The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-11-27
The shillelah in France.

u0 capture Oh OUTuSOOuTk uhb SitO WGu
the Germans to ascend the Rhine south
wards, to Mulhouse, or Mulhausen. whence
they go into the interior of France by what
is called the Gap of Belfort. Before ar
irving at Mulhausen, Q famous manufac%
turing town, they have had to pass Breisach,
news tells us of it's bOmbardment. Breisach
ought to be of particular interest to Irish
men, because long ago it was saved from
the Germans by an Irishman with his Shil-
lelah!
This singular deed is related in the ellis
tory of the Irish Brigades," to whose tai
ented author, Mr.. O'Callaghap, the merit of
e1huming it from oblivion is due. 1t was |
in the month of November, one hundred
aud sixty-six years ago, that the Prince
Eugene, after the victory of the Allies at
Blenheim, concerted measures to surprise |
the New and Old Breisachs; the latter was
situated on the German bank, the former
on the French bank of the Rhine. The
French garrison was but small, consisting
of four battalions and six independent COM
panies. 1t was known that there were
some IL 900 laborers engaged hard at work
to strengthen and complete the fortihca-
tons; that wagons of hay were being daily
drawn in to provision the cavalry horses
with fodder. There were spies then as
now. valet of the German Governor OF
Friburgh had managed to obtain pass,
in the pretext of purchasing wines. In
UllS way Cuc OOScIuOT OcCdluo WCli pOolOu
on the interior arrangements of the place,
and it was to him the task was entrusted OF
celebrating Il surprise.
On November 10, u great quantity of hay
was to be drawn in. The night before, the
German Governor, with 1000 German and
Swiss infantry and lOO cavalry, set out
from Friburgh to effect their object. In
the van lie sent forward long string OF
wagons, apparently loaded with hay, bat
carrying men and arms concealed within,
and driven by Il number of the most deter
mined officers of grenadiers disguised as
peasants. They reached one OF the gates
of the town at eight clock in the morning,
favored by thick fog, and three of them
actually entered safe. But at this critical
moment ''Sieur de Bierne, 1rfandois,"
Mr.. O'Beirne, or O'Byrne, an 1rishman,
who was experimenting the laborers upon
the Notifications, caught sight OF about
forty of the seeming peasants. He imme-
"Who are you ~ he said. "Wby are you
not at work like the rest 7" Then turning
to one who seemed principal among them
he asked-s.wllere did you come from
What is the meaning of all these strange
faces, never here before 7"
AS he could get no satisfactory answer
to those questions, he gave a twirl to his
cane and brought it down upon the sham
peasants back. Perhaps they will under
stand this kind of language better, was
evidently his thought. A drubbing was
certainly the thing well calculated to educe
some kind of IA reply, for the man who re-
ceiyed it was Lieutenant Colonel of the
Regiment of Baireuth, and, of course, a
"hi Sh. born NOBLE" accustomed to thrash
peasants, but not to be thrashed as one.
This fearful humiliation before his men,
perhaps his serfs, was more than he could
bear, and fiing,ng to the winds all prudent
strategy he rushed at the wagon, tore away
the hay, pulled out musket, and fired II
at his fiagellator.
untouched, warning the garrison against
the plot which he had discovered and pre-
vented. "Aur armes;" whilst score o.
the Lieutenant Coloneps men Selling theiI
guns, fired at him, missing him In the !
hurry, although but five or six PAGES dis
tant. ur armcs !" was still his cry, when
dashing among the reeds of the fosse Gun
armed as he was) he received another vol
lev, but without IL wound.
His cry "To arms" had thoroughly
alarmed the citizens, and the garrison raj
lied in time to save the fortress with the
loss of but twenty men. The Germans aud
Swiss lost about two hundred, including
the cudgl!ed colonel and several others OF
distinction. Besides carts, hatchets, and
horses, five hundred muskets We're aban-
doped in their hasty retreat. Moreover,
this failure caused them to abandon all
notion of an attempt against New Briesach
by winter
"Tbus was single Irishman," observes
Mr.. O'Callaghan, in concluding his account
s.fu rnished with no better weapon than a
stick, the medium of frustrating at Bret sacll
las his better armed countrymen had done
at Cremona), an enterprise of Eugene that,
: if attended with success, would have been
very injurious to France. The Importance
of Breisach to the French may be best con-
ceived from Louis XIV having employed
forty thousand chosen men, one hundred
and twenty cannon, and forty mortars, the
wear before, for its reduction" In this
case the shillelah, proved itself a superior
weapon to the musket, for cit never missed
, fire."
1t would have been different with France
to- day had her Irish Legion been retained
as now it is revived. AS a final remlnls-
cence of Breisach we have to add, that IL
+ I76I. the celebrated Charles O'Brien, Ear
of Thomond, Viscount Glare, Marshal Of
France, was its Governor.-DubHn Irtsh'
r man.
Politics IN PROTESTANT PULPITs.-Tht
, New York Herald speaks plainly of the
prostitution of the Protestant pulpit to the
IF