The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-03-05
THE IRISH SOLDIERS
VaIor Displayed by Sons of Erin in the
Revolutionary War.


Revolutionary War.
Rev. Walter J. Stanley, Ill. D., Of
Danbury, delivered the first of series
of lectures on Irish history at Hart
ford, Conn.,. recently under the aus
pieces OF the Ancient Order OF Hiber-
mans, which was heard by a large
audience Of men. The topic Of the lee
ture was America Lost to England
Through Ireland's Soldiers
DR.. Stanley said in part, az reported
by the Catholic Transcript: Recent
historians have shown disposition to
ignore the work done by the Irish peo-
pie in the foundation Of our republic.
Abundant material has been collected
during the past twenty years that at
fords manifest proof that the War
of the Revolution would not have won
the independence Of the colonies but
for the Irish troops. Lord Mountjoy
solemnly declared in the House of
Lords that England had lost America
SNIou8h llcldiu
ION June is. 1779, Joseph Galloway
speaker of the Pennsylvania House Of
Representatives, who had to fee to
England because of his sympathy
with the Tories, was examined as a
witness by a committee of the British
House Of Parliament. He was asked:
What in the service Of, congress were
the soldiers composed of-natives Of
America, or were the greatest part of
them English, Scotch or Irlsh?" Gallo
way answered.: The names and places
Of their nativity having heen taken
down ] can answer the question with
precision. There were scarcely one
forth natives of America, about one
half were Irish, the rest English and.
Scotch This statemen is corrobor-
ated by Lecky, the English historian;
by Lord Mountjoy, General Lee, Count
Rochambeau, Col. J. p. Gusts, the
adopted son Of Washington, and other
competent authorities.
Colonel John Parks Gusts, Wash
ington's adopted son, attests the fact
that by far the largest part of Amer
lean army had Irish blood in their
veins, in these remarkable words:
"Of the operations Of the war-I
mean the soldiers-up to the coming
of the French, ireland had furnished
in the ratio of 100 to of any nation
whatever. Then honored be the end
and good services Of the Sons OF Erin
in the War of Independence. Let the
shamrock be entwined with the lau-
rels Of the Revolutions; and truth and
Justice guiding the pen of history in
scribe on the tablets Of American re-
membrance, Eternal gratitude to Irish
men, .r
Patrick Henry, who aroused the
Virginia Assembly to sense of patri-
otto duty and John Rutledge, pre-
sident of South Carolina, whom Henry
| regarded as the greatest orator in
| America at the time, were both sons
Of Irishmen.
During the Revolutionary war mon
Of Irish birth and ancestry served as
governors of South Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania. Delaware,
New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts
and New Hampshire.
1T was in John Duggan's tavern in
Boston that the Boston tea party
was planned. Several Irishmen were
in the execution of the plan A rough
| draft of the Declaration Of Independ-
ence was prepared by Thomas JEFF
ferson. 1t was revised by Charles
| Thompson, signed by John Hancock,
president Of the Continental Congress,
and Charles Thompson as secretary.
Thompson was an Irishman and Han
cock an Irish American. So was
Charles Carroll, of Carrollton. John
Nixon first publicly read the declara-
ton, and Monroe Dunlap first printed,
and published it to the world. Both
were Irish to the backbone.
Edmund Burke. one Of the greatest
statemen in history, an Irishman,
fought hardest in the British House
of Parliament for the right of Ameri-
can colonists. In placing his most
important officers, Washington had
Morgan and Hand leading the rifles,