The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-30
THE FARMER: MARCH 30, 1914


 were 1,100,5 soldiers on the Union Sside. Of these 100000 were foreign born. Of that 100000, not less than 160, 900 were natives of Ireland, while 11S. GOO were natives of Germany. No one can compute how many of the American born soldiers were the sons of natives of Ireland and natives of Germany. The Irish had fought again for lib erty Aand freedom Their valor at Fredericksburg in December, 1862, . is immortal. The Irish Brigade, under Gen. Meagher, lost 54 out of s8 off, cers and 490 out of 1923 men. More than 1s,oOO Union soldiers were lost in that fight But the men who went the furthest towards the eneny's guns were the men of the Irish Brigade, who wore the<sprigs of green in their caps. Every officer of the 69th New York Regiment who went Into the fight was killed or wounded. and of the173 men of the regiment who went in, 112 were killed or wounded. The tremendous battle of Gettysburg, which broke all. hope of Confederate conquest of the north was won by George Gordon Meade whose grand father, George Meade, was a native Of Dublin and one of the Friendly Sons lof St. Patrick, who subscribed the money to aid the Revolution. The Union general who inflicted up on StonewaH Jackson the only defeat sustained by the great Confederate. was Gen. James Shields Of Tyrone, the Mexican war hero. The man, said by Grant to be capable of commanding any number of men and performing any military maneuver in existence, was the man who turned the tide Jn the Shenandoah in 1864 and beat JubaI Early, the famous Little Phil Sheri- dan There were Irish generals. like MuITgan, Corcoran, Tyler, McMahon and others without number, and the record of the Irish soldiers in the great Civil War is an honorable and proud one.
 Irishmen and their sons have risen to place and power St Gaudens. the great railroad man, whose railroad did not kill a passenger for more than II years, was a native Of Ireland, Unit ed States Senators OsGorman, Walsh and others, Chief Justice Edward D.. White. Governors Walsh of Massachu- setts. GIynn of New York. Magovern of Wisconsin, O,Nea1 of Alabama, Dunne of Illinois, Carey of Wyoming, McCreary of Kentucky and Tener of Pennsy1vanfa are Irish-bfooded men, mems sons to the places of power in the republic.
 The wonderful inventor who makes the message of men flash into the air, to be caught at his will upon the ship, far out the trackless sea- or III LIE Cdpilel OI tIo Tldnu, IS A4aTcOn1, son of an Irish mother.
 The roll of tae distinguished Irish in the civil or military service of the land would be interminab1e. It is plain that the Irish have largely mold ed American national character. That quickness of wit, that love of humor, that readiness to rise from adversity, that optimism that distinguish the American spirit are largely the con tributfon of the Gael
 These Irish have held the faith of Patrick. their immortal apostle under persecution in their own land they have made it the strongest Christian faith in this land They are tenacious of their ancient faith. they have en- dured countless sacrifices for it's pres- ervation and they have suffered in it's deference here. But for the past no Irishman's son in America. has a word of hatred for the enemies Of his fatf1- er To make American great, to de velop it's wonderful resources. to keep it true to it's heritage of popular 1ib- erty. to make it continue to be the haven Of the oppressed and. the hope of the liberty lovers of the world is the desire and the aim of the Irish in America.