A rough draft of the Declaration of Independence was prepared by Thomas Jefferson. It was re-written and carefully revised by Charles Thompson, who was styled the Samuel Adams of Philadelphia, and the life of the cause of liberty. When the Declaration was first proclaimed, it was signed by John Hancock, as president of the Continental Congress, and by Charles Thompson, as secretary. The other names were attached later. Thompson was an Irishman and Hancock an Irish American. John Nixon first publicly read it and Thos. Dunlap first printed it and published it to the world. Both were Celtic to the backbone. Who periled most in signing the immortal document? History answers, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, another Irish American. Who fought the hardest in the British House of Parliament for the rights of American colonists? Edmond Bourk, an Irishman, and one of the greatest statesmen the world has ever known. In placing his most important officers, General Washington had Morgan and Hand leading his rifles, Knox at the head of his artillery, John Dunlap as his life guard, Edward Hand as his adjutant-general, Andrew Lewis as his brigadier-general, Stephen Moylan and John Fitzgerald as his aids, and Ephraim Blaine as his quartermaster. All were Irish by birth or ancestry. When Washington was retreating through New Jersey, he sent word to Thomas Johnson, a Maryland Celt, that he had not enough men to fight the British and too few to run away with. Johnson raised a force of 1,800 men and hurried to his assistance. All students of American history have read of the gallant Richard Montgomery, Mad Anthony Wayne, John Sullivan, Daniel Morgan, Stephen Moylan, John Fitzgerald, Henry Knox, Wm. Irvine, Richard Butler, and Generals Cochran, Campbell, McDowell, McCall, McClary, Jasper, Graham, Hazelett, Colonel Pickens, and many others who were among the most valiant and successful officers in that eventful conflict. All belonged to our liberty-loving, heroic race. It has been officially ascertained that out of 131 of the most prominent officers in the war for American Independence, 20 were of English ancestry, 25 of French, 10 of German and Dutch, 8 of Scotch, 2 of Polish, and 84 of Irish and Welch. Commodores Barry, Perry, McDonough and Stewart, of the wars of 1776 and 1812, were scions of brave-hearted exiles from the Emerald Isle.