about forty.two men. This being
established, the promotion of Colonel Count
Li!!y by the King, on the field of battle, to
he rank Of brigadier-general, was about
ei0'Eaient to rrUmotiro q man from cap.
ans grade to corporals. The extreme con-
fieh'Iousness Of the writer makes him admit
e9 much here against his cherished Irish.
laeFe were several regiments in that brigade
"a that day, including Fltzjames' cavalry
prn's regiment, whose colonel was killed
"al,h's regiment, Lord Clare's regiment,
y BFier,) besides Lally's own regiment; and
there We're at least twice forty-two commits
s3ned oificers All this is TO be founl in the
punished extracts from the records of the
French War Department. which contains the
Name .: every officer.
lhcr" is another French authority, the Chro-
@''eJ'e .Niaaue. which refers t. Funtenoy in
"s t!'owing terms, which would scarcely
cave been employed if there had been only
"F'i-i"o lrshmen in that great battle:
Daring that celebrated battle the Irish
- e''e = attributed powerfully to the victory,
F.F1ns with tie bayunet the flank IF the.
%sFF'"te English column, while the Due de '
Ne'r u with the household troops, attacked
L III front"
A"fY ether writers, both English and
''e''9h. have fully admitted the brilliant SER
wee oi the Irish at Fontenoy; and the late.t
Id We have seen is .und in work which
s'> published IN Richmond only the day be-
we ~ Yesterday. Mr.. Pollard, in his Second
=, I'"F vi the War (p. 2O0) speaking Of the
,%'se "Pn Marye's Hill, in the battle of
'''FFl'k 'k'"urs, says generously:
u. - tbs part ui the field the enemy dis
.s.ei devotion that is remarkable in his
KY lhs display does not adorn the Yam
,,m was made by race that has lett tes-
W'.u'rs 'H'rs vi lis Courage in such stories as
9 a'sF'o" and F'nteuoy. To the Irish divi-
c,'4 I ''n'n'ndr'i by lien Meagher, was prin-
~ c'mm'n ed The des rerate task OF burst
''t III Ne town at fredericksburg, aid
d., = u ;"r the w'the rlns fire uf the Con-
'''a's osttsries, &s.
!" there is enough Of this. }