The Irish standard., 1898-09-17
THE IRISH In THE REVOLUTION.
What MIR. Martin 1. j. Griffin Says On
the Interesting Subject.

In letter to the Irish Standard, dated
Philadelphia, Sept. ~, Martin l. ]. Grit
fin says:
Let me get at you in your own col
umns-the worst place for any one to
discuss matters with an editor.
The hatred of our people for Eng
land always makes the subject of THE
IRISH IN THE REVOLUTION" an at
tractive one. We are always told that
one-half of Washington's army were
Irish. But two witnesses are cited to
sustain this assertion-Galloway and
Gen. Robertson.
Washington's army varied in numbers
greatly at times, but we are to believe
that-taking the average time and his
numbers-that one-half were Irish.
Who was Galloway? One of the fore
most advocates of American liberty and
stalwart in endeavor until that hour
came which Tom Payne called THE
Crisis 1.-The time that tried mems
souls"-just after the declaration Of in
dependence-when every signer of the
declaration who had pledged life, for
tune and honor" save John Dickinson,
a Quaker, ran away from Philadelphia
to escape the British marching on the
city. He took a company of militia to
Trenton. Then it was when even the
heart of Washington let in despair and
he cried to congress this army is now
at the end of its tether," and lin ten
days it will be destroyed Then Gal
loway and a host of others went over to
British allegiance, for was not all lost?
Yes, all was lost as far as man could
see, but then it was God made evident to
the hopeless that they were, as the
fathers of the council of Baltimore said,
but instruments in the hands of the AL
mighty Then came the battle of Tren
ton and that made the Revolution the
success it became.
Almost year later the British came
to Philadelphia by a route laid out for
them by Gen. Charles Lee, the second to
Washington in command of the Revo-
lutiOnary army, as was discovered in
1860 BY the unearthing of the original
document. He is now cited rs telling
Gen. Robertson that one-half the rebel
army was from Ireland
When the British captured Philadel-
phia, or, as Ben Franklin, then in
France, said, philadelphia had captur-
n1 tho priticL C,llowov 1,,,c ,pno;p+o1
superintendent Of the city, something
akin to what we would now call chief of
police. Washington's army was then at
Valley Forge suffering from the same
administration Of commissary de-
partment as our brave soldiers are to-
day-food plenty-but not brought to
them. Desertions were many. Those
who came to Philadelphia, where the
British were snug and warm and enjoy
ing themselves were taken to Galloway.
When the British had to go, of course
Galloway had to go, too. While here
he wrote by every vessel to Lord Dart
mouth telling of events and giving his
opinions. When parliament appointed a
committee on the conduct of the war
Galloway was, of course, examined. He
was asked if he could tell the compost
ton of the rebel army. He replied: Il
can answer that question with precis-
ion.' Here it was he made the an
swer which said that one-half were
natives of Ireland" Reading his ex-
amination-it is easily to be had in any
historical society, and, perhaps, in your
public library, we find he was asked
how he knew the proportions with such
precision. He answered. Il Judged
by the deserters that came in" But
our editors and orators never tell that
part of his testimony. Then Gen. Rob-
crtson is cited as tcstifying that Gen.
Lee told him the same
You say that Galloway was "preju-
diced" l have been through much of
his correspondence not vet public and
have not found any prejudice against
| the 1rish--on the contrary l have print
| cd some of his words quite to the con-
| trary But wasn't Lee, now known to
| be blacker traitor than Arnold,
| against the Irish or to call them as he
did 1.-The Scotch-Irish," the first know
of to apply the term to Them and then
as one OF opprobium. He hated these
Scotch-1rish. Look into the LEE PA
PIERS published by the New York His
torical Society in its collections for 1871
in three volumes, and soc.
l have never been abb, to find Rob.
crtson's testimony in the original Have
looked for 1t long and often, but nei-
Their my own searching, nor the help o!
others has enabled me to find it. Car
you or any quoter tell where it can be
examined?
l am not denying that the Irish con
tributed largely to Washington's army
Galloway wrote the earl Of Dartmouth
on Jan. q, 1918, "by far the greater
number are 1rish," and on March HI
wrote the earl: "'rhe English, Scotch
and Irish, by far the most Of the latter
have principally composed the rebel reg
ular army" On March 25 he sent thu
earl report showing that of the 1.13.
soldiers who had deserted Washington