Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-28
THE IRISH BRIGADE.
INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE FRAN
co-RlsH WARRIORS.
Their LOYALTY TO the stuarts-Decds OF
Forti,ude and vsior In Every Coun-
try on the European Continent
PART /.

PAHI L.
In his critical account of the battle OF
Blenheim as one Of the decisive battles OF
the world Greasy remarks that the Irlsh
drove the Hanoverians back with great
slaughter, broke completely through Tue
line of the allies. and nearly achieved
success as brilliant as that which the same
brigade afterwards gained at Fontenoy.
And this is one Of the few glimpses that
the average reader of history gets az the
career Of the Irish troops IN the french
wars. though IL has been claimed Tor them
that they even won honor out OF deieat.
and never lost but one standard, ana tnat
by night surprise. which was no iault OF
the regiment that lost its colors. -,
Tho inspiration and motive OF the
Franco-Irlsh troops was their Loyalty to
the Stuarts. whom they regarded as their
rirhtful soyereigns. and when the largest
body of the irish went 10 France after the
capitulation of Limerick and enlisted IN
that service il was in the face oil tar OIL
fer TO remain at home in the enjoyment OF
their property and exercise of their rell-
gious privileges as Catholics.
The first Irish brigade was formed from
the FIVE regiments sent to France TO take
the place Of the 5000 French troops sent
10 the support of James III. in Ireland,
who desired greatly to have q CERTAIN
moral support by the active cooperation
of his great ally. Louis XIV. These hve
regiments were consolidated into three
known by the family names OF Their com
-Mountcashel, Clare, and Dll::
lou-and Constituted disciplined corps OF
8. 600 men commanded by General justin
Mccarthy, Lord Mountcashel. Inns oni-
Ger had been defeated, wounded. and cap
tured at the battle Of Newton Butler, oui
had escaped TO France, and was assigned
to the command of the Irish brigade,
9TH on account of his military. experience
. al his family prestige, he being the son
Of the Earl OF Clancarty.
The same was the case with the other
commanders, who were chosen az well 10
represent the traditional clanshlp AZ lot
their military ability. This brigade was
enlisted under King LOUIS, but the large
body of Irish Vho came over after the
treaty Of Limerick were enlisted under
King James H., of England, and organized
as his army in the service of his ally. Upon
their arrival King James, from his head
quarters at st. Germans, issued pTOcla-
nation accepting their oaer of service,
and he at once proceeded to review them
at Vannes in January, 1892, on winch &C
casion he was attended by his son, the Ia
nous Duke of Berwick, and the gallant
Patrick Sarsfeld, Lord Lucan.
The organization of the army OF King
James was as follows: Two troops OF Horse
Guards, two regiments of dismounted
Dragons, eight regiments Of Foot (hfteen
battalions), three independent companies.
GREAT SACRIFICE.
The reorganization of these IRISH troops
necessitated the sacrifice of many mill
tary grades and scores of the field ofhcers
had to serve IA subalterns, while the re,
duction OF the Pay TO the French standard
was calculated TO be very CALLING TO sol;
diers who had suffered go greatly and had
come prepared TO make greater sacrifices.
The King" says the chronicle, was
greatly touched by the cheeriulness with
which his subjects submitted to TINS. and
solemnly in a written document promised
them full compensation when he should
be restored TO his throne"
The names of the corps here enumerated
will be recognized in the various battles and
combats in which the Irish troops figured
for nearly a century. but the reader must
bear In mind when the Irish OF four bat
talions are referred to IN Flanders there
were as many more IN Spain or Italy, the
names of the different officers often being
COMPOUNDED with the locality of the differ
ent corps: as, for instance, the regiment
of Mountcashel is sometimes gaZetted by
the name of its colonel, while that OF Dill
Ion may be in one place, and Count Dillon,
who gave 1t its name, in quite another.
Bearing this IN mind the reader will get
clear idea of the organization OF the Irish
brigades from the following synopsis
THE BRIGADEs.
In the service of Louis XIV.-Regiment
of Mountcashel. Colonel Andrew Lee
Regiment of Clare, Colonel Daniel O'Brl-
ent. Lord Glare Regiment of Dillon, Col
onel Arthur Dillon. Lord NIscount Dillon
(nlne battalions. 5000 mem.
In 4bo carNipa of n mo ,lQmpC-EpQimpDt
Of Guards, Regiment of the Queen. Regi-
ment Of Marine, Regiment OF Limerick,
Regiment Of CharemOnt, Regiment OF
Dublin, Regiment of Athlone. Regiment
of Clancarty, Kings Discounted Ora
goons, Queens Dlsmounted Dragons,
three independent 900 men:
First Troop of Horse Guards, Second
Troop of Horse Guards, Kings regiment.
Queens regiment-9i4 men.
The reform or reorganization had re-
duced the number of regiments. and con-
slant changes during fifty years had of
course changed the nomenclature of the
corps.
But this was the Irish army as it was
mustered for the first service under King
Louis of France III April, 1852, for an eX-
petition against England headed by the
dethroned Stuart.
An army of 1000 men was assembled on
the COAST Oh lut
Irish troops under the command OF the
veteran Marshal Bellefonds, with Lord
Lucan and the Duke of Berwick as his
lieutenantS.
The embarkation was prevented for sew
eral weeks uy Protestant wInds.' as the
Jacobites called it. that prevented the
juncture of the Touon fleet with that of
Brest, which combination was supposed
by Louis TO be invlncible against the
English squadrons. He had lavishly open
ed his Golfers to make "a fine fleet that
might, according to his satirIcal cOmmen-
tator, make him the Neptune as well as
the Mars of Europe" But somehow his Adj
miral de TourvIlle, who had defeated the
Dutch and the English both on n former
occasion did not receive the orders sent
him not to attack, and he gave the Eng
lish and Dutch battle of La Hogue and
got badly smashed by superior numbers,
although he maintained q splendid fight
all day long.
The expedition for England was thereby
broken up and the Irish troops were or
dered to Flanders and Italy,
The Fl uch fleet was never again able to
match the English and Dutch as TO secure
the passage of troops over to England or
Scotland. and every subsequent attempt of
the Stuarts in that direction down to the
last brilliant but fatal expedition OF
Charles Edward IN l745 was repetition OF
the failure of 1852, owing TO the ability OF
England to prevent with her superior
navy, the transportation of French troops
across the channel.
OBVIOUSLY AVENGED.
The first time we hear of the Franco
Irish soldiers on a noted field is at the
battle of Landau, fought between William
III. and the French Marshal Duke de
on lnlV IL lEQ3 King Wfl-
liam was interior i'll numbers, but had the
advantage IN position. According TO the
phraseology of that day, he mustered G5
battalions, 100 squadrons. and 90 guns, the
French having one fourth or third more
than bis forces. According TO the French
chronicles, the Irish regiments that day
gloriously avenged the aflront OF the Boyne
and Of Limerick" In the hottest of the
struggle the Duke OF Berwick, who had
pushed into the centre OF the enemy's line.
was overpowered and captured, and Sars-
fad Lord In0Qn np9nHrAtplV