The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-12-27
Recollections of Meagher.

NecollectlOnS OF Meagher.
Helena, Mont.
Prominent among the lrshmen of
Helena is General Curtis. who has
been in this western country over
thrty-live years. He is Il Cork man,
has held important public Offices and
is still in the prime of health and full
OF business activity. He speaks enter
tainingly Of General Meaghcr. and it
| is hoped may be induced to write out
and publish his reco'ections of the
Irish patriot who WAS his guest for
three months in Montana. General
Curtis, who was i'll the military SER
vice at the time, enjoyed greatly the
companionship of General Mcayher
who was at all times Overlooking with
good humor and entertained his
friends with incidents of the Irish
revolutionary movement in lSlS as
we'll as with stirring narratives Of the
campaigns of the Irish brigade in the
Civil War. His power of description
as we'll as his Huency WAS wonderful.
lie had the art Of investing public af-
fairs or military conflicts With Il charm
entirely his own.
General Curtis is fully convinced
that the death of General Meagher
was entirely accidental. He was in
Montana at the time and made full
inquiry then and since from every one
qualified 10 speak accurately Oh the
subject His persistent desire to
learn tie truth and nothing but the
truth has resulted in his firm convic-
ton that General Mcaghcr got out of
his berth on tho boat for Il moment
stumbled on the coil OF rope that was
on the deck and fell into the raging
waters of the Missouri to lie seen no
more. General Curtis considers that
there is not the least ground for as
SUnlin:s that General McHg!lcr commit
ted suicide The suicidal tendency
was entirely foreign to his nature
ie had passed through prris in lrc-
land eliminating in the sentence for
high treason. IIr had endured the
years of penal srrvitnd" to which, that
sentence WaS committed and had gone
through Hrduous campaigns i'm the
advance OH Richmond without ever
W"verin% on any occasion in that
manly courage which distinguished
In inn, I1,., ,,f Ia.
career. He was never moody or
morbid. AS General Curtis points out
the letters which he sent from Mon
tana to lIarrer's Weekly and the ar
tirles which he wrote ut the time for
Halper's Magazine all Indicate buoy
ant spirits and irrcprcsSiblc auor.
Some of these letters were signed
Colonel O'tccfc." which was the
name of Il wrl-known lrishmnn at the
time who WAS an intimate friend of
General Mca&l!rr and WHO Subsequent
legislature Which he rillvrncd with
his abundant wit.
address Which the hate Richard OGor-
man delivered in III" Cooper Union.
New York, on the Career Of General
MeaGlirr. In the eloquent tribute
O'Gornlan said: mo stain rests upon
the last moments of Thom;ts Francis
Mcaghcr." This declaration. which
elected IN o,lihilrSi of :,nnlltls,. Wos
made by O'Golman with full knowl-
edge of the fate of General Mcaghcr
which was then fresh in the public.
mind. Much as Ottoman loved the
friend Of his youth" and rcvercd his
memory. l!c would rot have made that
statement Lad he not been fully con-
tircly accidental. O'Gorman was on
friendly terms at the time with Mrs.
Meagher as well us with army com
rades of the general who had gathered
information concerning his death in
the Missouri The information at his
service was ample and he Siftcd ii
with legal mind. So while sadly
we may repeat the words, "He sleeps
his last sleep; his last battle is over;
he will wake to the sound of the
trumpet no more" we may feel con
sOled by the conviction that Meagher's
death was honorable and uncl0uded
: by any fault on his part.