Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-03-21
HISTORY OF OLD
PORTRAIT GIVEN
CLIPPING TELLS STORY OF OH
PAINTING OF GENERAL
THOMAS MEAGHER

Amidst the large collection Of oil
portraits exhibited IN the rooms o
the state historical library IN the cap
itol at Helena is very large portrai
Of General Thomas Francis Meagnei
the Irish patriot who was once sen
fenced to death in Ireland for treason
who was later exiled and who serveC
with distinction in the Union forces
during the Civil war in this country
who was the first secretary Of tht
territory OF Montana and who as sucf
acted as governor Of the territory fol
a number Of months during the abb
sence Of Governor Edgerton.
This portrait, which, along with thai
of the pioneer, James Fergus. formed
the nucleus of the present collection
of portraits with which the walls and
pillars of the historical library are
now covered, was presented to the
state by the widow Of General
Meagher nearly 20 years after his
death The signature Of the artist
shows it to have been painted by
Thomas F. Gallagher.
once when this large portrait was
removed from the wall many years ago,
along with all others in the library TO
permit of the removal Of dust and
crime. the accumulation of years, there
was disclosed pasted to the back OF
the immense frame a newspaper clip
ping taken from some Helena publ
cation of the eighties. telling the his
tory of the photograph and OF its
presentation in 1885.
Story Of Portrait
This story is reproduced as follows:
yesterday, Mr.. James w. Sanders,
secretary of the Society of Montana
Pioneers. received from New York,
from Mrs. Meagher, widow Of Ex-
secretary Thomas Francis Meagher, a
handsome and valuable oil portrait OF
the deceased general. 1t has been pre-
sented to the society by Mrs. Meagher
and pending its removal to the rooms
Mr.. Sanders has decided to keep 1t
at his residence the society having
no secure place in which to preserve
it, The picture is a copy Of the original
one, painted by Mr. T. F. Gallagher
of New York, which was presented by
the artist TO the city of Waterford,
Ireland, upon seeing an item IN the
Irish World to the effect that at a
meeting of the Thomas Francis
Meagher branch Of the Young Ireland
society of the city of Waterford, Ire
land. a discussion ensued as to the
keeping of the pictures Of some royal
personages in the town hall, and that
ultimately a resolution was passed
calling upon the members of the town
corporation to dispose of them and use
the funds derived by their sale in the
purchase of portraits Of Irish patriots.
upon the occasion of the presenta-
ton of the pictures to the generals
native town there was an immense
demonstration at which fully 10000
Nationalist thronged the city. The
town was gay with bunting and the
shipping In the harbor decorated with
flags and streamers. 1t was proud
day for Waterford
In u. S. Army Uniform
1.-THE portrait is a life-size painting
of the general in the dress Of brig
adier-general Of the United States
army. General Meagher appears in a
sitting posture bearing an unsheathed
sword in his right hand, while his left
arm leans upon a center table, the
wrought coverlet of which bears a
-encircled heart, emblematic Of /
Ireland's bondage. Beside him on the .
table is a book, typical of his literary I
accomplishments, and his hat. The
latter is adorned by a sprig of box
wood, such as borne by the Irish
brigade at Fredericksburg, and i'm
mortalized in the famous poem of JOS
eph Bradford, entitled The Sprig Of
Green. In the right background is a
representing a gray dawn
glimpse of Waterford harbor with
Honk tower in the distance, On the
left background the American flag
droops behind his chair and comes out
over his left arm. The chair is old
fashioned, the coloring and upholster
ing showing the generals taste as de-
scribed by DR.. OMeagher.
"On the breast are three medals,
those of the Second army corps-a red
the Kearney badge, and that
Of Meaghers Zouaves, company A, 69th
Veteran corps, the whole forming
striking picture-without exception the
ruest and finest likeness in existence.
There is no overlooking of the effect
The familiar expression is retained in
all its distinctiveneSs, the artists
genius being stamped on every line.
1.-THE gift is a graceful act upon the
part of Mrs. Meagher, and win endear
her to the hearts of the pioneers. 1t
is a most valuable acquisition to the
society's archives and constitutes, with
the oil portrait of Hon. James Fergus,
the nucleus Of a portrait gallery of
the noted men identified with the his
t0rv of Montana "