The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-09
|R I BRAVE IRISH SOLDIERS ] | R !
a1hs Name They Have Left Behind
h Them for valor on Every
Battlefield.
France and Other, Nations Have
Come to Thank Them for
Their Achievements.
King George Cursed the Laws
u That Deprived Him of
Such Soldiers.

W. Undoubtedly the most noted achieve
ments of any body of Irish soldiers, wheth-
/ or serving at home or abroad, were those
sof the Irish brigade which served under
Louis XVI, writes Walter w. Walsh In
the Owl. One of the numerous instances
In which their valor won the day for the
French in the latter's struggles with the
Confederates of Augsburg was at the battle
Of Marsaglia in 1893 The commander Of
the French in that memorable battle was
Marshal de Catinat. Besides the regular
French troops he had under his command
several Irish corps headed by Thomas Max
well. John Manchop, Francis O'Carroll and
other celebrated IRISH leaders Marshal
SCatinat was victorious, but to the Irish his
b victory was in a great measure due.
French writer's Of that period refer to the
Irish regiments as having fought with an
extreme valor," and as having lin the space
of half a league" or mile and a halt, dis
patched more than thousand Of the enemy
with sword thrusts and dubbed rnuskets.'
Lieut.-Gen. Count Arthur Dillon, writing
Of this famous battle, relates how ''the
Irish distinguished themselves by remark
able stratagem. Finding themselves very
much incommoded by a redoubt, situated
",
towards it holding their arms with the
butt ends upwards 1t being supposed that
they were coming forward to desert, they
we're allowed to approach. They then
Jumped into the redoubt,, Of which they
made themselves masters and turned its
cannot against the enemies" Marshal Cat
mat, who had granted permission for this
maneuver, availed himself of the enenly's
surprise, and put them to rout. This IA
nous general gave most fattering ac-
cannon against the enemies Marshal Cat
battle and of the share which they had III
winning the victory. ~
.if One of the most famous exploits per-
X formed by a body OF men Of any nationality
was that of the rescue OF Creuona in l702.
Gen. Villeroy had succeeded Marshal Cat
nat in the command of the French army in
1901, and having rashly attacked Prince
Eugene, Duke OF Savoy, was defeated and
had to retire for winter quarters into Gre
mona. After this move on the part OF the
Erench,- Eugene Immediately set about
1 drawing up plans OF attack. Having en-
tered into an intrigue with a certain Cas-
soil of Crenona to betray the city, the lat
ter by means of an aqueduct, allowed some
of Eugene's grenadiers to penetrate into
the town disguised. Eugene's design was
/ to surprise the town at night. Accordingly
4 on Jan. 81 he moved forward, and on the
! following day the allies closed in on the
town. BY different means entries were
effected and soon the whole regiment Of
Eugene's army were inside the walls.
Troops Of cavalry headed by Count Merci
dashed through the streets. And thus be-
fore the French were aware of the attack,
the town was almost lost. The French gen.
ar rn1 Mnfch chcJ Vp3I
tended to inquire into the tunult, was
airy headed by an Irishman named O'Don-
nell. There is an interesting story con-
5|nected with this episode. ViIleroy seeing
himself in the hands of an Irish exile, hoped
90 escape by bribery. He made all kinds
of promises, a thousand p!sto.es and reg
iment OF horses were quickly offered to this
g"nobie soldier Of fortune" But ali were as
quickly refused, and Villeroy was taken
out of the town a prisoner of war. The
h French army upon hearing Of the capture
Sof Their general became damoral!zed. But
little reason had they to despair, for there
Remained one stronghold called the Pc gate
which was still held by band of IS Irish
4 men. The gallant fellows, upon being COM
Smauded by Count Merci to surrender, an
sswered with a volley. And this small band
OF heroes by staving of defeat until two
Irish regiments encamped near by were
+ awakened, turned the tide OF victory. Head
/ ed by Dillon and Burke, they turned out in
the.r shirts to defend themselves against
4 che attack Of the Imperialists. An eminent
writer describing the battle speaks thus:
aSss.It was now 10 O'Clock in the day, and Ma
Il Honey had received orders to fight his way
from the Po to the Mantua gate. He
pushed on, driving the enemy's infantry be-
Tore him, but suffering much from their
4 IRE, when suddenly Baron Fre.berg, at the
head OF a regiment Of imperial cuirassiers,
4 burst into D:llon's regiment For while
their case seemed desperate. but almost
N naked as they were, they grappled with
Z their foes. The linen shirt and steel CUR
ass--the naked footnan and the harnessed
cavalier met, and the conflict was des-
lSperate and doubtful. Just at this moment
4 Mahony grasped the bride Of Fre:berg's
horse and bid him ask for quarter No
quarter today said Freiberg, dashing his
spurs Into his horse. He was Instantly
4 shot The Irish then redoubled their eff
Forts Few of the cuirasziers lived to fly
\ But all who survived did fly, and there
stood those glorious fellows in the wintry
streets, bloody, triumphant, half naked! =
Sst1uL slilCy udua ISsCuSQ NFtalOUh, duQ all
Europe rang witn applause for this daring
\ and brilliant exploit. King Louis sent his
public thanks and heaped innnmerable IA
syors upon the Irish soldiers lii his service
U hiis Irish triumph was the occasion Of an
excellent poem from the gifted pen of
Jhomas Davis, the last verse Of which is:
Jsws. news Id Vienna! King Leopold $
's,s 5s5 .. NJ /,
ss. news in st. James! king Wslliam
mad. ss 5a3$ sS
isa rleWa il yersaille Tue y ! Irish
gade A u 5s3ss SSS M
sloyally lhonored, and oyally paid. 81
news in old SIrel and rises her
S
lgh sounds her wall for Her children
dssp il As, heri send
III and fahony aght.ne
o TIE last. ibnt nn nnea
Ililil veinen nts iAh
Tsnct