Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-03-13
UnJustly Forgotten Irish Revolst4on.
AIRY Individual Rendered Val
liable Service.
Was the Trusted Friend Of George
Washington and AIexsndev
Hamilton.
Headed New York City Comudttcs
of Safety and Defeated Tory
Element.
WAS A NATIVE OF IRELAND.

The following very interesting
and important historical sketch u
taken entirely from lecture By
Michael j. O'Brien, the well known
historiographer OF the American
Irish Historical Society, OF which
Judge Matt O'Doherty, James b.
Thompson and DIR. William d. Do
herty, Sr., are the Kentucky mem-
bers, and will prove interesting
reading:
Hercules Mulligan was born at
Coleraine, County Antrim, ireland.
in the year 1T40. His grandfather
came from Mayo. The family were
of noble ancestry and are mentioned
In Burke's Peerage as bards to thB
O'Reillys as early as the ninth can
fury. Hercules was in business IN
New York before the year 176S g.
he was made a Freeman of the city
on October / OF that year. His
brother Hugh was so designated on
January 81, 1863. Hercules Multi
gan is mentioned often in New York
papers as living near Water street
during the year 1872. He was no
lover Of British rule, and was q
member of the Sons OF liberty. and
took part In the Battle OF Golden
Hill in June, 1870. This was IN the
terrific, bounded by John. william.
Fulton ard Pearl streets.
A telIS,w member was william
Mooney. wh,l founded the Tammany
Society in I2S9. Alexander Hamil-
ton was sentSp New York In 177s
by his fatheA to be educated et
Kings College ~, Columplal. ne
was but seventeen OF age. Hls
father sent a cargo t5Sn1 10 pay
for that education. HAN de-
scribes him as his earliest
and that close friendship conUS
until Hamilton's death. HamiltW
private papers prove the truth on
these statements. Hamilton lived at
Mulligan's house.
Hamilton Elected a Son of Liberty.
In 1874 at a meeting of the Sons
of Liberty held at what is now Ann
street and Broadway, Mulligan and
Hamilton weer elected to member
ship and the latter made his first
public speech at this gathering. A
committee which included the Irish
James Duane was appointed TO go
as representative to the Continental
Congress in Philadelphia. On Octo-
Der 20, 1774. that Congress drafted
Non Importation Agreement.
Among the Irish delegates who
signed il we're John Sullivan Lynch.
Thomas Mexican, James Duane and
the two Rutledges, Charles Thomp-
son, of Derry. Ireland, wrote the
Agreements. The New York Pro
vincial Congress met soon after and
appointed a committee OF six to car
ry out the orders of the Continental
Congress; these were John Delaney,
j. Totten. Remsen, Van Dams, Bick-
er and Hercules Mulligan. On Mo-
vember 90, 1774. the citizens met in
the City Hall (now the site OF the
Treasury and appointed
Committee of Safety, Mulligan being
a member. Public opinion was di-
vided. and the Tory element. who
were much in the majority seemed
TO have the most able men on their
side, and much the best of the argu-
/ ment in pamphleteering and other
forms OF controversy. DR.. Wilkes.
noted Tory. published a pamphlet
! at this time that created a great
sensation, and was hard attack for
/ the patriot party to answer. How
ever a seventy-eight page pamphlet
appeared as a reply. which created
greater turore and was talked OF
In all OF the Colonies. II defended
the patriot side warmly, but the au-
| thor's name did not. appear on It,
Robert Troop and Hercules huliig4n
are the authorities who state that
/ Il was the work OF Alexander Ham
| ilton. The latter wrote II az Multi
| gan's house.
After the Battle OF Lexington on
| April 10, 1775. New York was en-
cited The citizens met and APP
pointed a Committee Of One Hun
| dred, men OF eminence, to take
charge of the city's affairs, hulHgan
being among those selected. He was
one OF the signers TO a call for a
| Provincial Congress on April /,
l775. His associates included Isaac
Law. Captain Isaac Sears, Alex Nc
Dougall. Lispenard, Broome, Lud-
low, Walton, Remsen, Lott. Murray.
J Burling, Van Cortlandt. Delaney.
! The Committee OF One Hundred met
on July Z of the same year and APP
pointed from their number Com
mittee OF Secrecy and Inspection.
Mulligap being again selected. IN
August the Provincial Congress- di-
vided the city and entire colony into
districts In District Mullgan and
Victor Becker formed a military
company OF eighty-three men and
five officers On November a
| Committee of Correspondence was
selected, Hercules being one OF its
sixty members: and his name also
appears on the Committee OF Obscr-
walton appointed December 1. On
July 3. 1875, the Continental SOL
diers were drawn up on the Com
mon fnow City Hall Parkl and the
Declaration Of Independence read 70
them The Sons OF Liberty were
we'll represented In the crowd that
gathered. A thunderstorm dis
persed the gathering. Bonfires wera
!, NJ at night. houses illuminated and
there was a parade on Great George