Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-08-26
THE IRISH BRIGADE,


been wasted through many centuries,
In savage feuds among themselves, or in
trultless resistance to their invaders
and when at length it had become dis
ciplined, under Sarstield and st. Ruth,
and acquired force whicn might have
yielded England the greatest service in
her ensuing wars, it was lost to her
through the intolerance which pro-
scribed the religion of nation.
The laws of the period, which forbade
Catholics to bear arms under the Eng
lish crown, blindly renounced all the
advantages to be derived from their de-
votion, and compelled the armv of
James IL, when disbanded at the Peace
of Limerick, to pass over to the Con-
tinent, and enroll under its various
monarchs. Almost every throne of Eu-
rope profited by the bold hearts and
stalwart frames of the buoyant sons of
the Emerald Isle, except only the one
that still nominally claimed their ale
glance while repudiating their services.
1t was in France, however, that James's
army was found principally to reassem-
ble-owing, probably, to the greater
Celtic temperaments-and there formed
themselves into body, which soon be-
came distinguished under its title Of
the 'Irish Brigade"
These gallant emigrants, who left be-
hind them all their social and domestic
ties, carried abroad, with their unfair
nished honor and their indomitable
courage, all their unconquerable gayety
and their undying love for their native
country. Almost as deep, however,
perhaps was their love for their native
music. So strong was it, indeed, that
they refused to march to the French
tunes, and on all military occasians in
sisted on the use of their national airs
a qualification that was conceded to
them, though the same favor was denied
to the Swiss. For this, however, there
was a reason. The music of the ''Ranz
des Vaches" awoke in the breast of the
latter such passionate longing for
home, that it often led to desertion ;
while in the poor Irishman, whose home
was lost to him, no such danger was to
be feared.
During the course OF almost a century
the Brigade was enrolled in the French
army, and had an honorable share in
all the latter's brightest achievements
in Flanders, Spain, and Italy. Many
instances of its stanch fidelity and its
daring, decisive courage might be
quoted from the military records of
those days but one especially may be
selected, which, inits singular combina-
ton of the heroic and the grotesque,
must be regarded as very national:
Cremona, besieged by Prince Eugene,
and defended by the French, was sur
prised one morning before dawn, and
would inevitably have been lost but for
the promptitude of the Irish. While
the punctilious and ornate Frenchmen
were deliberately buttoning up their
regimentals, the former, at the sound
of their trumpets, jumped out of bed,
and, simply staying to buckle on their
cross-belts and caftouch boxes, seized
their guns and hurried to the square,
where, on forming in fighting order,
their commanders words, Halt =
dress I" were, at least in one respect,
superfiuous. Their Indifference to ap-
pearances on this occasion was all the
greater that the period was midwinter,
and the city was near the Alps. In this
condition they were charged by the
Austrian cuirassiers. 1t was steel-coats
against night shirts but the linen
trade of Ireland proved the more for
midable of the two. The Austrians
were driven back, and the French had
time to form and recover possession OF
tIo torr, Ear .bic hrilliopt carviaa tba
Brigade was honored with the emphatic
thanks of Louis XIV, and also had
their pay increased.
But these fearless fellows, as may be
supposed, carried aboard to their new
service not only their courage and
fidelity, but all their exuberance as
Irishmen. Their rollicking spirit and
love of fun were quite as great as their
love of fighting, and at times were so
opposed to propriety and discipline,
that the martinets of the French ranks
had to make formal complaints on the
matter. 1t was on one such occasion
that great compliment was paid them
by the brave Duke of Berwick, who,
however, had good reason to love them
for their devotion to his father.
s.Marshal," said the king to him,
''this Irish Brigade gives me more
trouble than all my army put together.
"PIease your majesty, replied the
duke, "your enemies make just the same
complaint of themI !"
The idol of the Brigade was the cele.
brated Marshal SAKE, whose great
bravery, in union with his iovial, mirth.
full temperament, gave him character
that was so engPging and so kindred to
their own. 1t Was in reference to him
originated one of the blunders of pool
Pat that has so often been repeated and
localized everywhere, The marshal
was wounded in some engagement, and
moreover, it was reported-in his back.
None of the Brigade, however, would
believe it.
"When did he ever show his back to
them ?" was the general exclamation.
ssWasn't it his face they knew the most
of and wasn't it their backs that he knew
best ?"
At last solution of the mystery was
hit upon
"He was purshuing 'em, you see, and
lust to make the villins think that, Oh
the contrary, he was retratlng, he
buttoned his coat behind him ]!
OF the anecdotes and jokes told of the
Brigade during their extended foreign
seryice-proofs of humor and light
heartedness which exile even could moi
subdue-the number is, indeed, legion
Gallic vanity forced them often into the
attitude of censors, and several OF then
repartees are excellent, and as full O
sense as they were of pleasantly. Among
the mass of these is one that has beer
often referred to their sources-when
Frenchman, claiming for his country
the invention of all the eiegances
named, among other things, ruifie
and Pat answered:
"We improved on tive put to 1t
shirt.
In the same spirit, but less known
was his retort upon a shopkeeper II
some petty town where he was quartered
The place had rather pretentlous gate
and the grocer, dilating on its grandeur
Z i