The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-11
BETRAYER OF 1RISHMEN.
GARRETT err MfJoR HhNRI BE CARON,
THE BRITISH POLITICAL SPE

tire Unl0n Arwaies-Hls Record OF Du
| Piieity ne sn oNesr OF the Fenisns sus
the CIsu-us.Gnei-HIs Last Days.
Major Henri lie Caron. the British political
SPY. who has Just died In England, was, per.
haps, ss remarkable man in his trnds as sny
this century has seen. lie attained notoriety
chiefly through his beinRa conspicuous wit
ness for the London Times during the sitting oil
the Parnel Com mission In 1899: but that was
only an incident. and the elimination OF .
career as desplcable as 1t was varied.
His work was the Swing upon Irish
men IN America: he was employed and
paid By the British Government for that SER
vice; and even II he sought IL as . livelihood.
even II he performed his duty faithfully and
without personal prejudice. he never rose
above the degradation OF his vocation. For
twsnty-three years he played the part without
detection; for twenty-three years he traduced
the men who trusted him and the cause in
which he Voluntarily enlisted. He odwink ed
men OF ability and discern ment into believing
him whole-souled Irish patriot and not until
he threw on the disguise OF his own accord was
there ever hint OF his deception.
lie Caron was name assumed by accident
not because he was ashamed to have his own
sullied with the work he did. His own name
was Thomas Beach. and he was born In Col
chester. Berks. England. on Sept. % 1S41.
The spirit OF adventure was innate In him. Ho
was bad boy. By his own confession. and ran
away from home several times between the
ages Of twelve and fifteen. He was early APP
prenticed TO q draper In his native town, but
ran away from home for good when lB years
old. He went to London, got q situation, but
could not keep It, He wandered about for
while, picking up . living as he went. and
finally was stricken with an illness that nearly
proved fatal.
After that he went to Paris. He knew no
French. and put up at q small hotel kept by an
Englishwoman. There he stayed until his
money ran out. One day, as he wandered des-
titute about Paris. he CHANGED to enter an
English church. There he met a young man.
compatriot and they struck UP a sudden
friendship. He got situation In q CONNER
cial house through this young man. and soon
became member OF the choir OF the church
into which he had strayed.
The spirit OF unrest was still IN him. When
the civil war broke out In this country he was
fired with the thought of becoming q soldier.
With the i'm pulsiveness that characterized all
his movements. he at once took passage on
steamship. arrived here in the early summer,
and on Aug. z. 1851. enlisted for three months
service In the Eighth Pennsylvania Reserves
From that regiment he reGnlisted in the An
derson Cavalry. Both enlstments were made
under the name OF Henri Le Caron. and he
afterwArd said that he changed his name
merely In a spirit OF fun.
The Anderson Cavalry was assigned to the
Army Of the Potomac. and LIE Caron served with
the regiment for nearly two years. taking part
In the Peninsula campaign and In the series Of
battles which ended with McClsllan's retreat
to Harrison's Landing. In Oct 1882. the regi-
mont was transferred to the Western army
under Rosecrans; and LIE Caron was in all the
"A WnnF RAh adj ma
maasa. When Thomas ''H succeeded 'n no.:
missioned .oiiicer.. and was engaged chiefly in
s scouting DUTY His command VAS ordered
ing the winter. OF 1853 he was engaged In the
campaign in East Tennessee, against Long
street; He was com missioned second Lieu
tenant the same year. and for the next twelve
months was In charge OF q company Of scouts
under Gen. Rousseau in the western part OF
Army Of the Cum bertrand and promoted to a
First Iieutenancy. In 1855 he was on detach-
Throughout his military career he was
happy-Eo-luesy and sometimes reckless. He
Sn nnd Tsns Mssn
The romsnes Of bis life occurred during his
stopped at q house about fifteen miles from
An old man lived in the house with his young
niece They received lie caron and his scouts
tSes sat and sn shea as 'aP 9s sn
The house was suddenly surrounded By
band Of gueriIlas Hall the party OF scouts.
Caron. were captured. They were ali crowded
placed at the door: The, GuerilIss then went
to the dwelling, and ate the supper that had
During The sveninS most Of the gusrillas got
drunk and went TO sleep. There was still the
guard nc the smokehouse door. however. and
Ia - n a n ~ M ha AFia
oners within to escape. Late at night the girl
dtcoyed the sentry away. by calling him to the
eating. she went to the, smokehonse and lib
Grated LIE Caron and his scouts. They
Uaron met the girl again in Nashville In 1864
and made her his wife
The II Rs hs 6srSR snd
was to become. He Joined the veteran organi:
the Grand Army OF the Republic Then he be.
gan to study medicine.
Irishman named John ONeill This O'Neiil
had settled In Nashville as = United States
70 SSs &c ans nT
cause. and he soon got lie Caron interested In
opportunity for himself
In America In 1850 and with the coming OF
neace between the North and the South its
purposes Deghn 10 QevslOh Infough ONelll
Ls Caron learned OF what was going on. He |
wrote TO his father in England. and his father. |
probably at lie Caron's suggestion. turned mis- |
lettsrs over 10 John Gurdon Rebow. member |
Of Parliament for Colchester. ltsbow In turn |
brought them to the notice OF the Home ssere- |
tary who At once set about TO arrange a CON |
tlnuAncs of the letters. suggesting that the |
British Government could make use OF all and |
any Information lie Caron might be able to |
gain OF the FsniAn movement In America |
O'Neill. 9. Colonel In the Irish Republican |
army. led the Fenian Invasion OF Canada on
June i. 1856. Sim a taneously two other in |
yasions we're Planned one By way OF Eastport, |
Me-. and smother by Rousss Point. on Lake |
Cham plain but each failed before IL was well |
under Way, Oksill and his followers, to the |
o lumber Of 200 crossed the Niagara River in |
tstbosts and took possession OF Fort Erie an
day the FeniAns and the Canadian vol-
nntesIs. who had been mustered TO re-
pei the Invasion. came into collision.
There was skirmish, and many men
we're Killed and many wounded. Gen. Grant /
arrived at Buffalo tho same day and took de-
,isivs measures to stop further hostilitiss.
The Fenians. being without supplies. artillery. |
or rsenforeements, withdreE ingloriously
ad nd I'D aUhA haV tria m