The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
She contributed more than her quota of men to the Continental army, one
hundred thousand dollars more than her proportion of money, and
possessed within her borders fewer Tories than did any one of the
original thirteen colonies. It has often and truthfully been said, “New
Hampshire is a good state to hail from.” She gave you here in New York
one of your most distinguished governors, Gen. John A. Dix, who, when
the shadow of secession hung like a cloud all over the country, penned
the memorable sentence, “If any man attempts to haul down the American
flag, shoot him on the spot.” She sent to Massachusetts the only man,
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, who dared to execute the order; only he thought
shooting too honorable and hanged the man Mumford, who dared to disobey
it. The record of her sons for bravery and honorable service has been
second to none. One of her regimental commanders, Henry Dearborn, who
was with Sullivan in his campaign, became afterwards commander-in-chief
of the United States army. Another, Maj.-Gen. John G. Foster, was one of
the defenders of Sumter, and a gallant soldier of the Civil War. Still
another was Maj.-Gen. Fitz John Porter, who, like General Dix, became a
resident of New York. The _Kearsarge_, built of New Hampshire timber and
manned mainly by New Hampshire tars, met the _Alabama_, and under the
direction of executive officer Capt. James S. Thornton, the grandson of
New Hampshire’s Irish-born signer of the Declaration of Independence, in
a fair, open fight, sent the British-built and British-armed privateer
to the bottom of the ocean.
In civil affairs, also, her sons have distinguished themselves. She sent
to Massachusetts, Henry Wilson; to Maine, William Pitt Fessenden; to
Iowa, James W. Grimes; to Michigan, Zachariah Chandler; and to Ohio,
Salmon P. Chase. The latter was secretary of the treasury, and the
others chairmen, respectively, during the Civil War, of the senate
committees on military affairs, on finance and appropriations, on
District of Columbia, and on committee on commerce. To represent herself
during the same period, she sent to the United States senate John P.
Hale and Daniel Clark. The former was chairman of the committee on naval
affairs, the latter chairman of the committee on claims.
She contributed to New York, in addition to those named, Horace Greeley
and Charles A. Dana. Of those here mentioned, John P. Hale, Daniel
Clark, James W. Grimes and Horace Greeley were of Irish descent. Hale
was the son of Mary O’Brien. Her father was Wm. O’Brien, the younger of
the historic O’Brien brothers of Maine. While acting as second in
command under his brother, Capt. John O’Brien, on the Hibernia ship of
war during the Revolution, he was mortally wounded in an engagement with
an English vessel, and died of his wounds at the age of twenty-two.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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