Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-06-24
Appropriate Ceremonies and
Addresses i'm English,
French, Irish.
Invasion, Victory and Final De-
feat and Surrender to
Superior Force.
IRISH, FRENCH AND AMERICAN FLAGS

DISPATCHES from Ireland announce the
unwilling of a monument to Gen. Hum
bert, the French General who took part
in the instruction of 1898. The monu-
ment was erected at Ballina and recalls
political and historic event of much i'm
portance. The commemoration in GER
tain sense was international, for the ex-
ercises were participated i'll by delega-
ton from France. In this way it became
of highest importance from national
point of view and it gains added signifi-
canoe from the recent discussion i'll Paris
and throughout France of the feasibility
of that country invading and conquering
England. Gen. Humbert did invade
Ireland as an ally of the insurrectionists,
despite the watchfulness of the English
feet, and of their knowledge that he and
other French commanders were intend
ing to make descent upon the coast OF
Ireland.
The monument is handsome one and
the round column of polished Donegal
marble is surmounted by figure of Erin,
with a wolf dog on one side and a harp
on the other. The monument bears APP
propriate inscriptions in English, Irish
and French. The day selected for the
unwilling was a holiday and the weather
being fine, people from all the country
round attended, the crowd being so great
as to block the streets of Ballina. Near
. the monument was erected platform
and on it and above it the tricolor, the
stars and stripes and the green flag were
flung to the breeze in great profusion.
Miss Maud Come, ''the Irish Joan OF
Arc" was selected for the unveiling of
the monument, and as she did so great
cheers uprose.
After the unwilling an offering OF
flowers was deposited at the base OF the
monument by Mr.. D'Esparbes, OF the
Paris lie Journal, who then spoke for a
few minutes, saying that his hope for the
future was that the green flag of ireland
and the tricolor of France would wave
over Ireland as in 1898. Frank Hugh
O'Donnell in an address said, in pointing
to the American flag, that it looked to
him as symbolizing what was the grow
ing danger to English policy.
A feature of the occasion was that the
thousands of the Mayo peasantry assem-
bled were addressed in three languages
the English. French and Irish.
One of the French visitors was Mr..
Duffand, an artist of distinction and
wearing the decoration of the Legion OF
Honor. He intends, he said, to paint a
picture of '9S for the Paris Exposition
and is utilizing his visit to Ireland to col
lect material for the scenery of the
picture.
The monument to Gen. Humbert re-
calls stirring events in the West of Ire
land during the fateful year of '9S. His
campaign was brief, but it was brilliant
and heroic and has transmitted to the
peasantry and to national pride the curl
ously descriptive phrase for battle "the
races of Castelar,. But Gen. Humbert':
force was not only inadequate for an ag
gressive or prolonged movement, but he
came too late. The instruction in Wex
ford and elsewhere had been suppressed
and the struggle of the united Irishmer
was virtually ended and the revolutionary
fires quenched in blood before his shiI
touched the shore of Killala. But hi.
arrival aroused new hopes, and could
there have been any concert of action the
end might have been different.
The stories of Humbert's landing, hi
!. victories and his surrender may be briefly
told in connection with the monument t.
his memory. A British force under thu
command of Major Kier, stationed a
Bailina, heard of his landing at Kallsl'
and in the morning marched out to re
pulse him. In the evening the troop
returned to Ballina disorganized and il
panic. The next morning they marched
out, and quick upon their heels TIL
French entered, but only an advanc
guard of about 200, led by Sarrazin, on
of the intrepid soldiers who marched
through Europe under the eagles o
France.
The next day Gen. Humbert, with hi
1000 men, came, and along with hin
were the thousands of peasants AM
mountaineers armed with pixies, or sue
weapons as they could find. Forwar
went Gen. Humbert until, approaching
Castlebar, he saw on the crest and on tn
slopes of the hill of Burren 5000 Britis
troops drawn up, with nearly score G
field guns.
The battle that followed was mos
desperate and bloody one, the pessantry
regardless of danger, charging against tn
enemy, routing the advance guard an
then on toward the artillery. whic
moved them down like grass. Th
trained veterans of France more tina
once carried the tricolor on the crest {
fh<. hill mt were driven back shattere