The Irish standard., 1901-06-15
A CELEBRATED SOLDIER.
The Only Man Who Ever Defeated
StOneWail Jackson.


James Shields is given in the Fari-
bault (Minn.) Pilot by Mr.. P. Cudmore,
the historians:
General James Shields, of Mexican
war fame, was born in the county Ty-
rome, Ireland, in 1910. He came to the
United States in 1928. He first went
to South Carolina to see his uncle,
Colonel James Shields, who fought in
the Florida war against the Indians
in 1886, so he was not the same Shields
that fought in the Florida war. He
remained in South Carolina only
short time, moving to Kaskaskie, Ill.
He afterwards settled in Springfield.
ILL.,, and was elected state auditor. He
served in the legislature Of Illinois,
and was one of the circuit and SUI
preme Judges. He served with dis
tinction as q brigadier general in the
Mexican war. He was commissioner
of the land office in Washington. He
represented in the Senate of the United
States Illinois, Minnesota and Missou-
ri. In the war of the Rebellion he
was the only general who whipped
Stoncwall jackson.
was acquainted with General
Shields in 1913, in the city Of New
York, at the time that he intended to
take command of the Irish army to free
Ireland and establish an Irish republic.
The Irish reyolutionists had intended to
form a military camp at Slievenamon,
where they could communicate with
Waterford, Wexford, Clonmel, Lime
rick, Galway and the Shannon and to
dublin. The arrest of William Smith
D'Brien and others prevented General
Shields and other Irish-Americans
from invading Ireland in 1913.
General Shields had great influence
in the senate with officers and men
who fought in the Mexican war. 1t
was through his influence that bill
was passed through congress giving
land warrants to the officers and SOL
liers of this conflict. Had he been re-
elected senator from Minnesota it was
his intention to have Il bill passed by
congress giving land warrants to the
Union soldiers of the war OF the Re
bcllion. l know that to be a fact from
my thorough acquaintance with him.
He frequently talked of the matter, but
his defeat and the greed of railway
corporations prevented the Union vol
untcers of the war Of the Rebellion
from receiving land warrants the same
as the Mexican volunteers.
General Shields arrived in Faribault
about the year 1885 with Alexander
Faribault and others. He located the
city of Faribault in Minnesota. He
established an Irish colony at Shields
vile, Rice county. The fame Of Cen
eral Shields as one Of the great mill
tary heroes of the Mexican war made
him very popular in both the north
and south. The newspapers of the
United States of all shades of politics
gave his Minnesota colony large
amount of free advertising. Irishmen
tloclled to Shieldsville to take up gov
eminent land in the counties of Rice.
Dakota, Goodhuc, Dodge, Steele, Wa
SEGA, lie Sueur, Sibley. Blue Earth and
Scott General Shields and his part
ncrs located Il townsite at Shieldsvillc,
but as the railroad from Farlbault to
st. Paul and Minneapolis passed
through Mortified, Sheldsvillc was
left out, and still remains small
country village with Catholic church,
two stores. a postotlice, schoolhouse,
creamery. wagon shop, two black
smith shops and saw-mill. Some of
General Shields partners in the town.
site of Shicldsville expected that the
Generals influence would cause sew
eral Irishmen to buy town lots in
Shieldsville and build up big town.
But his American partners did not
Irish Immigrants that left Ireland
since 1910 were from the agricultural
districts, raised on farms, consequently
they wanted the land, they wanted
to be farmers in Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. They
left the east to work at any kind of
labor; they saw fertile prairies with
wood and water and an opportunity to
become independent farmers as the
landlords Of Ireland. They preferred
to take up land In Minnesota to town
lots in Shieldsville. General Shields
belonged to class of American
statesmen who were not annoyed by
the office beggars, office seekers and
office holders-political traders of pat
ronage, politicians who bought and
sold and traded for votes after selling
out to the highest bidder, stock and
real estate boomers and gamblers.
Accounts We're short and credit short
err" That accounts for General Shields
not using his influence for the benefit
of people who lived on the drippings