The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-01
MEAeHER GUARDS OF BUTTE.
Montana's Unique Organization
Passes Out of Existence.

| I4Ol4Ic11Aci " 1l1Q uS
Passes Out of Existence.
The Meagher Guards of Butte, per
haps the most unique military organ
ization of its kind in the country, ha
passed out of existence. After year
of training and discipline which mad
it an ornament in time of peace and al
effective body of fighting men in tim
of war it has passed into history. De
flNlng no SuStenance either from tn
state or the national government, tn,
guards succeeded in equipping and sup
porting magnificent company com
posed chiefly of young men of Irisf
birth or parentage, loyal to the Amer.
lean flag, but ever ready to take {
whirl at their ancient enemy. desire
which they significantly expressed
| by offering their services to the United
States government at the TING of Mr.
/ CleVeland's famous message concern
Ing the Venezuelan difficulty, says the
| Intermountain of Butte.
The lrishman is by natural instinct q
! flrst-rate fighting man. Some of the
best soldiers the world has ever seen
! have come from the little green isle
across the sea.
The flower of the British army;
hipEng's heroes of a hundred battles
the fighters of every grade from Pri-
| vate Mulvaney to Commander in Chief
General Roberts have hailed from the
land that has no army of its own.
1t has been stated. and it certainly
is remarkable fact, that at a time
when the possibility of an Anglo
American alliance was being discussed
by statesmen of Europe were Eng
lands lrish-born generals, admirals,
colonial governors and diplomats dis
posed all at once to rebel. they could
convert the British into an Irish en-
plre and hoist the green flag not only
over College Green, but over the his
toric walls of Westminster.
Wellington Woolsley, Roberts, Blood
Kitchener, Kelly, White and Cough.
whose services on many bloody field
blaze bloody trail of glory into the
British war office, were Irishmen every
one. Rear Admiral Beresford of the
English navy comes from Waterford
FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES.
A glance over the pages of American
history reveals the names of many a
son of Erin in the roll of the army and
navy, and includes such names as
Montgomery, Wayne, Stark, Knox.
Lewis, Conway, Sullivan, Meade, Sheri-
dan, Kearney, Shields. Barry-the
father of the American navy-Stewart.
McDonough and Mahan, the fighting
McCooks, McClellans, and McDowells
in the union army. and StonewaI
Jackson in the confederate ranks; John
Barry of Wexford, once the first rank
ing officer in the navy and Captain
John O'Brien.
The death-roll of the unfortunate
battleship Maine, now so historic was
full of Murphys, Sullivans and Kellys.
and when the war cry was sounded
against tyrannous Spain, Irishmen all
over the United States offered their
Here in Butte was a military organ
lzation known as the Meagher Guards
composed chiefly of Irishmen, 90 per
cent of whom were mustered into the
FIRST Montana regiment at the out
break of the Spanish war-and more
than few of whom are now sleeping
the honored sleep of the patriot dead
over the sea in the PARKWAY Philip
pines.
But the Meagher Guards as an or
5anization is no more
1heir passing and the manner of il
are matters of historic interest to
many of the readers of the Inter Noun
ain.
STORY OF THE MEAGHER
GUARDS.
1t was in January, 1895. that William |
NcGrath, w. E. Deeney, Steve Hol- !
and, Michael JOY and other prominent |
rish-Americans of this city formed the
dea OF establishing an independent |
military organization.
Volunteers were called for, and in a
mort time siXty-two members an
wered to the call. By a popular vote
he company was given the name of
he Meagher Guards after Thomas
francis Meagher, the illustrious SOL
Ter and orator-once Montana's chief
Executive, who was eXiled from his ma
i've land for his advocacy of Ireland's
ause
The first officers of the company
we're: Captain, William McGrath; first
lieutenant. Steve Holland second lieu
enant, Michael joy; first sergeant, W.
J. Deeny.
The muster roll included. among
theirs, the names of the following,
lany of whom are well known in the
ity: John Driscoll, Michael Mcmahon,
ID Mahoney, William Hallinan, Pete
Tale, Con Hayes, John Conlin. Con
Iaher, James Kane, John Powers. Pa
,elly. Austin O'Malley Quinn Grow
", Tom Duheme, ]. Laven, Pat Gal
lgher. H. McGarvey. John Dempsey. ;
ohm r. Murphy, Tom Murphy, Michael
Iurphy. james Murphy, J. Rogers,
ohm Halsley, Frank McManimon. John
.elly. James McCartin, Phil Fogarty, /
}. Burns. John Donovan, T. J. Nc
uliffe Pat Browne, James Council, (
rank Murphy, George Deeney, J. Fitz-
r. Holland, Alex Mccain, P.
. Mcbride, p. S. Brown. ]. Munnen,
d Byrne. ]. German. Dan Harrington,
red Martin. Con Ryan, Steve Parker.
ony Matthews, Tony Shovlin, Jim
warren, T. Shannon, p. F. Doyle, T. j.
lawn
Chiefly owing to the capable training
Captain McGrath the company soon
,ached a high standard of excellence
military drill.
Men of splendid physique and I'M
sual intelligence every one. the
eagher Guards attracted the atten- ]
on of all by their soldierly bearing and I
he appearance. In the competitive
ills held in various parts of the state. g
icy always gave a good account of v
emselves and carried away the tro- a
lies in many a well-won contest.
The uniforms were facsimiles of those
the commissioned officers of the reg V
ar army. g
WENT AWAY TO WAR.
When the Spanish war broke out the
lards were mustered in as company
of the First Montant regiment, with
lptain Gardiner in command Cap !.
in McGrath became first lieutenant =
the company and Lieutenant JOY =
ST sergeant
While the second regiment was being >
ganized, W. z. Deeney and others h
rmed a new Meagher Guards, out of 81
itch three companies for the new Il
yiment were taken from Butte Il
Captain Ahern of the regular army /
Is made colonel of the new regiment .
d w. z. Deeney major. After cam f.