Excerpt from Memoirs of Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher: Comprising the Leading Events of His Career Chronologically Arranged, With Selections From His Speeches, Lectures and Miscellaneous Writings, Including Personal Reminiscences In undertaking to write a memoir of Thomas Francis Meagher, I have been actuated, in the first place, by a desire to pay a tribute of affectionate respect to the memory of an illustrious fellow-countryman, a patriot of whom I had been an enthusiastic admirer since boyhood - and with whose confidence I was honored from the moment of our first personal acquaintance, in 1848, to the day on which he left New York for Montana - in the summer of 1865. In the next place, I wished to enable the present generation of young men of Irish birth or blood, to estimate this gifted scion of their race as their fathers - his contemporaries - did, by placing before them a record comprising the leading events of his career, compiled from various authentic sources of information - and in which will be found selections from his speeches, lectures, and miscellaneous writings, together with such personal reminiscences as may serve to add somewhat to the interest of the book - through what little side-light they throw upon his history, and the glimpses they reveal of his genuine Irish nature. I was, furthermore, influenced to enter upon this labor of love by the reflection that, while treating of the national movement in Ireland, in 1848, - in which undertaking it was my purport to make Thomas Francis Meagher the central figure - I could, by recording my personal recollections of some of Mr. Meagher's most distinguished compatriots, and of current events - as they transpired under my observation, both in Dublin and the South of Ireland contribute some interesting facts to the, hitherto, unwritten history of that memorable year. Whether I have executed my self-imposed task in a satisfactory manner or otherwise, my readers must decide. I presume most of them will base their judgment less upon the literary merit of the work than upon their individual predilections regarding its subject. Should my surmise prove correct, I'll feel content; for, though, in the course of my narrative, I have conscientiously striven to be truthful, I had no thought of being coldly impartial - where country or friend was the subject of my theme. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Irish patriot, Civil War general, frontier governor—Thomas Francis Meagher played key roles in three major historical arenas. Today he is hailed as a hero by some, condemned as a drunkard by others. Paul R. Wylie now offers a definitive biography of this nineteenth-century figure who has long remained an enigma. The Irish General first recalls Meagher’s life from his boyhood and leadership of Young Ireland in the revolution of 1848, to his exile in Tasmania and escape to New York, where he found fame as an orator and as editor of the Irish News. He served in the Civil War—viewing the Union Army as training for a future Irish revolutionary force—and rose to the rank of brigadier general leading the famous Irish Brigade. Wylie traces Meagher’s military career in detail through the Seven Days battles, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Wylie then recounts Meagher’s final years as acting governor of Montana Territory, sorting historical truth from false claims made against him regarding the militia he formed to combat attacking American Indians, and plumbing the mystery surrounding his death. Even as Meagher is lauded in most Irish histories, his statue in front of Montana’s capitol is viewed by some with contempt. The Irish General brings this multi-talented but seriously flawed individual to life, offering a balanced picture of the man and a captivating reading experience.

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

When President Lincoln issued his 1861 call to arms, the 63rd, 69th and 88th New York Volunteers were among the first to step forward. Comprised primarily of first and second generation Irish immigrants, these three regiments were later joined by the 28th Massachusetts and the 116th Pennsylvania. Suffering heavy casualties, this Irish Brigade, commanded by Thomas Francis Meagher, was one of the most famous fighting groups of the Civil War. This work provides a balanced, historically factual picture of the Irish Brigade and its commander, focusing on their role in the Seven Days' battles and at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Primary sources range from veterans' memoirs published just after the war to letters and memoirs published as recently as 1996.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.