The Irish standard., 1898-12-24

John Sullivan was one of the thousands
of 1rishmen who settled in Massachusetts
In 1923. The Irish residents of Boston
were so numerous in 1887 that they cs-
tablished the famous Charitable Irish
Society which still exists. That organ
ization furnished it's quota of distin-
guished sons to the Revolutionary cause
Among them were Washington's favor
lite major general, Henry Knox, also sec
rotary of war and an active member OF
the Friendly Sons of st. Patrick and also
Gen. Simon Elliott and Capts. Callahan,
Leslie Mcclure. Howard McGce, Ash,
Mcneil. Dunn. Dalton. McCorley, Fletch-
cr, Mackey, Malcolm. McNeill, and the
Rev. John Moorehcad, Il Protestant.
In the year 1919 one hundred Irish
families go pcrsons) settled in Derry, NJ
H., and Brstow, the New Hampshire
historian, says their descendants are to-
day to be found all over Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. Not long afterwurd
the Irish founded Dublin, N. n. Gen.
John Stark, Gen. Enoch Poor and Cen
Reed were descendants of Irish immi-
grants who settled in and around Dublin.
Subsequently Belfast, Me, was found
ed by lrishmen. and Bangor and Kittery
Me-, became Irish settlements. William
Whipple, u sgner Of the declaration of
Independence, was descended from one
of the Irish settlers.
Gradually Irish colonies were cstab-
lishcd in Vermont onnccticut, Rhode Is
land New York, New Jersey, Pcnnsyl-
vania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia.
the Carolinas. Georgia and Kentucky.
Thousands of lrshmen settled i'm South
Carolina, all long before the Revolution,
and historians unite IN the opinion that
they did much to stir up rebelious
feeling against England and provoke
the Revolution
An Irish family that did ycoman ser
vice for the patriotic cause settled in
New Windsor, N. Y. Their name was
Clinton, and they were one of the many
Irish families who settled in this state
early in the eighteenth century, or
nearly two hundred years ago. The
ClintOns gave the country Gen. James
Clinton, ViccPrcsidcnt George Clinton,
and DE Witt Clinton. One little town
in ireland, Newry, sent 800 cmigrants
to New York in July, l774. They ar
rived on the Necdham, Capt. Chccvcrs,
on Aug. 3. 1774.
Tootc, who is an authority respecting
Virginia. informs us that from 1927 to
1876 many Irish immigrants settled in
Virginia, and Thomas Jefferson (vi., 1850
says they fairly controlled the valley be-
tween the Blue Ridge and the North
Mountain. Three of tho richest land
owners In this country at the time were
1rishmcn. namely Col. James Patton,
who owned 10000 acres in Virginia:
Henry Wileman, who owned 100000
acres in New York, and William john
ston, who owned immense tracts in the
Mohawk Valley tenanted by Irish.
Spencer, the historian (see Vol. ~,
says: "Multitudes of laborers and hlls-
bandmen from Ireland embarked for the
Carolinas." The first colony of them
located in 1877 near the Santce. Spcn-
Ger says further that emigration to
America was SO heavy as to threaten
the depopuation Of whole districts in
Ireland. And Ramsey, South Cardinals
historian, declares that of all the Eu-
ropean countries, "nonc has furnished
this province with SO many inhabitants
as Ireland" Scarcely a ship sailed from
any Irish port for Charleston that was
not crowded. All this refers to years
and decades before the Revolution.
Concerning the few years prior to the
beginning Of the Revolution, Gordon,
the historian, says that many thousands
left Ireland and settled in America and
Contributed powerfully by their zeal
and yalor to the separation of the Amer
lean colonies from England" Referring
to the mass of Irishmen who left Ireland
in I'LL, 1772 and 1878, Marmion says
emigration from that country was with