The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VI, 1906Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VI, 1906
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
William Linn, son of one of these settlers, was born at Banbridge and
served under Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, in the wars with the
Indians. In the several encounters which took place he distinguished
himself, and was rewarded with a commission as lieutenant. Soon after
the breaking out of hostilities with the mother country, Linn joined the
First Virginia Regiment with the rank of lieutenant.
An expedition was organized with the object of securing ammunition from
the Spanish authorities at New Orleans. Capt. George Gibson, an
Ulsterman, was entrusted with the leadership of the party, and attended
by Lieutenant Linn, with a detachment of their company, descended the
river Ohio from Fort Pitt on the 19th of May, 1776, reaching New Orleans
on the 22d of September, after a succession of adventures that, in
narrative, more resemble romance than the features of sober truth. The
shores of the Ohio were lined with hostile Indians, and no white man
before had attempted the voyage. Captain Gibson having accomplished his
mission, and being secretly released from prison, in which he had been
confined to remove the suspicion of the British residents, placed
Lieutenant Linn in command.
Captain Gibson took ship from New Orleans, taking with him the powder
for service on the seaboard, and in due course landed at Philadelphia,
and from thence proceeded to Virginia. Linn’s party, with a total
strength of forty-three men, arrived at Wheeling in the spring of 1777,
with the barges containing the supply of powder for the western posts.
The party suffered many hardships and ran considerable risk from the
Indians. For this important and arduous service Gibson was raised to the
rank of major and Linn to that of captain. In 1780 we find Linn a
colonel commanding a battalion at the battle of Pigua or Chillicothe, in
which action he distinguished himself with bravery, his battalion having
borne the brunt of the battle, losing many of its men. Colonel Linn
continued to serve the revolted colonies after they had achieved their
independence. He was ordered to the West to assist in the campaign
against the Northwest Indians, and was killed in attempting to reach a
secret rendezvous at a place called No-Linn-Hill, in Kentucky—a name
acquired from the first exclamation of surprise by a party of his men
not finding him at the spot.
IRISH PIONEERS IN BOSTON AND VICINITY.
BY HON. JOHN C. LINEHAN,[6] CONCORD, N. H.
Footnote 6:
Died in September, 1905. He was a founder of the Society and its first
treasurer-general. This paper was the opening one of a series
contributed by him to the Boston _Pilot_, in 1890, and bearing the
general title of “How the Irish Came as Builders of the Nation.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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