The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-10-27
A FAMOUS SOLDIER
The Superior Achievements and
High Character Of
Count Thomas Arthur Lally,
Who Fought at Fontenoy.

One OF the finest soldiers Of tbs
French army, famous alike for his
great achievements, his high character
and his tragic fate was Count Thomas
Arthur Lally (born 1909. says a late
number of the westmeath (Ireland)
Examiner. What student Of history
: does no. know Of his deeds at the
battle of Fontenoy, the seiges Of Bur-
celona and Bergin of Zoon.
> He was the son Of Sir Gerald Lally,
or Tullinadaly, near Tuam, County
Galway, Ireland. who had fought I'M
der Patrick sarsheld, and who had
gone into exile with the army Of Linn
! erick. The family Of I4ally had held
large territories in Galway all of which
they had gradually lost to the Normans
until naught remained but the Tulli-
nadaly property. OF their name and
: fame in their native place nothing now
remains save a ruined leacht or mon
ument on the main road from Tuam to
Claremorris, about Two miles from the
former town. In tho leaoht is set
slab with the following inscription
Pray for the soul of James Lally
and. his family. 1873"
The .Lallys have disappeared and
their old home knows them no more,
but the ruined monument still stands
to ask a prayer of the passer by for
the soul of one of the old chiefs of the
race. Grazing ON the lichen-covered
stone what memories OF the past are
rscalled. Back to tho dawn Of history,
while Ireland was still pagan, they
had come out Of Ulstor with Maine the
Great, and established themselves in
the West. There they had held sway
over a large territory until the Nor
mans came. and little by little. after
many a heavy fight, had driven them
from their lands in Moenmagh. Stil
they, remained a powerful sept, true
at all times to Erin and Erin's faith.
against. Elizabathan, Cromwellian and
williamita till 1890. when James Lally.
the head of the family and member
Of Parliament for Tuam, was outlawed
kaid this property confscated.
Count Lally was born in 1902, and
was destined from his birth for a SOL
der. AT the age of eight he was
brought to the camp by his father ito
smell powder" During vacation from
school in 1714 he mounted the trenches
OF Barcelona and at the age of eighteen
he would have been made colonel were
IT. not for the opposition OF his father
He won his way by sheer merit until
he obtained his majority in 1923, and
in the following yeac. at the reduction
Of Kohl, it was remarked that he was
much distinguished by his brilliant val
or as by his military knowledge In
1874 he served under his father at the
attack on Etlinger, when, seeing Sir
Gerald wounded and about to be made
a. prisoner. he covered him with his
own body, and by great display of
.valor rescued him from the enemy
In 1887 he traverscd England, Scot
land, and Ireland in the Jacobite inter-
est to ascertain the strength of the
Stuarts in these two countries, and
on his return to France was sent in
1888 on special mission to Russia to
detach that country from it's alliance
with England, and to contract ono with
France. He carried his part of this
delicate and hazardous task with great
ability. but the project failed through
the indecision Of the French ministers
He. fought at Dettingen in 1884, and
OF his conduct in that fatal battle
Mnrshal de Noailles thus wrote, "he
there rallied the army several times
in its disorder. and in it's retreat,
through the advice which he laid be-
fore the council OF war after the nc-
!tion.'
In 1744 was formed the famous reg
1nent destined to bear his name and
OF which he was appointed first colonel.
Of his conduct at Fontenoy we need
not. here make mention, save to say,
that 1t was in keeping with the spirit
which he displayed in every action
wherein he took part. After that bat
tie the invasion Of Scotland and Eng
land by Prince Charles Edward, the
young Pretender. occurssd, and owing
to the exertion of Lally an army Of
ten thousand men, chiefly Irish. was
raised to invade. Whilst waiting for
the preparations to be completed, Lally
crossed to Sussex in smuggler's boat,
disguised as a sailor, and proceeded
to raise corps OF smugglers in aid of
Charles.
He thence proceeded to London,
where his presence was discovered,