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Thomas Toohey (January 1, 1835 – November 19, 1918)
served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. Toohey was born on January 1, 1835,
in New York City. His official residence was listed as Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served during the Civil war a a Sergeant in
Company F, 24th Volunteer Wisconsin Infantry. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee
on November 30, 1864. He died on November 19, 1918, and was buried at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.
His award citation reads: For gallantry in action on 30 November 1864, while serving with Company F, 24th Wisconsin Infantry, in action at
Franklin, Tennessee. Sergeant Toohey voluntarily assisting in working guns of battery near right of the regiment after nearly
every man had left them, the fire of the enemy being hotter at this than at any other point on the line
Aughrim
Thomas Touhy
British
navy, in the 1980s, there was a ship in the British Navy named the HMS Towey
"There are only two kinds of people in the world,
The Irish, and those who wish they were." Anonymous "Being
Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy."
Irish facts
The San Patricio Battalion: In 1847, when the U.S went to war
with Mexico, some 2,000 Irish immigrants, and an unknown number of Irish Americans served with the U.S forces under General
Scott.
Many of the enlisted men consisted largely of ill disciplined, ill equipped and underpaid misfits, fugitives
from justice and immigrants.
Just outside of Monterrey, General Taylor sent out scouts to a hill south
of the city where the Mexican were holding down a fortress called Bishops Palace, which guarded entrance to the city.
The patrols were pushed back by expert artillery fire from cannons manned by deserters from Taylor’s own forces, Irishmen
who had gone over to the enemy to form the San Patricio (Saint Patrick’s) battalion, its flag, emblazoned with the green
and yellow harp hung over their cannon placements.
The Battalion was a result of bigotry within the U.S Army ranks,
with the Irish soldiers complaining that officer and non commissioned officers had signaled out the Irish Catholics and foreign
born enlisted men for special abuse.
The Mexicans were quick to seize on the opportunity to lure
the soldiers away with offers of cash, land grants and religious freedom to any infantryman who deserted the U.S ranks to
help the Mexicans "fight against those who would oppress the mother church"
Just before the fighting
broke out, Sergeant John Riley, who had deserted from the British army in Canada and had come up through the ranks in the
US Army was slapped by a an officer for a minor infraction. The incident would have been forgotten but the officer
wouldn't drop the issue and followed Riley around the camp insulting and mocking his Irishness.
There is some
confusion over what happened next. Some say that Riley was captured by the Mexicans while on a patrol, held for two days and
treated wonderfully, with wine, women and song and then released back to the American army, where he could sing the Mexicans
praises and induce others to desert.
Another version has it that several nights after the bigoted officer had
hounded Riley, that Riley induced several Irish soldiers to desert over to the Mexican forces.
What ever happened, Riley
ended up with the Mexicans force's and sent back word to the US ranks that life south of the boarder was not only wonderful,
the pay was higher, there was less discipline and it made more sense then fighting for "Protestant Yankee's" as
the Mexicans called them.
At first only a trickle of men came over to the Mexican side, but when the Mexicans
found out that the deserting Irishmen were trained artillerymen, something the Mexicans lacked, they put on an all out campaign
to bring over more Celts.
Within a few days, 200 (mostly) Irish cannoneers were training Mexican recruits to
fire as cannon gunners.
Shortly after forming the St. Patrick’s Battalion, the Irishmen swore a blood oath
to fight till the last since capture would mean execution.
On September 25th, the American forces had overrun
the city and the surrendered Mexicans, along with their Irishmen threw down their weapons and marched passed the victorious
American forces.
Someone shouted "lynch the traitors" and several dozen American troops broke ranks and
rushed at the St. Patrick’s day battalion but were pushed back by mounted officers, and the Irishmen were allowed to
retreat with the Mexicans as had been agreed.
In February, the Mexican army returned to Monterry to retake the
city from the Americans. When the US troops awoke in the morning and looked out over their fortified walls only to find line
after seemingly endless line of Mexican troops waiting for the order to attack, the St. Patrick’s Battalion's flag could
be seen flying over their 24 pound cannons.
In the next few minutes, the men of the St. Patrick’s Battalions
fired so rapidly in to the American ranks that several of their cannon barrels glowed orange-red hot.
The Americans
retreated with the Mexicans in quick pursuit pushing them out of the city. The Americans regrouped and retook the city
The Mexicans retreated so quickly that General Santa Anna, who was leading the army, left behind his personnel wagon
that contained a chest of gold coins, his official seal and one of his spare wooden leg's which ended up in the hands of showman
PT Barnum.
Large numbers of the St. Patrick’s battalion were killed during the fighting and seventy
five were captured. Fifty of them, including Sergeant John Riley, were court marshaled on the sight, ordered to dig their
own graves and then hanged to death at the very moment that the US Marines were storming the legendary halls of Montezuma.
The remaining 20 Irishmen were flogged until they collapsed from the pain, dragged back on to their feet and
a blacksmith branded their checks with the letter "D" for deserters.
During that campaign, about 2,000
members of the Shamrock Brigade, for a variety of reasons, deserted the American ranks and fought on the side of the
Mexicans.
Most of the deserters were captured at the wars end and several of the ring leaders behind the desertion
had shamrocks burned in to their foreheads.
Mexican War: In 1847, when the U.S went to war with Mexico,
some 2,000 Irish immigrants, and an unknown number of Irish Americans served with the US forces under General Scott.
Alamo: Its certain that at least two Irish born soldiers died at the
Alamo, Andrew Duvalt and John Gavin. North and South:
Overall 51,206 of New York's Irish-born citizens volunteer for duty in the war between the States. In Pennsylva¬nia 17,418,
in Illinois 12,041, in Massachusetts 10,007, Ohio 8,129, Missouri 4,362 and Wisconsin 3,621. On the Confederates side, some
40,000 Irishmen joined the rebels ranks, most of them knocked out of work by the destruc¬tion of the Southern railway
system, by Irish American General Sherman. McCarthy,
Henry: A Floridian, McCarthy wrote the Confederate Army’s anthem Bonnie Blue Flag. Mallory, Stephan: (1813-1873) U.S. Senator, secretary of the navy in the Confederacy
Born in Trinidad, West Indies, raised in Key West, Florida.
. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1851 and reelected in 1857,
Mallory served until Florida seceded. He became (Feb., 1861) secretary of the navy in the Confederacy. Mallory was an arden
advocate of ironclad warships for the navy. However, efforts to secure ironclads from England and France proved futile, and
of the few constructed in the Confederacy the most outstanding, the Virginia ( Monitor and Merrimack) and the Mississippi,
had to be destroyed to prevent their falling into Union hands.
He also worked to win more of Europes
Royals to the Southern cuse.
. President Lincoln, ever sensitive to the power and influence of Roman Catholic Europe
sent Bishop John Hughes to the courts there to explain the position of the Union. Towards the end of the war, the Confederate
states sent Bishop Patrick Lynch to Europe, but his reception was less then warm and the war was all but over for the south
by that time.
The Two Bishops did write a series of letters to each other, summarizing their views on the war
and those letters were latter reprinted in European newspapers and are marked by their high degree of mutual respect for each
others opinions, which was fairly remarkable considering the bitterness of the times.
Mallory was
captured in flight with Jefferson Davis in 1865 and was imprisoned. On his release in 1866, he resumed the practice of law
in Florida. Nuts: During World War Two, when American
General Anthony McAuliffe, was surrounded at Bastogne by the German army , they demanded his surrender. Although
out gunned, out manned and low on supplies, McAuliffe’s reply was “Nuts”. He held out and was eventually
rescued by Allied forces.
Kelly, Robert: To Hollywood and most of the rest of the world
it was John Kennedy's exploits in the South Pacific aboard his ill fated PT boat 109 that brought the tiny motor Torpedo boat
to national attention, however to scores of war buffs the true hero of the south Pacific PT action was New York born Irish
American named Robert B. Kelly.
Captain Kelly was the executive officer of the now famed PT boat squadron 3. It
was Kelly and his men who risked life and limb to evacuate Douglas MacArthur, his family and Staff from the Japanese Navy
infested waters of Corregidor island in the dark of night.
Kelly was awarded the silver star for his bravery
and was given command of squadron 3 which included Lt. J.G John Kenne¬dy. Shortly after taking command, Kelly
was again cited for bravery in action and awarded a second silver star and still later the Navy Cross for heroism in combat
when his PT boat attacked and sank a Japanese light cruiser that had been protecting four other enemy destroyers.
Kelly managed to sink the cruiser with two torpedo from a firing range of 300 feet. The following morning, with only one of
his four guns working, five dead crewmen, and taking in water from a six foot hole in his hull from a Japanese shell, Kelly
managed to fight off attacks by enemy dive bombers, eventually bringing his remaining crew back to safety.
His
dare devil actions brought home a few bright moments to a war weary American public. Kelly's action were later made in to
the film "They Were Expendable" starring John Wayne.
Sullivan Brothers: The Sullivan brothers were from Waterloo Iowa, where their father
Tom Sullivan worked as a freight conductor for the Illinois Central railroad.
At the start of the second war
the five brothers, George, Frank, Joseph, Madison and Albert joined the navy and were assigned to the light cruiser
the USS Juneau.
In 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy sank the Juneau in the South Pacific. Due to gross negligence
by the United States Navy, 700 survivors stayed in the water for one week before they were rescued. Of the 700, only 10 saved.
The five Sullivan brothers who served on the ship were lost.
Two are killed on ship, two die of their wounds
in the water and the eldest, George, survived for one day swimming from life raft to raft looking for his brothers. When faced
with the reality that his four brothers dead, George went insane.
He was eaten by three sharks at the end
of the second day. The awful tragedy forced the Congress to pass the Sullivan law, which forbids any family members from serving
in the same branch of the service during a time of war.
The Vice President called it "one of
the most extraordinary tragedies which has been met by any family in the United States"
When a reporter asked
the Sullivan mother if she was bitter at the military over the loss of her sons she thought it over for a moment and said
"Christ had five wounds too" Allies
Planned Invasion of Ireland: Whether or not operation Nist, the allies plan to invade the Republic of Ireland during the Second
World War, was actually an Allied force option or simply another military contingency plan, may never be known.
What is known, is that in or about March of 1942 34th American Infantry were stationed at a Baronial estate in the Northern
Ireland village of Caledon and that the Divisional Commanders were place on standby orders for a possible Allied invasion
of the neutral Irish Republic to the south.
Apparently, British military strategists, were certain that
the Nazi's intended to invade the Irish Republic.
The way they foresaw events unfolding was that German special
forces would first land by parachute and take the countries few airfields, then, up to seven infantry and armored divisions
would arrive by sea and take the cites of Cork and then move to Dublin, via a picher attack.
The German air Force
would then launch an air attack against Belfast. British intelligence argued, that at the same time, the Germans would probably
launch a simultaneous attack against Britain itself from nearby France.
Facing a possible attack on two fronts,
British intelligence argued, the only option was to invade the Irish Republic early and cut of the Germans option of a two
pronged attack on England.
For reasons still unknown, the planned invasion never came off, even though a time
and date, midnight, June 3rd 1942, had been set.
Perhaps the German plans for the invasion, if in fact there
ever were any, were called off. What is known, is that Winston Churchill, England's Prime Minister during the time the planned
invasion, was bitterly opposed to Ireland's neutrality during the war and had called for a seizure of all of Ireland's seaports
as naval bases, as early as 1939.
However Churchill badly needed America in the war, and knew that a British invasion
of Ireland would outrage the vocal and extremely politically powerful Irish American community, which had already
expressed doubts about involving the United States in yet another Anglo-European land war.
Ironically, the report
on the planned Allied Invasion of Ireland was submitted one month after President Franklin Roosevelt had assured Ireland's
American Born President Eamon De Valera that no such invasion plans were in the making, nor would he allow them to be made.
Murphy, Audie: During world war two, Murphy
won the Congressional Medal of Honor and becomes the highest decorated veteran in the history of the United States Military.
Murphy was decorated 28 times in all. Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor for single handily fighting off 200 German infantry
and three tanks from atop a burning Truck. During
the two World Wars, 60% of those decorated for bravery in action were Irish Americans. In total 202 Irish Americans were awarded
the medal of honor from 1861-1990 McMahon, Martin
Thomas: Born in Laprairie, Canada in 1838, he settled in New York and attended St. John's College, Fordham. When the Civil
War broke out he raised the first company of cavalry of the Pacific coast, but resigned its captaincy when he found the company
would not be sent to the front. He became aide-de-camp to General McClellan and eventually attained the rank of brevet Major-General
of Volunteers. He was awarded the Medal of Hon or for bravey at the battle of White Oak Swamp. In 1866, he resigned from the
army and was appointed corporation counsel for New York City (1866-67) and then was sent as Minister to Paraguay (1868-69).
On his return he practised law until 1881, he was made Receiver of Taxes, U.S. Marshal, State Assemblyman and Senator. In
1896 he was elected Judge of the Court of General Session which office he held at his death. His brothers, John Eugene, and
James Power, were both colonels of the 164th New York Volunteers during the Civil War. John died from injuries received in
the army; James was killed while leading his regiment at the battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia Kelly,
Colin: Captian, Army Air Force Pilot. Awarded the medal of Valor during World War II for his assualt on a Japanese ship. Donovan,
William: "Wild Bill": Colonel (Commander) of New York’s "Fighting 69th" in World War I. He was awarded
the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Congressional Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart with two
oak leaf clusters and the Croix de Guerre. After the war he headed up the Office of Strategic Services (which evolved into
the CIA.) English, Edmund: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Fallon, Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Flood Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Flynn, Christopher:
Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Ford,
George: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Gardner, William: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Gasson, Richard: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Gribben, James: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Ginley, Patrick: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Haley, James: Irish
born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Harrington,
Daniel: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Havron, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Highland, Patrick: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Hinnecan, William: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the
civil war Horne, Samuel: Irish born winner of the
medal of Honor during the civil war Howard, Martin:
Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Hudson,
Michael: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Hyland, John: Irish born winner
of the medal of Honor during the civil war Irwin,
Patrick: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Jones, Andrew: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Jones, William: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Kane, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Keele, Joseph: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Kelley, John: Irish
born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Kelly,
Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Kennedy, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Keogh, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Kerr, Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Laffey, Barlett: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Latt, George:. Irish
born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Logan,
Hugh: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Lonergan, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Madden, Michael: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Mangam, Richard: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the
civil war Martin, James: Irish born winner of the
medal of Honor during the civil war Martin, William:
Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Mc
Cormick, Michael: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Nolan, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Nugent, Christopher: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war O’Connell, Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during
the civil war O’Connor, Timothy: Irish born
winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war O'Donnell,
Menomen: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Platt, George: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Plunkett, Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Preston, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Quilan, James: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Rafferty, Peter: Irish
born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Rannahan,
John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Reynolds, George: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Riley, Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Roantree, James: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the
civil war Robinson, John: Irish born winner of the
medal of Honor during the civil war Robinson, Thomas:
Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Ryan,
Peter:. Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Scanlan, Patrick: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Schutt, George: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Sewell, William: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the
civil war Shields, Bernard: Irish born winner of
the medal of Honor during the civil war Smith, William:
Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Spillane,
Timothy: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Stewart, Joseph: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Sullivan, Timothy: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Tobin, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil
war Toomer, William: Irish born winner of the medal
of Honor during the civil war Tyrrell, George: Irish
born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Urell,
Emmet: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Walsh, John: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Welch, Richard: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Wells,
Thomas: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Welsch, Edward: Irish born winner
of the medal of Honor during the civil war Welsh,
James: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war White, Patrick: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Williams, Williams: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during the civil war Wilson, Christopher: Irish born winner of the medal of Honor during
the civil war Wright, Robert: Irish born winner of
the medal of Honor during the civil war
Union Generals of Irish decent: Logan, Lalor, and Dougherty
of Illinois, Gorman of Minnesota, Magenis and Sullivan of Indiana, Reilly and Mulligan of Ohio, Stevenson of Missouri, James
Shields, Shirley of Michigan, Smith of Delaware, Meagher, Corcoran, Patrick H. O'Rourke, P. H. Jones, and Thomas F. Sweeney
of New York, George G. Meade, Geary, and Birney of Pennsylvania, McPherson, McDowell, and McCook, Phil McKearney, George B.
McClellan and "little" Phil Sheridan, the greatest cavalry leader of the war. The highest command in the navy was
held by Admiral Porter, the descendant of an Irishman, the next highest command being held by Admiral Rowan, a native-born
Irishman. Perry, Oliver: The son of an Irish immigrant
mother, Commander Perry won the battle of Lake Erie, annihilating the British fleet during the war of 1812. Heenan Dennis: Commander of the the 37th New York ( The Irish Rifles)
during the civil war. Mulligan, James A.: Mulligan
organized 2,000 Irishmen from Chicago to fight in the civil war on the side of the union. He was killed in one of the engagements
at Winchester, Virginia. Montgomery Guard: Formed
in 1836 after the New York Cadets voted to ban the foreign-born from their ranks. The guard was named in honor of General
Richard Montgomery, Irish born revolutionary war general. They company sported a distinctive look--light green coats, white
epaulets with green crescents, dark pants, and bearskin hats. They retained many of these attributes following their merger
with the New York State militia in the 1850s, when they joined the 69th Regiment. After the failed Irish uprisings of 1848
and 1867, the militia provided refuge and training opportunities for exiled Fenians and Young Irelanders. Lynch, Charles: Colonel Lynch was a commander of a band of irregular
forces during the Revolution and, by his drastic treatment of Loyalists, gave rise to the term "lynch laws." Lewis, Andrew: A native of Ireland, he defeated the Shawnee Indians
at Point Pleasant on the Ohio River in 1774, opening the way for American penetration of the Northwest Territory during the
Revolutionary War. Settled in Virginia, joined the rebellion in 1776 and was named a brigadier general in the Continental
Army. Knox, Henry: The son of Andrew Knox, an Irish
immigrant, Henry Knox was Secretary of War in 1789. He had served as chief of artillery throughout the Revolutionary War,
succeeded Washington as commander in chief from 1783 to 1784, and acted as secretary of war under the Articles of Confederation,
from 1785 to 1789. Mahan, Alfred Thayer: Admiral
Mahan wrote The Influence of Seapower Upon History, an importent strategical studies. Mahan was President of the Naval War
College (1886-1889 and 1892-1893) and author, exercised a decisive influence upon American and European geopolitical thinking.
Nugent, Edward: During the 1586 expedition to North
America Captain Ralph Lane wrote "An Irishman serving me, one Edward Nugent volunteered to kill Pemisapan, King of the
Indians. We met him returning out of the woods with Pemisapan s head in his hands, and the Indians ceased their raids against
the English Camp."
Sullivan, John: Son of an Irish immigrant, he led a band of
New Hampshire militiamen in the capture of Fort William and Mary in 1774, Newcastle, New Hampshire. The gunpowder captured
here was later used at Bunker Hill. Sullivan, hailed as "the first to take up arms against the King," was commissioned
a major general in the Continental Army and in 1779 broke the power of the Iroquois and Loyalists in New York- State. He served
as governor of New Hampshire from 1786 to 1789. Reagan,
James: An Irish-American from Texas, he served in Confederate Cabinet under Jeff Davis Tilghman, John: After Washington had formally accepted the British surrender at Yorktown
Virginia, he dispatched the Irish Catholic Colonel Tilghman to Philadelphia to announce the news of the American victory.
After the announcement was made, Tilghman and the French Ambassador went to St. Mary's church to celebrate a victory mass
The Shot Heard Around the World" was probably
fired by an Iris¬hman. At the first scrimmage in the revolutionary war at the Lexington Concord bridge in April of 1775,
147 of the American minute men were Irish American or Irish immigrants including James Barett who commanded the American forces
at Concord. His first sergeant was Ballyshann¬on Ireland immi¬grant Hugh Cargil. Hercules Mulligan:
Mulligan was a "fashionable clothier" spied for George Washington by getting his British Officer clientele to discuss
their mili¬tary plans. It was Mulligan who was
able to provide Washington with the information that the British intended to take New York State and Vermont from Canada and
pass along word of a plot by British Junior Officer to kidnap the General. As a leader of the Son of Liberty, a secret organization, Mulligan brought Alexander Hamilton in
to the organization, thus starting Hamilton's long political career. On July the 6th, 1776, Mulligan and another Irish American Bill Mooney who tore down the statue of King George
in Bowling Green, New York with their horses. They later melted the statue down and turned it in to 40,000 bullets for the
Ameri¬can army. So secretive was Mulligans position,
that when the war ended he was accused of being a British sympathizer and local merchants refused to do business with him.
Mulligan offered up no defense for himself since
in the ethics of the day a gentlemen simply didn't spy on the enemy. To clear the hero’s good name, President Washington rode to New York and had dinner with Mulligan in
public, thus ending the Mulligan boycott. The Boston
Irish Massacre: The Boston Massacre, which might be more aptly known as the Boston Irish massacre, started innocently enough,
here at this spot, at about noon on Friday, March 2, 1770 when William Green, a rope maker spotted Private Patrick Walker,
an Irishmen in the British regiment assigned to Boston. Green
knew that the soldiers were notoriously underpaid and in their off hours held down temporary odd jobs around the city to pick
up some extra cash. Green turned to his workmates
and smiled and then spoke to the passing infantrymen "Hey,
soldier, do you want some work?" "Yes,
I do" "Then go clean out my shithouse" More words were exchanged and Private Walker flew at Green but was quickly
beaten to the ground by Green and his workmat¬es, one of them picking up a knife that had fallen out of the soldiers pocket
and waved it at him. Outnumbered and humiliated,
Private Patrick Walker beat a retreat back to his barracks and recruited eight or ten fellow infantry men and returned to
the rope works. By this time the Ropemakers were
also reinforced and after a brief fistfight, the British soldiers were beaten back to their barrack. A few days later, the incident was repeated, almost exactly at MacNeils rope makers.
Later that night, three troops were missing from
roll call and a barracks rumor started that they locals had killed the unaccounted men. It wasn't true of course, but tensions
were high on both sides and it was only a matter of time before something broke. Several days later three soldiers were making their way to their barracks when a small crowd assembled
around them. One of the soldiers poked one of the civilians with the butt of his bayonet, a shouting match broke out and more
civilians gathered around the three troopers . The
soldiers pulled out their swords and starting swinging them as they walked, nicking a few shoulders and ripping clothes. Several
British officer came out to defuse the situation but to no avail. The crowd of Americans, mostly school boys, grew in size.
Some one in the crowd yelled "The Main Guard"
and the crowd rushed here, to King Street where they pelted British soldiers with snowballs, ice and curses. Again an Officer came and ordered his men back in to their barracks.
The crowd made its way to another guard station manned by Private Hugh White, who had been involved in a fistfight with a
local named Edward Garrick a few days before. Now
Garrick was in the crowd, and having spotted Private White "There's
the son of a bitch who knocked me down a few days ago" The
crowd turned on White and hurled ice at him and dared him to step out of his guard house. White replied that he could not
leave his station and told the mob that if they did not disburse that he would call the main guard. The mob pelted him again and White fixed his bayonet at ready and then made a great
show of loading his musket to warn the mob off. A
local bookseller, Henry Knox warned White against firing, telling him that the mob was made up mostly of teenagers. "Sir, If they molest me, I will fire" A barrage of ice slammed inches away from Whites head and a chorus of shouts came
from the crowd "Kill him" and "Fire damn you fire, we defy you" More people joined the mob. Private White shouted for rein¬forcements "Main Guard turn out!" The towns people also called for reinforcements. This is what they had
been waiting for. Inside the main Guardhouse, Irish
born Captain Thomas Preston paced the floor for an answer. He had sent out scouts to find out what was happening to Private
White. Noted for his sound judgment, Preston was lost for an answer. He knew that he had no authority to send armed troops out on to the street with out the consent of the local
officials, a Justice of the Peace, but he also understood that no Justice of Peace could be relied on to brave the mob outside. In the mean time Private White stood alone, surrounded by a growing
mob, some armed with clubs the others pelting the young soldier with chunks of sharp ice. As White saw the situation and ordered his subordinate, a Lieutenant James Basset to
form a relief column of half a dozen men and bring White back to the barrack. The Lieutenant rounded up six men. Three of them, John Carroll, Mathew Kilroy and William Warren,
had been involved in the rope incident a few days before, and a corporal and started to march out to Private White. Preston rethought his command. Lieutenant Basset, he knew, was incompetent.
Through family connects Basset had been commissioned an officer at age twelve, and now at age twenty was badly shaken over
the mob outside. Preston ordered Basset to stay
behind and marched his squad out side the Guard house, rounded up White and started to march back to the Guard house. But by then the crowd had encircled the soldiers and made passing impossible.
Preston ordered his men in to a semi circle next to the corner of a customs house. The soldiers stood three feet apart, bayonets
at ready with Preston stand¬ing directly in front of his men. A local walked up to Preston and asked if his men intended to fire in to the crowd, Preston assured him that
they would not fire in to the crowd, and besides they would have to shoot him first due to where he was standing. A Tory made his way to the back of the soldiers and shouted "Fire, by God, I will stand by you whilst I have a drop of blood!
Fire !" Samuel Gray, one of the men involved
in the rope incident, showed up on the scene. Slightly drunk, he started the crowd chanting "Fire Damn you fire!"
at the soldiers. A club was thrown through the air
and struck Private Hugh Montgomery in the head. Montgomery lifted himself up off the ground and fired a round off in to the
crisp New England air. A man from the crowd, armed
with a club, flung himself at Captain Preston but was prodded back by Montgomery’s bayonet. The crowd fell silent and Preston walked behind his men. The chants "fire, Fire damn you fire" started again. The soldier, all
young men and understandably scared, may have thought they heard their officer order them to fire. (Preston had not ordered
them to fire or not fire, he may have stood behind his men to avoid being beaten by clubs) When it looked as though the Redcoats would not fire, the drunken Samuel Gray turned
to another man in the crowd and said "My lads
they will not fire" At that very second Private
Matthew Kilroy fired a shot from his musket. Kilroy wasn't aiming at Gray or anyone else, by his testimony he had by shooting
in to the air. The bullet went through Grays forehead
and was said to have left a hole three by two inches. The
other soldiers started to shoot. A shot struck and killed six foot two Crispus Attucks who may or may not have been an African
American, he was dark skinned, possibly a Mulatto or an American Indian. He had been slave by had escaped in 1751. He had
come to King street leading a band of merchant sailors. Some
one shouted that the mob should advance on to the soldiers to keep them from shooting again, as the crowd Pressed in the Soldiers
reloaded and fire in to the mob killing James Caldwell, a local sailor. A second shot killed Irish born Patrick Carr, one
other was killed and another wounded. Captain Preston
drew his sword and rushed down the firing line shoving the musket barrels in to the air "Stop firing!, stop firing!" Outraged, Preston demanded to be told why his men had fired. They all
responded alike, they were sure that they had heard Preston order them to fire. What had actually happened was that Private Hugh Montgomery, having been knocked to the ground, stepped
back from his position and shouted to the others "Damn you, Fire!" The other soldiers, assuming that Preston had
shouted the ordered, opened fire. By three O'Clock
that morning, Captain Preston was in jail on charges of murder. The soldiers who had done the actual shooting were indicted
for the killings, but were not held in cells. Early
that next day Irish born James Forrest, a friend of Preston’s entered Lawyer John Adams office weeping. Forrest wept
so often he was referred to around town as the Irish infant. Forrest
retained Adams, for one dollar, as Preston’s attorney for the upcoming trial. Adams petitioned the court for a separate trail for Preston and Preston's soldiers balked. Why, they
asked the court, should Preston have a better chance of defending himself, when they who had simply been following his orders,
should be tried as one. The court disagreed and Preston was tried separately and Preston’s trial would become the first
criminal case in New England’s history to run more then one day. The jury found him innocent of all charges in six days time. The soldiers trial came in early December of 1770. They would be defended by a 26 year old Lawyer
named Josiah Quincy with Samuel Adams acting as the prosecution The
most damaging testimony came from the Doctor who treated young Irishman Patrick Carr who had lived for four days after being
shot. Carr told the Doctor that he was surprised
that the British had not fired sooner, that he thought that the soldiers had been abused beyond reason, that it was his opinion
that had they not fired that they would have been assaulted by the mob, that they fired in self defense and that he had heard
the mob scream "Kill them" The clincher came when the Doctor reported that the Irish boy did not blame the soldier
who had shot him. It was damaging testimony. When
the Doctor stepped down, Samuel Adams walked over to the all Protestant Jury and pointed out that Carr was an Irishmen who
more then probably had been given a Catholic funeral, the Jury, he said, could figure out how much value to put on the words
of an Irish Catholic. For his summation, the soldiers
lawyer called the mob "Irish teagues and outlandish
jack tars" Several days later, the jury foreman,
an Irishman in name at least, Joseph Mayo, told the court that Privates James Hartig¬an, William McCauley, John Carrol,
Hugh White and William Warren were found not guilty. Privates
Mathew Kilroy and Hugh Montgomery, the two men who were known to have fired in to the crowd were found guilty and had their
right thumbs seared with a fire brand. All seven men were then transferred by boat to various forts in New Jer¬sey. Montgomery, Richard: General Richard Montgomery of Raphoe, Ireland was
already and officer in the British Army at age 18. He rose through the ranks to become a Brigadier General at age 33, in the
Colonial Army. Handsome, tough and gallant, Montgomery swept his colonial army through Canada with his second in Command Aaron
Burr, stopping his force within a days march of British held Quebec. A days before he was to take the city, a British sharp
shooter ended his brilliant career and life with a single shot through the heart. His death was mourned on both sides of the
Atlantic, in America, as the tragic end of a noble military man and in England as the tragic loss of a Patriot gone wrong. Meade, George: Meade was another rich Philadelphia Irishman and business
partner to Thomas Fitzsimmons, who used his own funds to organize support and fight in his own 3rd battalion. Meade’s
grandson, George Meade the 3rd, went on to become a renown civil war general. Meade is also buried in Saint Mary's cemetery. Wallace,
Andrew: Wallace, of Scranton Pennsylvania, entered the American infantry as a Sergeant and fought in the French and Indians
war and the Revolutionary war where he survived the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden, Cowpens, Yorktown
and stormed the walls at Stony Point with Anthony Wayne. His brother was killed at the Paoli massacre. After the revolution,
Wayne stayed in the army and was mustered out at the age of 81 in 1811.
The Irish Line: Pennsylvanians
fought as well on land as they did at sea. The states so-called "Irish Line" of marksmen were a much feared force
by the British military "The damned Irish line" wrote one English general " served everywhere and surrendered
no where" "The Pennsylvania troops" wrote General Henry Lee " were the most effective fighting force in
the revolution. General Wayne's troops were known as the designation
line of Pennsylvania, whereas they might have been , with more propriety, called "The Line of Ireland" Bold and
daring they were impatient, and refractory and would always prefer an appeal to the Bayonet to a toilsome march. They were
singularly fitted for close and stubborn action hand to hand, in the center of the Army".
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