A Celtic Chronology

General Richard Montgomery a native of Dublin led an American invasion of Canada. He captured Montreal, but was killed leading an assault on Quebec. He was with Wolfe during the earlier Quebec campaign.

John McCluskey was appointed the first American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He completed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral begun by the irrepressible Bishop of New York, John Joseph Hughes. In 1841, Cardinal McCluskey was appointed the first President of Fordham University.

The spell cast on us by a small island 3,000 miles away, began more than a century ago when Irish immigrants first came to this land – immigrants whose sweat and labor built our economy, whose hearts and minds shaped literary and intellectual history, whose smiles and mirth gave us the gift of laughter, whose conscience and spirituality reminded us of the importance of religious faith in our lives.

Irishmen and their descendants have always played a significant role in America’s history. Some of our most fiery patriots — the ones who inspired the colonies on to independence were of Irish blood.

“… the truth is there are few people on this planet whose hearts burn more with a flame for freedom than do the Irish. And maybe that’s why so many were moved to come here and be apart of our noble experiment. In a world awash with dictatorships and despotism, we can be proud that Ireland and the United States remain dedicated to the principles of liberty.” – Ronald Reagan, American President

1776 British troops evacuate Boston on Saint Patrick’s Day. General Washington issues “Saint” and “Patrick” as the password and countersign for the day. General James Sullivan was placed in charge. His father’s family was one of those who left Ireland with Patrick Sarsfield.

While the Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia and debating the issue to declare itself independent or not, Thomas McKean in an effort to spur action by the national group, influences a committee of the Pennsylvania Congress also in Philadelphia to write a Declaration of Independence. The committee did produce such a document. Not long after the Declaration of Independence was written by Welshman Thomas Jefferson. Charles Thomson writes out the first copy from Jefferson’s draft.

Irishman John Dunlap of Strabane prints the Declaration of Independence.

Irishman and Colonel John Nixon makes the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the center window of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

The Declaration of Independence is signed in Philadelphia by Irish born: Matthew Thornton for New Hampshire; George Taylor and James Smith for Pennsylvania; and by men of Irish ancestry including: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Lynch, Thomas McKean, George Read, and Charles Carroll. Also signing was the Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson, who had come to America as an indentured servant at the age of ten. Andrew McNair, Doorkeeper of the Pennsylvania Assembly, rang the Liberty Bell when the Declaration of Independence was being signed.

The first to sign was John Hancock who signed with a bold and large flourish “so King George can see it without his glasses.” His bold act led to an American expression, to put your John Hancock on something, is to proudly sign your name to it.

An Irish Regiment, the Ninth Regiment of Foot, in British service is at Fort Ticonderoga under General “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers, another British unit with heavy Irish membership is stationed on Long Island. Among its officers is Captain Frederick Mackenzie of Dublin.

Many Irish desert British units to join the American cause.

Commodore John Barry puts to sea in the United States Navy’s first official ship, the Lexington.

1777 Militia General John Stark of Londonderry led the New Hampshire militia to victory at Bennington, Vermont.

At the Battle of Saratoga which was won by the Americans, Timothy Murphy of General Morgan’s Rifles, a sharp shooter, killed two of the British commanders. Murphy’s marksmanship came at a point when the British were winning the battle. Analysts say his actions were critical to the American victory. James Clinton and his brother in law James McCleary, and James’ brother, George Clinton prevented other English forces from joining British General Burgoyne at Saratoga. Saratoga was a stunning success for the colonials and led directly to French confidence to enter an alliance with the United States. After the battle an Irishman named Maguire found his brother among the English prisoners. Years earlier they both emigrated from Ireland; one to America the other to England.

George Washington, the American commander, had many Irish on his staff. Among them were: Colonel Stephen Moylan from Cork, Colonel John Fitzgerald of Wicklow, and Colonel Francis Barber, whose father was from Longford. Hercules Mulligan was Irish born and Washington’s spy in British occupied New York. Twenty six of Washington’s Generals were Irish, fifteen of them were Irish born.

Some of the Irish generals who went up the ranks from Brigadier to full general were: William Irvine, William Thomson, Richard Montgomery, and Richard Butler.

They in turn were served by Irish generals: John Shee, Edward Hand, Anthony Wayne, Thomas Fitzsimmons, Stephen Moylan, James Mease, and George Mead.

Key officers in the southern campaign with an Irish connection included: Francis Marion; Andrew Pickens; and Daniel Morgan, victor of the Battle of Cowpens.

The Commander of the Continental Artillery was Irishman, John Lamb.

Irish militia generals included: John Armstrong, James Ewing, James Potter, John Greaton, Joseph Reed, John Sullivan, William Thomson, William Maxwell, Andrew Potter, and Roche Fermoy from the French Irish Brigade, all Irish born. In addition one of Washington’s favorite generals was Andrew Lewis who was of Irish parents. Brigadier General Moore of North Carolina militia was the grandson of the former governor of North Carolina, another general of the North Carolina Militia was Brigadier General James Hogan.

Washington’s Aide de Camps were almost all Irish, those not already mentioned above are: Joseph Casey, and Colonel John Fitzgerald.

The Continental Army was said to be one third to one half Irish, a review of the rosters shows there were:

695 Kellys 266 Sullivans 183 Carrolls
484 Murphys 248 Doughertys 178 O’Neills
331 McCarthys 243 Connollys 168 Maguires
327 O’Connors 231 O’Briens 165 MaGees
322 Ryans 231 Mullens 142 Farrells
285 Reillys 210 Walshes 138 Flynns
184 Fitzgeralds 128 Lynchs 115 Hogans

In Ireland, the Irish supported the American Revolution indirectly. They discouraged Irish from joining the British Army, and they destroyed Irish factories in Cork, Dublin, and Belfast that manufactured supplies for the British Army.

Dillon’s Regiment of the Irish Brigade in the service of France served with distinction in the siege of Savannah.

George Rogers Clark led American forces to take Forts Kaskaskia and in 1799, Vincennes. His father was born in County Offaly, Ireland. Clark is credited with opening the “Northwest Territory.”

General “Mad Anthony” Wayne turned the tide at the Battle of Monmouth. He was formally thanked by General Washington and a grateful Congress. Wayne was also a key participant in the battles of: Brandywine, Germantown, and Schuylkill, as well as at Valley Forge, Stony Point and Bergan Neck.

John Rutledge was Governor of South Carolina until 1778.

Betsy Flanagan invented the cocktail.

Irish born Gustavus Conyngham was an American privateer for the U. S. Navy. He purchased munitions for the U.S. Navy in Europe. While there, he took so many English ships as prizes he was called by the French, “The Terror of the English.”

1778 The Irish Volunteer Army is raised in Ireland of Protestants for the defense of the island against traditional enemies in Europe, when the British have to reduce garrisons there to send troops to the American colonies.

Gardiner’s Act is passed providing some Catholics property rights in Ireland.

British General Sir Henry Clinton wrote to the Colonial Secretary in London that the Continental Army was between one third and one half Irish, and “…our most serious antagonists.”

John Paul Jones engages the English sloop-of-war the Drake just off from Carrickfergus Castle near Belfast. The Drake had superior armament to Jones’ Ranger, but after an hour’s battle the Drake struck its colors and docilely went as a prize, with seven other ships, to France. John Paul Jones was a Scot.

George Bryan was President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, he later served as a justice on its Supreme Court 1780-1791.

James McHenry was George Washington’s Secretary until 1780. Fort McHenry, where events of the War of 1812 inspired Irishman Francis Scott Key to write the “Star Spangled Banner”, was named for him.

John Barry of Tacumshane, County Wexford, was made the United States Navy’s first Commodore. He was later called the Father of the American Navy.

The “Conway Cabal”, General Thomas Conway was on loan from the French Irish Brigade, many believe his name was used only for its alliterative value and little else in a plot to replace George Washington with General Gates as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

1779 The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade in New York city was held by a Loyalists Irish Regiment known as the Volunteers of Ireland.

The “patriots” political pressure and the Irish Volunteer military pressure result in English concessions on Irish trade. The Volunteers were 40,000 men. Grattan asked for legislative autonomy, and that the Irish Parliament make the laws for Ireland.

Major General James Robertson testified before a committee of the British Parliament in London that he “remembered General Lee telling me, that he believed half the Rebel Army were from Ireland.”

A portion of the Maine coast known as the Castine Peninsula was seized and occupied by the British. They gave the area a new name, New Ireland, in hopes of attracting some Irish with generous land grants. The scheme failed.

General Andrew Pickens defeated a British force under General Boyd at Kettle Creek.

1780 A Loyalist group in Pennsylvania organize the Volunteers of Ireland. The unit is commanded by Francis Randon of County Down. This group won the Battle of Camden.

A Colonel Butler, an Irishmen, in the Continental Army raised a toast in the Wyoming district of North Carolina, “May the kingdom of Ireland merit a stripe in the American standard.” There after it became a regular toast wherever Irish officers in the Continental Army met.

1781 Grattan, and then the “patriots” attempted to overturn Poyning’s Law. Both efforts are unsuccessful.

General Anthony Wayne with 800 men found himself facing the entire British Army of 5,000 men at Greenspring. Wayne sent marksmen forward to confuse the enemy and runners back five miles to the Continental Army to let them know his problem. The British realized that only a small force lay before them and began to advance, Wayne seeing that his men would be wiped out before the American Army could arrive, organized a bayonet charge. General Cornwallis, the British Commander, believed no one would order such an attack unless superior troops were in support, and so withdrew to Portsmouth, and then later to Yorktown and fate.

The details of the surrender at Yorktown were worked out in the home of Augustine Moore. Cornwallis’ second in command, General Charles O’Hara made the formal surrender. Not long after Yorktown, the British fleet under Admiral George Rodney defeats the French fleet of De Grasse who supported the ground troops at Yorktown. The action took place off the Leeward Islands. There were so many Irish aboard Rodney’s ships that a popular description of the event said the victory was due to “Rodney’s guns and Paddy’s sons.”

Thomas McKean was President of the Commonwealth of Delaware (same as Governor), he also served as Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court 1777-1799.

Elements of the French Irish Brigade are present at the siege of Pensacola.

Thomas Burke of Galway is Governor of North Carolina.

1782 Grattan and his followers succeeded in exploiting the situation in America and the presence of an armed Irish Army in Ireland. A Convention of the Irish Volunteers at Dungannon endorses Grattan’s proposals and implies they will use force to see them attained. They also pass by a vote of 198 to 2 a motion, put to them by Grattan for Catholic Emancipation. Legislative autonomy is granted, the Declatory Act is repealed, and Irish courts are made independent.

French trading house in France owned by Irishmen such as Cumings and Moylans of Lorient, the McCarthy’s of Bordeaux, and James O’Dea of Paimboeuf smuggled goods from Ireland into America and back the other way through 1793.