The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-18
FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK
FOUNDED IN 1771-RosTER OF 100
MEMBERS GEORGE WASHING
TON WAS A MEMBER-oNLY
QUALIFICATION FOR MEMBER
SHIP WAS FIDELITY TO THE
AMERICAN CAUSE.

The Friendly Sons of st. Patrick
dates its origin from September II,
III, when seventeen persons, nearly
all OF them among the merchants of
Philadelphia and all belonging to the
H1bernian Fire Bucket Brigade, and all
| of them Irishmen or sons of Irish
men, met in Burns Tavern in that
city and formed the organization now
so famous, says an exchange. The
object was friendly and social inter-
course.
From it's inception in I'LL its roll
comprised one hundred members,
viz: one adopted member, General
George Washington; sixteen honorary
members, and eighty-three members.
No equal number in the thirteen
colonies contributed more to the sue
cess of the American Revolution than
did the Friendly Sons of ST. Patrick.
Nearly every man was engaged in the
strife for independence at one time
or another on land or sea.
Charles Thompson, Secretary of
the Continental Congress, a member,
wrote the first copy of the Declara-
| ton of Independence from the draft
received from Jefferson. Col. John
Nixon, a member, was the first to
read it to the people from the second
story central window of independence
Hall. John Dunlap, a member and
publisher of the first daily newspaper
in the colonies, was the first to print
and publish it.
The Friendly Sons of st. Patrick
gave twelve generals to the Army of
the Revolution besides numerous Of
ficers of lower rank. The most con-
spiciOus members we're: Gen. Steph-
en- Moylan, Gen. Walter Stewart,
Gen. William Thompson, Cen, William
Irvine, Gen. Anthony Wayne, Gen.
Thomas Robinson, Gen. John Shee,
Gen. Edward Hand and Gen. Henry
Knox, afterwards Secretary of War
when Washington became President
Among it's honorary members were
Gen. George Cadwalader, Robert Nor
ris, Commodore John Barry Gather
Blaine grandfather of James g.
Blaine) and Col. George Meade grand
father of Gen. Meade of Gettysburg
| fame.)
In the terrible winter of 1777 when
the American Army lay starving and
freezing at Valley Forge, Robert
Morris, an honorary member of the
Friendly Sons of st. Patrick, start
ed a subscription to raise money suf-
| ficient to save the army, heading it
with his own subscription of ten
thousand pounds sterling which was
followed by Blair McClenachan for
a like amount and in few hours
| there was subscribed, among that
small body of men Cat that time not
exceeding over fifty members) the
sum of one hundred and three thous-
and, five hundred pounds sterling
($517,5OO.)
On December 1S, 1881, the society
adopted Gen. Washington as a mem
her, He was the only adopted mem
Der. One being notified he wrote as
follows:
ITO George Campbell, Esq, President
of the Society of the Friendly Sons
of st. Patrick, in the City of Phil
adelphia:
"Sir-I accept with singular pleas
ure, the ensign of so worthy fra
ternity as that of the Sons of st. Pat
rick in this city-a society distin-
pushed for the firm adherance of it's
members to the glorious cause in
which we are embarked. Give me
leave to assure you, sir, that I shall
never cast my eyes upon the badge
with which | am honored, but with
grateful remembrance of the polite
| and affectionate manner in which it
was presented.
q am with respect and esteem,
"Sir, your most obedient servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON"
The record and the original sigma
lures of it's membership are preserved
in independence Hall, Philadelphia.
It's members were composed of Quak-
ers, Catholics, Episcopalians and
Presbyterians, the only qualification
being fidelity to the American cause.