The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-12
THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER.

statue in honor of General Thoma
Francis Meagher, the patriot state:
mar who endured hardship for his na
tive land and gave faithful service t
his adopted country, the people {
Montana paid tribute to the memor
of a gallant Irish.American citizen
One of the counties in Montana /
named after General Meagher, and tn
unwilling of the new statue in the stat
capitol grounds will assist in remind
ing future ge~ner atoms of the affection
with which he was regarded by hi
fellow citizens.
A biographical sketch Of Genera
Meagher says he was born at Water
ford, Ireland, ia 1923 and vas edu
Gated at the Jesuit college in Glon'
gowes and al Stonyhurst college Ii
Lancashire, England. He at once be
came active In the efforts to secure
Irish independence and at the out,
break of the French revolution in 1S4s,
was ent to Paris by the Irish Con
federation to congratula ate the repub'
lican leaders. He was upon his return
arrested on a charge of sedition, tried
for high treason and found guilty, be.
ing sentenced to death. This sentence
was committed to banishment to Tas.
mania for life. He was taken there,
but escaped in 1852, and reached New
York in 1850, where he engaged in the
practice of law and edited the ''Irish
News.' He was a very bright and
highly educated man, and soon com.
manded a lucrative practice.
With the breaking out of the civil
war, however, his martial spirit was
aroused, and he organized q body of
zouaves which became a part Of the
SfXty-ninth New York volunteers. He
acted as a major in this regiment 10
the first battle of Bull Run. At the
expiration of his three months enlist
ment, he returned to New York and
organized the "Irish BRIGADE which
participated with great honor for
bravery, dashing and courage at the
second battle Of Bull Run, Antietam
and Fredericksburg.
1t was in this latter battle that Gen.
eral Meagher led the brigade in its
famous charge. So spectacular vas
this charge that even the correspond.
ent of the London Times sang his
praises.
The C~onfederates we're %entrenched
behind a long stone wall and on heights
crowned with artillery and were en-
abled to repulse the repeated assaults
OF the union troops. In this battle the
federal loss was more than II, 900,
nearly half of whom fell before the
fatal stone wall.
This solid stone wall four feet high
completely sheltered the confederate
troops while they poured q murderous
fire upon the attacking party. In the
assault Meagher's Irish troops es-
pecially distinguished themselves,
leaving two-thirds OF their number on
the field of their heroic action. The
London Times correspondent, who
watched the battle from the heights,
speaking of their desperate valor, paid
them a handsome compliment in a
cablegram to his newspaper, which is
we'll worthy of repetition. He said:
"Nevcr at F%ontenoy, Albuera nor at
Waterloo, was more %uudoubted cour.
age displayed by the sons OF Erin than
during those six frantic dashes which
they directed against an almost i'm.
pregnable position Of their foe. That
any mortal man could have carried
the position, defended as it was, seems
idle for a moment to believe. But the
bodies which lie in dense masses with.
in forty-eight yards of the muZzles OF
Colonel w alton'S guns are the best
evidence what manner of men they
were who pressed on to death with the
dauutlessness of a race which has
gained glory IN a thousand battle.
fields, and never more richly deserved
than at the foot of Mary's heights on
the 18th OF December, lSi2.'
General Meayher was wounded in
this fight and temporarily resigned
his command. He afterwards re.en-
tered the service and for a long time
was commander of the district OF
Etowah.
In 1866 lie was appointed through
the influence Of General l.. 5. Grant
as secretary of the territory of Mon.
tana. The following year during tn.
absence of Governor Sidney Edgerton,
General Meaghcr acted as chief eXecu.
tive. A report reached Helena of Il
threatened Indian invasion aud leav.
ing his wife in that city, he startec
overland for Fort Benton, the heal
Of navigation, to secure arms ant
ammunition for u body of men he had
in the meantime organized to repc'