The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-01-13
A MILITARY HERO.
Count Lally Tollentaal, thss Famous
Leader of the Irish Brigade
at Fontenoy.
AN INDUSTRIOUS FRESHMAN.

Beheaded on the Block forTreason.
But His Honor Vindicated
| After Death.
The following sketch OF Count Lally
Tollendal, who led the Irish Brigade at
Fontenoy, is taken from = contribution
by Eugene Davis to the Boston Repub-
lie:
| In former days the Lallys were chief
tains over large strip ct territory in
| and around Loughrea, in the county
Galway. They were Independent OF Eng
lish rule, and bad their own kerns and
gallowglasses, who made many daring
foray into the Saxon Pale in the "brave
days OF old.'' Throughout six genera.
tions the belted knights of Tollendal IN
| sheathed their swords for faith and faith
erland. Like most other chivalrous, but
mistaken, chiefs, they cOnfounded the
Jacobite cause with the national, and on
the final defeat of James, for whom they
fought with the courage OF lions, the
five sons OF Lally, q very old man at the
time, sailed to the fair land of France to
take service under the white flag. Lally
Sr. died shortly after their departure,
grieying over the loss OF the family es-
tate, which was wrested from him by the
Williamites for bis devotion to James II.
Thomas Arthur Lally, the subject, Of
this memoir, was the sou: OF. Gerard, who
! married tho dark-haired, dark eyed,
olive checked daughter of the Marquis
de Bressac. He was born in bis grand
fathers chateau in 17O2, while his father,
the count was away on the Rhine with
one IT the six regiments Of the Irlsk bri-
gade, OF which he was colonel This
regiment, it may be added, was almost
exclusively composed .of Galway men,
| "whose arms" as Lefanu puts it, "were
as big as other mems thighs and who
! by their herculean build astonished the
| natives, and on the field Of battle sent a
thrill of terror down the spines Of the
enemy at close quarters. When Lally
was four years old, he was brought to
| the Strasburg encampment, where the
Irish brigade was quartered, in order
| that be might smell powder before be-
| coming private. At IL he was full.
blown corporal, and brayely handled his
wee rifle by his fathers side, as the latter
| mounted the breach Of Barcelona, head
| ing his regiment against the Spaniarde,
whom he routed from that citadel in the
name Of the King of France. After
these military experiences, young Lally
was sent to the Sorbonne University,
where he acquired knowledge of al
most all the continental languages In
an issue of the Official Gazette, dated
1923, We find him nominated to cap
taancy in. Dillon's famous regiment in the
French service. In this capacity he
fought brsvely throughout several cau-
paigns. By the campfres on the eve Of
battle he and the other Irish exiles, pom
dering sadly over the dismantled roofs
! and the ruined shrines of the old land at
home, expected, nevertheless, that the
| day would come when their, swords
would be drawn for her liberty. But,
| alas! that day never came. Yet the
hopes they entertained consoled and for
titled them for the many suferings and
privations they endured in their defence
Of the Lilies of France in many hard
won struggle.
| Lally, shortly after his fathers death,
which occurred in 1897, obtained leave Of
absence from his regiment in order to
proceed to Scotland and Ireland with the
object Of discovering il there was any
chance OF organizing q successful rebel
/ lion in these countries on behalf OF the
so called James III the pretender. In
these countries he found scattered
groups OF Jacobites, but not material
enough for great army. Returning to
Paris, he was commissioned by the pre-
tender to 60 to Russia in order, If pos.
| Isible, to enlist Field Marshal Lacy, Of
the Lacys ct Ballingarry, Hpperary. in
1.-THE Jacobite cause. Lacy was at this
time the friend, guide and counsellor Of
| the Empress Anne, and lived In sump-
Ituous residence at st. Petersburgh.
fLally was also entrusted with q secret
mission from Cardinal Fleury to the
Empress, in which the latter was offered
Iseveral advantages il Russia would
labandon her alliance with England and
Iioin France. Count Ially failed ia both
these projects; but the failure was due
p no fa,1lt Of his Field Marshal Lacy
declined to lend his sword to lost
cause;; while owing to the yacillatiDg pol.
llicy IS The eeld lima e ~ was unabl q
i sLeo1ae g e1nlte sundl sndine with