The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-04-24
Conan Doyle, the Novelist, Del
scribes its Gallant Exploits.
cREMoNA AND F0NTEN0Y.
British Defeats Due to the val0f
of the Irish Soldiers.
AN INTERESTING LECTURE.

The Uniform Was a Red Coat and
White Knee Breeches.
fyEf|
In recent lecture in London by Con-
an Doyle on "The Irish Brigade" the
celebrated novelist said he was ac'
uuainted with few more interesting In.
c1dents in history than those which led !
to the formation and the existence Tor q
hundred years of the Irish Brigade in !
the service of France. That so large
body Of men should engage under the
colors of foreign nation; that they
should fight mainly against the govern"
ment which claimed their allegiance, |
and that they should be able for q per"
tod which exceeded three generations to |
keep themselves we'll Offered by Irish
gentlemen of the best Catholic families |
and their ranks filled with the best |
fighting material Of Ireland, was cers
tainly q most extraordinary phenome"
non.
The existence of military organize
ton of this unnatural sort for so l0pe
a period was unique, he thought, In the
worlds history, and told moro than
words could do Of the abominable mise
government of Ireland by Great Britain
in the eighteenth century. During
century the history of Irish Brigades
was entwined with the military history
of France. Their lives were spent In
fighting against Great Britain or the /
allies of Great Britain. He found In
his notes eighty-nine engagements in
which they had burned powder. They
hoped the French to victory. They
covered the French retreat in three co1l-
tinents. They fought against their per-
secutors. Again and again their press
ence turned defeat into victory for theiN
adopted country. ..
At last milder laws prevailed in ire
land. Some limited measure of justice
was d. g. ia - native population, ana
instantly the brigades IL France began
to dwind1e and disappear. After tn1 I
raising Of the siege of Limerick in 1901,
which terminated the Jacobite war In |
ireland, $4,000 men, all good trained
soldiers of great endurance and hardi-
hood, with an experience Of several
campaigns, passed out of Ireland-out |
of ireland, but not out of history-for
they went only from small stage to q
larger one, and exchanged their obscure
warfare Of their lovely island for SER
vice which filed the eyes of Europe and
which had made their names famous II I
the history Of the last century. The
war minister Of Louis XIV, the French
monarch seized upon the body Of men
with avidity, and proceeded to break /
them up into twelve regiments to 4t1
them into. the French military establish. /
ment. This was very hard upon the /
officers of the old Irish regiments, who
found themselves deprived Of their comst
mands. or very often, at any rate, re-
duced to lower rank.
It was interesting to look over the
names Of the original officers Of the Irish
Brigade. There we're, for example. th1
Prendergasts, Buffers and Lacys; but
the vast majority were O'Carrolls,
O'Haras, Murphys, Burkes, McCarthys,
Powers, O'Nefls, McMahons and M1-l
honys. The waste Of the men Of the
brigade during the great campaigns q
the end of the seventeenth and tho
opening Of the eighteenth centuries was
made up by having special recruiting 7
agents in Ireland, who were liable t1I
be hanged IL detected by the govsrnS
ment, but who were well paid for thsi1
work. ssIl
There had always been great smuest Il
Cling industry carried on between the
indented coasts Of the west Of Ireland 4
and the ports Of France. The arbitrary
interference by England with the Irish I
wooden trade had increased this indue.sf
try, and numbers Of boats were ensaIsdh 8
in carrying wool to France. Few 09ss#
these ever sailed without having ongss
board four or i've strong lads who ws16
ready to fight under the lilies Of Francs. q
These boats. brought back clarets and sss
brandy, lace and silks. It was on these
occasions when the stout young peasant
was missing and the. big sail Of the
smuggler was seen in the morning upoa ss
the southern horizon that word Ma9ss
passed round that the Wild Goose ha6s'
down. Ssss sssss
Al TO- the language Of the brfsa
was usually Gaelic. SO common n!
in tie ranks that those o1icsesss
knew nothing Of Il were compslle4 s11s|
learn It. The older lansuas 8 sg|
been the one bond of union ~ ~
irish septs, and they were H.
attached 70 II. The mi lform g &,
reesimentss sNas q red cost ssltlt
i. c:.oiored fseinss and xkhitss ~
q