The mirror., 1921-03-17
FOR NATIONAL HOLIDAY

ton last year. March II, like Bunker Hill
Day, many Americans believe, marked a
turning point in the history of the Col
onies struggle for independence which
entities it to more than the local ceebra-
ton which it has been given in the past.
In Boston the anniversary has for years
been the occasion of double celebration,
coupling the name day of Ireland's patron
saint with one of the first great successes
of the Revolution-the exodus of the
Unionists. 1t is now urged on many sides
that these intimate associations which date
from the first double celebration in 1875
perpetuated throughout the country in
at Washington's camp in Cambridge, be
memory of the great struggle for liberty.
Strangely enough, not only did the
evacuation take place on St. Patrick's day,
but Irish troops played an important part
in the event. In recent speech in Con-
gress General Isacs r. Sherwood of Ohio
said: "It was General Sullivan's brigade
of Irishmen who manned the guns on
Dorchester Heights, Boston, that day, ever
memorable in heroic history-March II,
1776-when the British Army under Lord
Howe evacuated Boston. And when Lord
Howe's army sailed past Governors Is
land an Irish shout went up from Irish
throats on Dorchester Heights that made
the day one of the most memorable in our
history. General Sullivan was the son of
Owen Sullivan, born in Limerick, Ireland.
General Washington made St. Patrick the
countersign of the whole Continental Army
that night"
General Sullivan was made brigadier
of the day by Washington. General
Henry Knox, himself the son of an Irish
man, was in command on the height
During the following years of the Re-
volution the Feast of St. Patrick seems to
have overshadcwed the anniversary of the
evacuation, so numerous were the Irish in
the American Army. The prominence
given today to the Irish situation lends
added interest to the account of these cele-
brations held in the Revolutionary Army.
The "Collections" of the Pennsylvania
Historical Society record the. following
speech of Washington to his troops after
demonstration by the Irish at Valley
Forge on March II, 1878: 81, too, am
lover of St. Patrick's Day and must settle
the affair by making all the army keep
the day."
Two years later upon the eve of the
celebration of St. Patrick's Day which was
to be held in the American camp, Wash
ington issued this paragraph in his Gen
eral Orders"
Headquarters, Morristown, March 16.
1880: "The General congratulates the
Army on the very interesting Proceedings
of the Parliament of Ireland, and the In
habitants of the country, which have been
lately communicated, not only as they ap-
pear calculated to remove those heavy
and tyrannical expressions on their trade,
but to restore to brave and gen.
erous People their ancient operation to pro-
mote the Cause of America. DESTROYS of
impressing on the minds of the Army
Transactions so important that all Fatigue
and Working Parties cease for tomorrow,
the 18th, day held in particular Regard
by the People of that Nation"
As years went on the Importance of the
evacuation was more clearly recognized;
Boston began to emphasize the Revolu-
tionary event until now the day has
double significance.
, Few American historians lay stress upon
the evacuation. In the average school
history it is dismissed with paragraph.
An Engishman, Sir George Otto Trevel-
yam, gives us this estimate of the Unionists
who departed with Lord Howe:
"They (the Unionists) were fully per-
suaded that they were more estimable than