Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-04-17

Brooklyn Cabman Tells of Brave Stand
of 700 Irishmen in Italy.

of 700 Irishmen in Italy.
Brooklyn Standard Union.-There
are not many people in Brooklyn. or.
for that matter. anywhere else outside
of Italy, Ireland excepted, who ever
heard of the battle of Spoleto, though
it was a bloody fight and depopulated
the Emerald isle by just as many souls
as were disembodied upon that oc-
casion in the pope's army. AS the
foregoing is not the plot for novel,
but plain statement of facts concern
ing Patrick Reilly of 37S Smith street,
it should be said at once that during
the instruction in the provinces of
the papal states AZ years ago, Spoleto,
a town of 10000 inhabitants in central
Italy was held by 700 IrisRmen, of
whom Patrick Reilly was one. They
fought as Irishmen always hight. like
devils. and won a glorious victory for
the pope against overwhelming odds.
1t would not require a painful stretch
of the imagination to weave a TO-
nance around the person of Patrick
Reilly considering that he was left an
.
try in early youth and enlisted in the
! United States army, then dedicated his
sword to Pope Plus TX, returned from
Italy to fight in the civil war. and
wound up by being a Brooklyn Gao
man, an occupation he stuck to for 80
/ years. Mr.. Reilly can best tell his
/ own story: Il was in Ireland on a
visit from the United States when the
! trouble in Italy broke out. Though
/ had no more idea what it was about
than the man in the moon |. with sCv
eraI thousand other Irishmen, 10
! cided to fight for the pope. we Were
j taken into Italy in small parties, in
a roundabout way, passing through
| Belgium. Germany and Austria. and
/ finally boarding a steamer at Trieste
which landed us at AncOna. where rhC
! biggest battle of the war was afterwart
! fought. To make a long story shoy
! the LIST Irish battalion, composed oil
! something over 700 men. under Mai
| Miles OReilly was sent to Spoleto t.
protect that town from the enemy.
! was in Co. B, commanded by Capt. J.
J. Coppinger, now a retired general o
the United States army. The Italians
whether they sided with the pope O
not, hated the irish, and in our marcel
we had a good deal to put up with
The men jeered at us and the womel
Spat in our faces. But for Ma.
| OReilly there would have been a goo,
many dead Italians left in the wake {
the 1st Irish battalion on it's marcn Il
/ SpOletO.
well, we got there at last, an
were quartered in an old fort on a hill
in the center of the town. So far w
had been without uniforms. Now the
were ready for us-bright red trOuser
and blue coats. We didn't like III
combination, but it was the pOpe's un
form, and had to be respected. Afte
all the color of our uncomfortable
didn't matter as long as We got wha
we lOnged for more than we did 70
whisky-a good hard fight. We 60
it soon enough.
Zone morning, just as it was gettin
light. I spied a white flag from a pos
at one Of the gates and informed tn
OF Ger of the guard. 1t turned out !
be a flag of truce borne by an Italia
officer who was accompanied by half
dozen other officers, all without arms
Maj. O'Reilly went out to meet the de
egation. Said the fellows who he'll
the flag
Major, Ancona has fallen. l Civ
you 20 minutes to surrender. Othcl
wise the ashes of Spoleto will GOV"
the dead bodies of the LIST Irish brigad
before the day is over The office
then pointed to the surrounding hills
which, as we could see, were swarI
ing with the enemy busily engaged i
planting artillery. Maj. O'Reilly too
in the situation at a glance ami Te
Piled
Give us 20 minutes for broakfas
and we'll be ready for you
Said the Italian: Surrender
"'No,' said the major, fight
They acted like gentlemen an