The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-26
HISTORICAL
DEPARTMENT.
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HEROES OF CELTIC BLOOD.
Irish Names That Figured on Our
Fron+iere Rafore the Civil War

L
Frontiers Before the Civil War.
"Old-Timer," in the Chicago Citizen,
has been curious to learn something OF
those military heroes with Irish names
that figured on our frontiers before
the DAYS of the great civil war. Those
were the Kearnys, Rileys and Harneys.
There were two KearnyS-uncle and
nephew-Stephen Watts was the uncle
and Philip the nephew. Stephen Watts
was the son of an Irish father and
Scotch mother. He was born in New
ark. n. J.. Aug 80 1894, and died at
St Louis, Mo-, Oct. 81, 1S4S. He was a
brigadier general in the army and
military governor of California prior
to its admission to the Union, and soon
before his death He bore a conspicu-
Gus part in the Mexican war, and COM
manded a division known as the Army
of the West" and was the cOnqueror
of New Mexico. He was defeated,
however. in a battle with the Mexicans
at San Pascal, Cal, in December, 1886,
but he had only a portion of his force
with him at the time. A disagreement
having arisen over too many Ameri-
can chiefs at the conquest of Cali
fornia { Kearny, Fremont and Commo-
dore Stockholm. Fremont was placed
under arrest by order of the secretary
of war, and was escorted to st. Louis
by General Kearny as his prisoner, for
unwarranted assumption of authority.
| have been informed by immigrants
who met both generals on the way
that Fremont was several days behind
Kearny on the hOmeWard journey over
land.
Philip Kearny was the nephew of
General Stephen Watts Kearny. He
was born in New York, June 2, 1915,
and died at Chantilly. Va, in battle,
Sept. l, 1862. He had in his veins Irish,
Scotch, English, French and Knicker-
booker blood, as he was related to the
Watts, Morrises, DeLanceys, Van Cort-
landts and Schuylers. He doubtless in
herited his ,impulsive, rowing and dar-
ing disposition from the Kearnys, who
came originally from Ireland, although
Michael Kearny. the founder of the
American family of the name, married
a daughter of the erratic Lewis Nor
ris, who was of English blood and the
first governor of New Jersey and a
signer of the Declaration of indie
pendence. Although the inheritor of
a fortune of over $1,000, 600, the love of
daring and the promptings of ambi-
ton induced him to abandon the ease
conflict OF the war with Mexico as a
volunteer. After participating in that
and gaining all the glory he sought, he
joined the French army and entered
on a campaign of active service in
AlgierS, in which he carried the tri-
color through the Gates of Iron" and
over the Atlas mountains into the
of Abd-el-Kader Again, lac
saw service in Italy against the Aus
-, N,,s, 4
STA. One of his most famous exploits /
was leading 100 American horsemen
through the Mexican army up to, if |
not into, the San Antonio gate of the |
City of Mexico. He was pronounced |
by General Scott, as well as the whole |
American army, as the bravest of |
the brave" He lost an arm in Mexico, |
and was recognized by the enemy as
the one-armed devil" He also re- !
Of Fighting Phil" He fell at Chan |
tilly, Va, in the war of the rebellion, |
Just at the moment his name was I'M
der consideration for the post of COM |
mander-in-chief, and the news caused |
and lamentation throughout |
the land. His remains lie inferred in
Did Trinity churchyard, New York. !
along with those of General Richard
Thomas Adds Emmett,
arthur ~ OOn0Or ana LIT. MCNeN1n, OF
irish revolutionary fame. 1t is a little
singular that the two greatest cavalry
eaders the United States have ever
had should be named Philip-Philip
Hearny and Philip Sheridan-one of
irish descent and the other of Irish
One would have been head
Of the army had ne lived; the other
was head of the army before he died.
g 9 8
Bennett Riley was a brevet major
general of the Mexican war. He was
porn at Baltimore, Nd, in the year
7S6. and died in Buffalo, N. Y, in
$50. He saw a good deal of frontier
service and Indian fighting, besides
ais experience in the Mexican war.
After him was named Fort Riley, 300
niles west of Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Il is a beautifully situated post at the
head of the Kaw river, with comfort /
able buildings. Fort Kearny was
famed after General Stephen Kearny.
Riley was for a short time. like Kear-
~ military governor of California, be-
ore constitution was adopted or the
state admitted to the Union.
g @ @
Brlgadier General w. s. Harvey was
BORN in louisiana in 1898. His services
lated from Feb. b. 1878 He was sew
raj times promoted for gallantry in the
Florida and Mexican wars and service
m the frontiers, and finally, after re-
irement, was made a brevet major
general March Is. 1865, for long and