The Irish standard., 1903-01-31

Quite recently an IriShAmericnn
traveller of patriotic instinct and large
Notwithstanding to statements in the
French and Belgian papers visited
the famous battlefield of Fontenoy, and
proposed to place, ut his expense, Il
memorial labicr in the wall of the
Catholic church, situated in the village
Of FontCnoy, in honor of the soldiers
of the gallant Irish brigade who fell
on May u. 1916, while aiding in the
repulse of the English column, prccipi-
tatcd against the French left center
by the Duke of Cumberland. UP to
latest accounts, authority has not been
granted, probably because the tablet
was to be dedicated to a particular
nationality, while many nations bore
part in the great conflict.
AS a matter of fact--n fact which
lrisllmem should remember -. neither
the French nor the English have done
justice to the Irish Brigade at FOntc
noy. "rlc French" says John IT, Fin
erty in the Chicago Citizen, ''aS Mitch
ell well says, in his continuation of
McGcoghcgan'S History of Ireland
with a sentiment of national pride
equally natural (hc is referring to Eng
| lish prejudice against the Brigade
which really defeated their army wis
| to appropriate TO French soldiers, as
far as possible, the honor of one of
their proulcSt Victories" NoltHirc, tho
French inlidcl historian, who dctcstcG
the Irish because of their devotion 1,
the Catholic faith, sought to rob then
of all the glory Of their achievement
making them only secondary in I'll,
famous charge To some French bri
gadcs, although the Marquis dArgcn
son, French Minister of military nf
fairs. who was present at the battle
wrote to him thus: "a false corps d,
reserve (nlluding TO the crisis cauSct
by the advance of Cumbcrand'S col
umm was then brought up; it consist
cd of some cavalry which had frs
charged Intellectually, the IlOuscllol,
troops OF the king, the carbinccrs o
the French guards who had not We
been engaged. and the body of IrisI
troops, which were excellent, especial
ly when opposed to the English ant
lIanOvcrians."
One English historian of the battle
Lord Mahon, was not dcbarIed b,
national prejudice from giving credi
to his enemies. Count (Marsllal
SAKE drew together" says Mahon, 9Th
Household troops, the whole rest rvc
and every other man that could b
mustered, but foremost OF all were til
gallant cxilcs of the Irish Brigade.
John Mitchell, ordinarily so accurate
Il historian, says the Brigade was no
at it's full strength, and we know no
on what authority Thomas Davi
states that all the seven regiment
1
There were six Irish regiments o
the infantry and one of cavalry cnSag
cd in the action, making seven in all
This is proven by Marshal Saxc's of
fetal account of the battle as regard
the foot, where he says: "Ihc six Irisl
regiments, sustained by those of Nor
mandy and dc Vaisseau, being draw
up in one line, marched up to tn
enemy without firing, and put then
in confusion by their bayonets fixed a
the end of their muskcts"
The historian of the Irish Brigades
John Cornelius O'Callaghan, who ha,
all his information from the document
in the French war office, gives tn
following list of Irish officers killet
and wounded at Fontenoy:
Clares regiment - Killed: Lieut.
O'Ncill, Capts. shortall, MacElligott
Kennedy, Fitzgerald, and Mcnamara
Wounded: Maj. Shortall, Capts
Crcagh, Grant, Mcclure, Plunket
Preston, O'Brien, Daniel, Mccarthy
and Lieuts. O'Ncill, Davoren and tw,
O'Briens
Bulkley's regiment-Killed: None
Wounded: Maj. McSweeney, Capt
Morgan and Lieut.. Burke.