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Chapter I: Part 1

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HON. JOHN D. CRIMMINS, NEW YORK CITY, PRESIDENT-GENERAL OF THE SOCIETY, 1901. ]

THE JOURNAL
OF THE
AMERICAN-IRISH
HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BY

THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY

_Secretary-General_

VOLUME III

BOSTON, MASS.
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY
1900

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTORY TO THIRD VOLUME.

I here present the third annual volume of the JOURNAL to the Society. The work records the proceedings of the organization for the year 1900, gives the historical papers contributed during the year for publication, and sets forth much other matter of interest. The Society continues on its useful and progressive career, happily performing the great mission for which it was instituted.

T. H. M.

BOSTON, MASS., Dec. 31, 1900.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY TO THIRD VOLUME. OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, A. D. 1900. REVIEW OF THE YEAR. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1900. CELEBRATION OF THE LEXINGTON BATTLE ANNIVERSARY. BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. THE BATTLE OF RHODE ISLAND. REV. JAMES MAC SPARRAN, IRISHMAN, SCHOLAR, PREACHER AND PHILOSOPHER, 1680‒1757. MEN OF IRISH BLOOD WHO HAVE ATTAINED DISTINCTION IN AMERICAN JOURNALISM. IRISH PIONEERS AND BUILDERS OF KENTUCKY. REV2. JAMES CALDWELL, A PATRIOT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. THE IRISH IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, LOUISIANA AND TENNESSEE. HUGH CARGILL, A FRIEND OF LIBERTY. THE IRISH SETTLERS OF PELHAM, MASS. THOMAS FAWCETT, IRISH QUAKER, AMERICAN PIONEER. EARLY NEW HAMPSHIRE IRISH; SOME PRE-REVOLUTIONARY DENNISES, CORNELIUSES, PATRICKS AND MICHAELS. MATTHEW WATSON, AN IRISH SETTLER OF BARRINGTON, R. I., 1722. THE FIELD, SCOPE AND OPPORTUNITY OF THE AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY. THE UNITED STATES TORPEDO-BOAT O’BRIEN. THE SOCIETY’S FIELD IN CALIFORNIA. THE HISTORICAL PLACE OF IRISHMEN IN CALIFORNIA. PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. CHRONOLOGY OF THE SOCIETY. NECROLOGY OF THE SOCIETY. MEMBERSHIP ROLL, AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY. GOOD WORDS FOR VOLUME II OF THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY. GENERAL INDEX. ANALYTICAL INDEX. Letter from Hon. John D. Crimmins, President-General of the Society.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, A. D. 1900.

_President-General_,
=Hon. Thomas J. Gargan=,
Of the Law Firm, Gargan & Keating, Boston, Mass.

_Vice-President-General_,
=Hon. John D. Crimmins=,
40 East 68th St., New York City.

_Secretary-General_,
=Thomas Hamilton Murray=,
Editor _Evening Call_, 77 Main St., Woonsocket, R. I.

_Treasurer-General_,
=Hon. John C. Linehan=,
State Insurance Commissioner, Concord, N. H.

_Librarian and Archivist_,
=Thomas B. Lawler=,
New York City.
(With Ginn & Co., Publishers, Boston, New York, Chicago, London.)

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

The foregoing and

=James Jeffrey Roche, LL. D.=, Editor _The Pilot_, Boston, Mass.

=Maurice Francis Egan, LL. D., J. U. D.=, Professor of English
Language and Literature, Catholic University, Washington, D. C.

=Robert Ellis Thompson, Ph. D.=, President Central High School,
Philadelphia, Pa.

=Thomas Addis Emmet, M. D., LL. D.=, grand nephew of Robert Emmet, the
Irish Patriot, New York City.

=Hon. Thomas Dunn English=, the well-known writer; ex-Member of
Congress, Newark, N. J.

=Francis C. Travers=, President of Travers Brothers Co., 107 Duane
St., New York City.

=Hon. Cornelius T. Driscoll=, Mayor of New Haven, Conn.

=Stephen J. Geoghegan=, of the firm Gillis & Geoghegan, 537‒539 West
Broadway, New York City.

=Joseph Smith=, Secretary of the Board of Police, Lowell, Mass.

=Augustus St. Gaudens=, Member of the National Academy of Design, New
York City.

=Thomas J. Lynch=, Augusta, Me.

=Hon. Morgan J. O’Brien=, a Justice of the New York Supreme Court.

=Col. James Armstrong=, Charleston, S. C.

=Edward A. Hall=, Springfield, Mass.

=Francis Higgins=, 12 East 34th St., New York City.

=Moses Dillon=, El Paso, Texas.

=John Crane=, 307 West 103d St., New York City.

=John F. Hayes, M. D.=, Waterbury, Ct.

=Hon. James S. Coleman=, 38 East 69th St., New York City.

=Col. Henry F. Donovan=, Chicago, Ill.

=Joseph F. Swords=, New York City; of the fourth American generation
from Francis Dawson Swords, who was exiled from Ireland, 1760, and
who served in the Patriot army throughout the American Revolution.

STATE VICE-PRESIDENTS.

Maine—=James Cunningham=, Portland.

New Hampshire—=Hon. James F. Brennan=, Peterborough.

Vermont—=John D. Hanrahan, M. D.=, Rutland.

Massachusetts—=Osborne Howes=, Boston.

Rhode Island—=Hon. Patrick J. Boyle=, Newport.

Connecticut—=Rev. James H. O’Donnell=, Watertown.

New York—=Gen. James R. O’Beirne=, New York City.

New Jersey—=Hon. William A. M. Mack=, Elizabeth.

Pennsylvania—=Gen. St. Clair A. Mulholland=, Philadelphia.

Delaware—=Col. John P. Donahoe=, Wilmington.

Virginia—=Hon. Joseph T. Lawless=, Richmond.

West Virginia—=Col. O’Brien Moore=, Charleston.

South Carolina—=Daniel M. O’Driscoll=, Charleston.

Georgia—=Col. C. C. Sanders=, Gainesville.

Ohio—=Thomas B. Minahan=, Columbus.

Indiana—=Very Rev. Andrew Morrissey=, C. S. C., Notre Dame.

Illinois—=P. T. Barry=, Chicago.

Iowa—=Rev. M. C. Lenihan=, Marshalltown.

Minnesota—=John D. O’Brien=, St. Paul.

Michigan—=Hon. T. A. E. Weadock=, Detroit.

Missouri—=Julius L. Foy=, St. Louis.

Tennessee—=Michael Gavin=, Memphis.

Kentucky—=Edward Fitzpatrick=, Louisville.

Kansas—=Patrick H. Coney=, Topeka.

Colorado—=J. E. Lowery, M. D.=, Sopris.

Nebraska—=M. D. Long=, O’Neill.

Utah—=Joseph Geoghegan=, Salt Lake City.

Texas—=Gen. A. G. Malloy=, El Paso.

Oregon—=Henry E. Reed=, Portland.

California—=James Connolly=, Coronado.

* * * * *

District of Columbia—=Patrick O’Farrell=, Washington.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR.

LEADING EVENTS IN THE CAREER OF THE SOCIETY, FOR 1900, OR OF SPECIAL
INTEREST TO THE MEMBERS.

Jan. 1. Hon. Patrick J. Boyle, state vice-president of the Society
for Rhode Island, was to-day inaugurated mayor of Newport for
his sixth term.

Jan. 1. Hon. James F. Leonard, of the Society, is inaugurated mayor
of Lawrence, Mass.

Jan. 11. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass., of the Society, addresses a
Pro-Boer meeting at Lawrence, Mass. Ex-Mayor Breen of
Lawrence, another of our members, presides at the meeting.

Jan. 13. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass., just mentioned, is elected
president of the Papyrus Club, Boston.

Jan. 18. Annual meeting and banquet of the Society, at Sherry’s, New
York City, with addresses by Hon. Thomas H. Carter, United
States senator from Montana, and other gentlemen.

Jan. 20. The _New York World_ to-day mentions “The Cipher in the
Plays and on the Tombstone,” a work by one of our members,
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly. Mr. Donnelly is also the author of
an “Essay on the Sonnets of Shakespeare,” “Atlantis, the
Antediluvian World,” “Ragnarok,” “The Great Cryptogram,”
“Cæsar’s Column,” and other works. He has been a member
of congress, and was for two terms lieutenant-governor of
Minnesota.

Jan. 23. Hon. Andrew J. White, ex-police justice and former dock
commissioner, dies at his residence in New York City. He
became a member of the Society, Jan. 19, 1899.

Jan. 24. Death of Hon. William F. Reddy, of the Society, Richmond, Va.
He had been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Feb. 5. Article published in the _New York Sun_, from the pen
of Secretary T. H. Murray, relative to Andrew Jackson’s
ancestry.

Feb. 10. Contribution appeared in _The Monitor_ of San Francisco,
Cal., descriptive of the Society’s work and urging active
interest therein. The author is James Connolly, of Coronado,
the Society’s state vice-president for California.

Feb. 18. Rev. Michael Gilligan, rector of St. Joseph’s Catholic
church, Medford, Mass., died to-day in Norfolk, Va. He was a
member of the Society.

Feb. 20. Lieut. Martin L. Crimmins, Sixth U. S. Infantry, a member of
the Society, writes an interesting descriptive letter from
the Philippines. The letter was subsequently published in the
_New York Sun_ of March 13.

Feb. 24. Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady, Protestant Episcopal Archdeacon of
Pennsylvania, and member of the Society, begins to-day, in
the Philadelphia _Evening Post_, his serial, “The Grip of
Honor.”

March. In _Donahoe’s Magazine_ for this month is an article by
T. St. John Gaffney, of the Society, on “The Alleged
European Coalition Against the United States During the
Spanish-American War.” The article was subsequently
reprinted in pamphlet form for the American Raad.

Mar. 1. Check for $50, life membership fee, received to-day from P.
F. McGowan, New York City.

Mar. 3. The steamship _Lucania_ arrived off Sandy Hook from
Liverpool. Among her passengers was John E. Milholland, of
New York, a member of the Society. On the passage over a
British baronet bought champagne for the saloon passengers
and proposed the health of the British queen and a toast to
the success of the British arms in the war against the Boers.
Mr. Milholland and others refused to drink the toast.

Mar. 6. Richard Ryan, of the Society, was a candidate for mayor of
Rutland, Vt., in to-day’s election in that city.

Mar. 6. Capt. Patrick O’Farrell, the Society’s vice-president for
the District of Columbia, participated in the banquet at
Washington, D. C., of the Second Army Corps Association, he
being a member of the executive committee of the Association
and treasurer of the banquet committee.

Mar. 8. President McKinley to-day sent to the senate the nomination
of Second Lieutenant Hugh A. Drum, Twelfth U. S. Infantry, he
to be first lieutenant. This officer is a son of our late
member, Capt. John Drum, Tenth U. S. Infantry, killed in
battle near Santiago de Cuba, July 1, 1898.

Mar. 9. William Hopkins, member of the Society, is elected a
vice-president of the Boston Press Club.

Mar. 11. Gen. James R. O’Beirne, state vice-president for New York,
delivered an address at the Hyperion theatre, New Haven, Ct.,
to-night, on the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet.

Mar. 12. The editor of the _Review of Reviews_ writes for information
concerning the Society.

Mar. 17. Anniversary of the evacuation of Boston by the British. The
anniversary was observed to-night under the auspices of the
South Boston Citizens Association. Hon. John B. Martin, a
member of our Society, presided.

Mar. 17. Col. James Armstrong, Charleston, S. C., member of our
executive council, responded to a toast at a banquet of the
Hibernian Society in Charleston to-night.

Mar. 17. Hon. James A. O’Gorman, of the Society, presided to-night at
a banquet of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New York City.

Mar. 17. Annual meeting at Boston of the Charitable Irish Society
(founded, 1737). Five members of our Society were elected
to offices in the organization, as follows, viz.: Edmund
Reardon, president; Dennis J. Gorman, vice-president; P. J.
Flatley, M. A. Toland, and M. J. Jordan, directors.

Mar. 17. Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, governor of New York, a member of
the Society, delivered an address to-night at a banquet of
the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Albany, N. Y.

Mar. 17. Judge John J. McDonough, of Fall River, Mass., and Mayor
Boyle, of Newport, R. I., both members of our Society,
participated in a banquet at Fall River this evening.

Mar. 17. President Daniel M. O’Driscoll, of St. Patrick’s Society,
Charleston, S. C., and state vice-president for South
Carolina of our Society, presided at a banquet in Charleston
to-night.

Mar. 18. The _Boston Sunday Globe_, to-day, had a symposium on “Can
Ireland ever be Reconciled to the British Crown?” Two of our
members, P. J. Flatley and Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, both of
Boston, contributed to the discussion.

Mar. 18. In the _New York World_, to-day, appeared a contribution from
Hon. Joseph F. Daly, of the Society, on “The Fallibility of
Circumstantial Evidence,” a judicial study.

Mar. 19. The _Augusta_ (Ga.) _Chronicle_ had an editorial to-day
entitled “A Sad Anniversary.” It related to the death, March
19, 1899, of Hon. Patrick Walsh, ex-United States senator
from Georgia. Mr. Walsh was also editor and proprietor of the
_Augusta Chronicle_, and manager of the Southern Associated
Press. At the time of his death he was state vice-president
of our Society for Georgia.

April 3. Dr. Sherwin Gibbons of Lexington, Mass., a member of the
patriotic celebration committee for the battle anniversary on
the 19th inst., writes to the Society that Christopher S.
Ryan of Lexington has been appointed a special committee to
receive the members of our Society on their arrival in town
that day.

April 10. Hon. William A. M. Mack, of the Society, is to-day reëlected
mayor of Elizabeth, N. J.

April 12. The city council of New Bedford, Mass., this evening,
reëlected two of our members to official positions, viz.:
City auditor, Charles J. McGurk; inspector of buildings,
Edmund O’Keefe.

April 16. Thomas Carroll, Peabody, Mass., a member of the Society,
reads a paper before the Essex Institute of Salem, Mass.,
on “Bands and Band Music in Salem.” In his paper he mentions
the great musician, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, who, in
December, 1854, was elected leader of a Salem band, taking
the position in 1855. He also mentions William Carroll and
James Byrne, two other band leaders in Salem, and alludes
to the “Jackson Musketeers, of Lowell, commanded by Capt.
Patrick H. Proctor.”

April 19. The Society observed the anniversary of the Battle of
Lexington, Concord, and Cambridge, Mass., by a visit to
Lexington, where it deposited a laurel wreath to the memory
of the patriots who fell, April 19, 1775.

April 19. In the evening succeeding the event just mentioned, the
Society held a banquet at the Hotel Bellevue, Boston.
Among the guests were President Capen of Tufts College
and President Hall of Clark University, Mass. Each made
an address.

April 19. At the banquet of the Society at the Hotel Bellevue, Boston,
this evening, Thomas F. O’Malley of Somerville, Mass., read
an historical paper on “Hugh Cargill,” an Irishman of
Concord, Mass., who participated in the battle of April 19,
1775.

April 22. M. le Comte Margerin de Cremont, Paris, France, writes to
Secretary T. H. Murray. M. de Cremont is president of the
Association Artistique et Litteraire de Saint-Patrice, of
Paris. He presents his regards to our Society.

May. Hon. James F. Brennan, Peterborough, N. H., state
vice-president of the Society, has a paper in this month’s
issue of the _Granite Monthly_ on the “Peterborough Town
Library.” The paper is illustrated and of great interest and
value.

May 3. Letter of inquiry written to Secretary Murray, by Dr. John B.
Cosgrove of Worcester, Mass. He seeks information relative to
the Irish Bacons who settled at Dedham, Mass., in 1640.

May 8. At a convention of the Gaelic League of America, which opened
in Boston on this date, Stephen J. Richardson, of New York, a
member of our Society, was chosen national president of the
League.

May 9. Thomas F. O’Malley, Somerville, Mass., of our Society,
lectured before the Somerville Historical Society this
evening on “Curiosities of the Colonial Laws.”

May 10. Hon. Ignatius Donnelly, of the Society, was nominated at
Cincinnati, O., to-day, for vice-president of the United
States.

May 11. A New Haven, Ct., member of the Society, Hon. James P.
Bree, is chosen national secretary of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians at the latter’s convention in Boston.

May 19. _The Boston Globe_ of this date publishes an interesting
notice of the Society’s second annual volume, the notice
having been written by M. E. Hennessy of the _Globe’s_ staff,
who is also a member of the Society.

May 21. Secretary Murray to-day received a check for $50 from the
Knights of St. Patrick, of San Francisco, Cal. This is a life
membership fee for the Knights, the latter having voted to
affiliate with the Society. The check was forwarded through
John Mulhern of 124 Market St., San Francisco.

May 27. Eugene T. McCarthy, Lynn, Mass., of the Society, died. He was
a well-known and highly esteemed lawyer and a leader among
the members of the Essex county bar.

May 27. Rev. P. J. Kavanagh, rector of St. Bridget’s church,
Lexington, Mass., a member of the Society, observed to-day
the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

May 30. Hon. Thomas J. Gargan, chairman of the Boston citizens
committee to receive the Boer envoys, meets the latter at
Providence, R. I., and escorts them to Boston; with him were
James Jeffrey Roche, also of the Society, and others. The
envoys were Messrs. Fischer, Wessels and Wolmarans.

June 1. Notice issued to the members of the Society for an observance
of the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, the
observance to take place in Boston on Monday, the 18th inst.,
the anniversary itself falling on Sunday, 17th inst.

June 1. John F. Doyle, 45 William St., New York city, forwards $50 to
the Society, life membership fee.

June 1. A number of our members in Springfield, Mass., were on the
committee to receive the Boer envoys in that city this
afternoon. The members referred to included City Solicitor
Wm. G. McKechnie, Ex-Postmaster John H. Clune, Dr. Philip
Kilroy and James B. Carroll.

June 4. William H. O’Hearn, M. D., a Lawrence, Mass., member of the
Society, died in that city.

June 9. The _Charlestown_ (Mass.) _Enterprise_, of this date,
contains a splendid article relative to the Society’s
programme for the Bunker Hill anniversary celebration on the
18th inst.

June 10. Daniel B. Kelley, of the Society, died to-day at his home in
Haverhill, Mass. He was a graduate of Yale University, and a
lawyer by profession.

June 10. _The Boston Sunday Globe_, to-day, contains the Society’s
programme for the Bunker Hill celebration on the 18th inst.

June 14. Under this date, the _Catholic Sentinel_ of Portland, Oregon,
publishes an appreciative notice of the Society and its work.

June 18. Celebration to-day, by the Society, of the anniversary of the
battle of Bunker Hill. In the morning a laurel wreath was
placed on one of the memorial tablets at Charlestown, and an
address was delivered by Thomas F. O’Malley, of Somerville,
Mass. In the evening the Society held a banquet at the United
States Hotel, Boston.

June 18. At a meeting to-day of the Bunker Hill Monument Association,
Rev. Joshua P. Bodfish, of the Society, was elected a
director of the Association.

June 21. Death at Washington, D. C., to-night, of Michael Cavanagh,
a member of the Society; had been long a worker in Irish
national movements; was employed in the war department at
Washington for many years.

June 21. Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, governor of New York, and member
of the Society, was to-day nominated for vice-president of
the United States, by the Republican national convention
assembled in Philadelphia, Pa.

June 23. Obsequies at Washington, D. C., to-day, of Michael
Cavanagh. The pall bearers included Edward A. Moseley,
ex-president-general of the Society, and two other
members—Capt. Patrick O’Farrell and J. D. O’Connell—all of
Washington, D. C.

June 23. Michael F. Cox, M. D., M. R. I. A., member of the Society
of Antiquities, Ireland, and member of the Senate of the
Royal University of Ireland, expresses his interest in our
organization and states that he would be pleased to be
admitted. He has since been admitted.

July. _The New England Bibliopolist_ (Boston), for this month,
contains an appreciative review of Vol. II of the Journal of
the Society. The review is from the pen of Frederick Willard
Parke.

July 1. Hon. John J. Hayes, Boston, Mass., a member of the Society,
died early this morning in that city. He was a graduate of
Trinity College, Dublin; served several terms as a member
of the Boston school board, and was also elected to the
Massachusetts senate.

July 4. Edward A. Moseley, Washington, D. C., ex-president-general of
our Society, was to-day elected to membership in the Society
of the Cincinnati in place of his father, recently deceased.

July 11. A contribution appears in the _New York Sun_, to-day, from
the pen of T. St. John Gaffney, a New York member, dealing
with the ancestry of President McKinley.

July 11. Death of one of our members, William H. Quinn, Hallowell, Me.
He had been a member of the board of aldermen of that city.

July 16. Secretary Murray, of the Society, has a contribution in
the _New York Sun_ to-day relative to President McKinley’s
ancestry.

July 16. On or about this date a letter was written by Rev. Fred B.
Cole, chancellor of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Rhode
Island, in which he very kindly offered his services as guide
in a contemplated pilgrimage of the Society to the grave of
“Old Parson” MacSparran. Rev. Dr. MacSparran was an Irishman,
born toward the close of the 17th century and for nearly
forty years was pastor of St. Paul’s church, in Narragansett,
R. I. A vote of thanks was extended Rev. Mr. Cole.

July 18. T. M. Bryan, of Montesano, Wash., writes to the Society
desiring information regarding his great-grandfather, John
Bryan, who was an officer in the patriot ranks during the
American Revolution. This officer came from Ireland and Mr.
Bryan is of opinion that he had served in a company from
Chester county, Pennsylvania.

July 21. J. D. O’Connell, a Washington, D. C., member of the Society,
has an article in the _N. Y. Irish World_ of this date on
“The Irish in the Civil War.”

Aug. 3. Hon. Timothy J. Howard, Manchester, N. H., of the Society,
was nominated for congress to-day.

Aug. 9. _The Tribune_, of East Liverpool, Ohio, publishes an article
to-day on the “Fawcett Memorial Tablet” erected in that city
to the Fawcett family. Thomas Fawcett, the pioneer of the
family in this country, was an Irish Quaker, born in 1747.
His wife, Isabella Snodgrass, was also born in Ireland, 1754.
Thomas platted “Fawcettstown,” now East Liverpool, O., in
1798.

Aug. 12. Rev. Thomas W. Broderick, a Hartford, Conn., member of the
Society, died in that city to-night. He was rector of St.
Peter’s church there for sixteen years.

Aug. 26. Mrs. Charles Warren Lippitt, regent of Gaspee chapter,
Daughters of the American Revolution, writes to Secretary
Murray, from Newport, R. I., to enlist his interest, and
that of the Society, in the project to preserve the old
Revolutionary fort on Butt’s Hill, Portsmouth, R. I.

Aug. 28. Susan P. Swinburne of Newport, R. I., regent of William
Ellery chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution,
writes to Mayor Boyle of Newport, state vice-president of
our Society for Rhode Island. She hopes the Society will
place itself on record in favor of preserving the old
fortifications on Butt’s Hill, Portsmouth, R. I., near
Newport. These fortifications were constructed by Gen. John
Sullivan in 1778. The matter was submitted to the Society
at the gathering in Newport on the 29th inst., and the
project heartily commended.

Aug. 28. Death in Ireland of Rev. Michael O’Brien, of Lowell, Mass., a
life member of the Society.

Sept. 24. The torpedo-boat _O’Brien_, for the United States navy, was
launched to-day at the Crescent shipyard, Elizabethport, N.
J. The boat was “christened” by Miss Myra Lincoln O’Brien.

Oct. 2. Hon. John B. O’Donnell, ex-mayor of Northampton, Mass., was
to-day nominated for lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts. He
is a member of the Society.

Oct. 3. Letter received to-day from Col. James Moran of Providence,
R. I. He gives many valuable facts concerning Rhode Island
officers of Irish blood who served in the Civil War.

Oct. 4. Hon. Joseph J. Flynn, Lawrence, Mass., a member of the
Society, is to-day nominated for congress.

Oct. 15. A meeting of Narragansett Indians, remnant of the old,
historic tribe, was held this evening at Westerly, R. I., to
hear the report of their counsel, Francis M. Morrison of
Worcester, Mass., who is one of our members. Mr. Morrison has
long acted as counsel for these Indians in prosecuting
certain political and property claims. He has also been
attending to interests of the Mohegan, Montauk, and
Shinnecook Indians.

Oct. 17. Death to-day of John B. Wright, editor of _The Gazette_,
Haverhill, Mass. Mr. Wright became a member of the Society
soon after the organization of the latter.

Nov. 2. Rev. Michael J. Cooke, Fall River, Mass., contributes $50 to
the publication fund of the Society.

Nov. 14. Very Rev. John E. Barry, a Concord, N. H., member of the
Society, was killed this afternoon by a cable car on
Broadway, New York city. Father Barry was vicar-general of
the Catholic diocese of Manchester, N. H.

Nov. 22. The torpedo-boat _Blakeley_, for the United States navy, was
launched to-day at South Boston, Mass. She is named in honor
of Capt. Johnston Blakeley, U. S. N., who was a native of
Ireland, born in 1771. In August, 1814, he was appointed to
the command of the United States sloop-of-war _Wasp_. He
captured and burned the British sloop-of-war _Reindeer_,
engaged and defeated the _Avon_, and also took the _Atlanta_.
The _Wasp_ was spoken on Oct. 9, 1814, but was never heard of
afterwards. She is thought to have foundered in a storm.

Nov. 24. The seventeenth meeting of the Council of the Society was
held this evening at the Hotel Manhattan, New York city.
Preceding the business session, the members were hospitably
entertained at dinner by Hon. John D. Crimmins of New York.

Nov. 24. In the _Sacred Heart Review_ (Boston) of this date appears an
appreciative notice of Vol. II of the JOURNAL of the Society.
The notice is in the nature of a review, the author being
William A. Leahy of Boston.

December. John P. Holland, of the Society, has an article in this
month’s issue of the _North American Review_ on “The
Submarine Boat and Its Future.”

Dec. 4. Hon. James F. Leonard, of the Society, is to-day reëlected
mayor of Lawrence, Mass.

Dec. 17. Rev. John F. Cummins of Roslindale, Mass., a member of the
Society, was entertained by a reception and banquet this
evening at the Hotel Vendome, Boston, in honor of the
twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the Catholic
priesthood. The event was not under the auspices of the
Society, although several members of the latter were present.

Dec. 24. The United States torpedo-boat destroyer _Macdonough_ was
launched to-day. She is named in honor of a distinguished
naval officer of Irish blood.

CHARLES CARROLL, OF CARROLLTON.

A signer of the Declaration of Independence. His paternal grandfather
was a native of King’s County, Ireland. Charles, the grandson, was
born at Annapolis, Md., 1737: “inherited a vast estate and was
considered one of the richest men in the colonies;” member of the
Continental Congress; member of the Board of War; in 1788 was
elected United States Senator from Maryland; died in Baltimore, Md.,
1832; was the last survivor of the Signers.
]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1900.

THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The Society held its annual meeting on Thursday evening, Jan. 18, at Sherry’s, Forty-fourth street and Fifth avenue, New York city. Hon. Thomas J. Gargan of Boston, the president-general, occupied the chair, and Thomas Hamilton Murray of Woonsocket, R. I., the secretary-general, attended to the duties of the latter office. The following is a copy of the notice for the meeting:

THE AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND BANQUET.

DEAR SIR: You are hereby notified that the annual meeting and
banquet of the American-Irish Historical Society will be held at
Sherry’s, Forty-fourth street and Fifth avenue, New York city, on
Thursday evening, Jan. 18, 1900.

The annual meeting will be called to order at 6:30 o’clock. Officers
will be elected for the ensuing year, the annual reports presented,
and such other business transacted as may properly come before the
meeting.

The official headquarters during the day will be at the Murray Hill
Hotel, where a meeting of the executive council of the Society will
be held at 4 p. m.

The banquet at Sherry’s will take place at 8 p. m., following the
annual meeting. Tickets for the same will be three dollars each.
They are now ready, and may be obtained of the secretary-general,
whose address is given below.

Hon. Thomas H. Carter, United States senator from Montana, has
announced that he will be present.

Addresses are also expected from Hon. Robert A. Van Wyck, mayor of
New York; Hon. John D. Crimmins, New York city: Hon. William McAdoo,
recently assistant secretary of the navy; Hon. Patrick A. Collins,
Boston, Mass.; Hon. John C. Linehan, state insurance commissioner of
New Hampshire; Gen. James R. O’Beirne, New York city; Hon. Franklin
M. Danaher, Albany, N. Y.; Mr. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass.; Mr.
James Jeffrey Roche, editor of the _Boston Pilot_; Thomas Addis
Emmet, M. D., LL. D., New York city; Rev. James H. O’Donnell,
Watertown, Conn.; and Judge Wauhope Lynn, New York city.

There will be present as guests, a delegation from the New York
Knickerbocker Transvaal Committee. The event will likewise be
characterized by other features of more than usual interest.

A large attendance is desired, each member being at liberty to bring
with him as many personal guests as he wishes.

If you intend to be present, kindly notify the secretary-general at
the earliest possible moment, so that proper arrangements can be
made.

Fraternally,

THOMAS J. GARGAN,
_President-General_.

THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY,
_Secretary-General_ (77 Main St., Woonsocket, R. I.).

Dec. 31, 1899.

The business session was well attended, several states being represented.

Thomas Hamilton Murray, secretary-general of the Society, presented the following annual report:

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL.

The American-Irish Historical Society is on the threshold of its
fourth year of existence. We are strong in numbers, representative
in character and devoted to a patriotic work.

Our growth as an organization has been rapid, but not unstable;
widespread, but healthy; vigorous, and of permanent value.

We have solid reason to be proud of what the Society has
accomplished during the three years it has been in the field. We
have been accorded a generous welcome from historical societies long
in existence; our advent has been hailed with satisfaction; our
motives praised; our publications eagerly sought.

To-night we meet in New York city for the third time, and for the
third time we are indebted to our New York members for unbounded
hospitality, kindliest service and tireless efforts to make our
annual gathering a success.

During the year just closed, ninety-two new members have been
admitted to the Society, and ten of our brothers have died. These
deaths of the year removed from our ranks the following: Hon.
Patrick Walsh, Augusta, Ga.; Col. Patrick T. Hanley, Boston, Mass.;
Hon. John H. Sullivan, Boston, Mass.; Hon. Eli Thayer, Worcester,
Mass.; Dr. William F. Cummings, Rutland, Vt.; Mr. Joseph J. Kelley,
Cambridge, Mass.; Mr. William Slattery, Holyoke, Mass.; Rev. George
W. Pepper, Cleveland, O.; Rev. Denis Scannell, Worcester, Mass.; and
Mr. Edmund Phelan, Boston, Mass.

Since our last annual gathering in this city, meetings under the
auspices of the Society have been held in Providence, R. I.,
Newport, R. I., and Boston, Mass. In each instance great interest
was manifested in the mission of the organization, and new members
were secured.

Among those in attendance at the Providence meeting was Hon. John D.
Crimmins, our esteemed general vice-president. On that occasion he
subscribed $500 to forward the interests of the Society, this being
the largest individual gift the organization has thus far received.
Among the speakers at this meeting were the Rev. S. B. Nelson, an
Irish Presbyterian clergyman, and Rev. Frank L. Phalen, a Unitarian.

At the Newport meeting, the mayor of the city, Hon. Patrick J.
Boyle, a member of our Society, presided and delivered an address of
welcome. Addresses were also made by Hon. Charles E. Gorman of
Providence; by Rev. Louis J. Deady, a Catholic rector of Newport; by
City Solicitor Brown of Newport; by Dennis H. Tierney of Waterbury,
Conn.; by Hon. John C. Linehan of Concord, N. H., and other
gentlemen.

At the Boston meeting, President-General Gargan presided, and there
were addresses by Hon. Patrick A. Collins of Boston and a number of
others.

Nor, during the year, has the Society been idle in the field of
research. Of our members: Mr. Edward Fitzpatrick, Louisville, Ky.,
has contributed a paper on “The Irish Settlers of Kentucky”; Mr.
Daniel M. O’Driscoll, Charleston, S. C., has written on “David
Hamilton, an Irish Soldier of the American Revolution”; Mr. Thomas
F. O’Malley, Somerville, Mass., has devoted much investigation
relative to “The Early Transportation of Irish Men, Women and
Children to the West Indies, to Virginia, and to New England”; Hon.
John C. Linehan, Concord, N. H., has prepared a paper “On the Irish
Pioneers of Texas”; Mr. M. E. Hennessy, Boston, Mass., on “Men of
Irish Birth or Extraction Who Have Attained Distinction in American
Journalism”; and Mr. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass., on “The Irish
Brigade of Rochambeau’s Army in the American Revolutionary War.” Mr.
Thomas Carroll, Peabody, Mass., a member of our Society, recently
delivered an historical address at a church anniversary in that
place.

Two of the leading works by our members during the year are those of
Rev. John J. McCoy of Chicopee, Mass., and Rev. James H. O’Donnell
of Watertown, Conn. The former has written a history of the Catholic
diocese of Springfield, Mass., and the latter of the Catholic
diocese of Hartford, Conn. Both these productions are rich in
reference to early Irish settlers, that of Rev. Father O’Donnell
being practically a history of the Irish in Connecticut.

The annual bound volume of our Society is now in press. It will be
larger than the book we issued last year, will be illustrated and
will contain many papers, addresses and other matter of historical
and literary value.

At our last annual meeting, the matter of a publication fund was
discussed and referred to the council of the Society for action. The
council subsequently decided to issue a circular letter inviting
contributions to said fund.

It was decided to send out these circulars immediately after some
important gathering under the auspices of the Society, when they
would be likely to attract special interest. The launching of the
United States torpedo-boat _O’Brien_, at Elizabeth, N. J., was
finally decided upon as such event.

Owing to unavoidable delay, however, this launching has not yet
taken place, and thus a desirable opportunity has not, up to this
time, presented itself to formulate the circular. I would suggest,
however, that this meeting possesses the desired prominence as a
Society event, and that the circular can now be sent out within the
next week or two.

During the year, Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet of this city has voluntarily
subscribed $100 toward the publication fund, and four New York
gentlemen—Mr. Myles Tierney, Mr. Stephen J. Geoghegan, Mr. James
McGovern and Mr. John J. Lenehan—have each forwarded a check for $50
in payment of life membership fee. Mr. William Gorman of
Philadelphia, Pa., has also become a life member.

In April next, the historic town of Lexington, Mass., is to have a
great celebration of the anniversary of the battle of April 19,
1775, and our Society has been invited to be represented on that
occasion.

Some months ago, a Franco-American Historical Society was organized
at Boston, at which an official of our Society was present and made
an address of congratulation. The new organization will devote
itself to the French chapter in American history.

In conclusion, I desire to say that the correspondence of the
Society has already become of considerable volume. Inquiries from
all sections of the country are being constantly received. The
writers seek information or data of an historical nature relative to
the Irish and their descendants in the United States. These
inquiries are promptly answered, and, in return, we receive much
valuable material.

Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY,
_Secretary-General_.

The foregoing report was accepted and adopted.

REPORT OF THE TREASURER-GENERAL.

The treasurer-general of the Society, Hon. John C. Linehan of Concord, N. H., then presented his annual report. It showed the total income for the year 1899 to have been $2,228.50. Cash balance on hand Jan. 1, 1899, $518.60, thus making the total financial resources of the Society for the year $2,747.10.

The expenditures for 1899, as set forth in detail in the report, were $2,008.86, leaving a balance on hand of $738.24.

Joseph Smith of Lowell, Mass., for the auditing committee, reported having examined the books and vouchers of the treasurer-general and found the same correct.

The treasurer-general’s report was thereupon accepted and adopted.

A communication to the society was announced from Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, governor of New York, in which he invited the members to be his guests at the executive mansion in Albany.

The invitation was appreciatively received and acknowledged, and the president-general was authorized to appoint a delegation to represent the society by a visit to the governor.

The president-general announced that he would do so, and state the make-up of the delegation later.

Hon. T. A. E. Weadock of Detroit, Mich., an ex-member of Congress, presented the names of several applicants for membership in the Society, and the said applicants were unanimously admitted.

Various other gentlemen also presented many applications for membership, and the same were all favorably acted upon.

The annual election of officers of the Society then took place, the result being the same as given on pages 5, 6 and 7 of this volume.

Upon the conclusion of the business meeting, the members and guests formed in line and proceeded to the banquet hall.

ANNUAL BANQUET OF THE SOCIETY.

The company around the tables numbered about one hundred and thirty gentlemen. President-General Gargan presided. An orchestra was stationed in the balcony. The decorations were profuse, and were artistically placed.

Grace was said by Rev. John J. McCoy of Chicopee, Mass.

At the head table, with the president-general and the chaplain of the occasion, were seated:

Hon. Thomas H. Carter, U. S. senator, Helena, Mont. Hon. C. T. Driscoll, mayor of New Haven, Conn. Gen. James R. O’Beirne, New York city. George E. Van Siclen, of the Boer committee, New York city. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass. Hon. T. A. E. Weadock, Detroit, Mich. Joseph I. C. Clarke, New York city. Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, New York city. M. E. Hennessy, Boston, Mass., and one or two others.

In addition to the foregoing, there were also at the banquet the following gentlemen from New York city:

Hon. Joseph F. Daly. Hon. William McAdoo. Hon. Joseph P. Fallon. Hon. Wauhope Lynn. Hon. James S. Coleman. Hon. Thomas M. Waller. Dr. J. Duncan Emmet. Dr. William Donovan. Dr. M. J. Tierney. Dr. James Moran. Rev. C. B. O’Reilly. Rev. T. W. Wallace. Rev. Wm. St. Elmo Smith. Rev. Fr. McGolrick. Col. James Quinlan. Cornelius B. Mitchell. Thomas Barrett. Patrick Tiernan. Thomas S. Brennan. Stephen J. Geoghegan. Joseph G. Geoghegan. John Goodwin. Myles Tierney. John Crane. J. J. Rooney. E. H. Daly. E. T. McCrystal. A. E. Costello. R. E. Danvers. D. E. Lynch. Thomas F. Fitzgerald. William J. Bolger. Stephen Farrelly. James D. Murphy. John J. Ryan. John F. Doyle. M. A. O’Byrne. Pierce Kent. Michael Callaghan. Nicholas J. Hayes. John F. Walsh. Daniel F. Cohalan. Francis C. Travers. Vincent P. Travers. A. F. Travers. Daniel J. Quinlan. Stephen J. Richardson. James O’Flaherty. Edward O’Flaherty. James W. McCormick. F. J. Quinlan. B. Moynahan. S. J. Dugan. L. J. Callanan. W. J. Mulcahy. J. B. Manning. E. J. Curry. George E. Baldwin. E. J. McGuire. Michael Monahan. T. A. Emmet, Jr. Robert Emmet. Charles N. Harris. J. C. Tierney. E. O’Meagher Condon. T. St. John Gaffney. James Curran. John H. Cahill. J. O’Donovan Rossa. Joseph Kelly. James G. Johnson. T. J. Colton. B. F. Coleman. E. J. O’Shaughnessy. Thomas W. Clark. John O’Connell. Richard Dixon. Edward J. Dillon. James Kearney. John G. O’Keefe. Philip A. Smyth. William Temple Emmet. John C. Sullivan.

Present at the banquet, from other places, were:

Hon. John C. Linehan, Concord, N. H. Hon. Franklin M. Danaher, Albany, N. Y. Hon. P. T. Barry, Chicago, Ill. Hon. J. C. Monaghan, Chemnitz, Germany. Dr. Philip Kilroy, Springfield, Mass. Dr. C. J. Downey, Springfield, Mass. Dr. James F. Martin, Springfield, Mass. Rev. John Harty, Pawtucket, R. I. Rev. T. P. Linehan, Biddeford, Me. Rev. Thomas H. Wallace, Lewiston, Me. Rev. Daniel Coffey, Columbus, O. Rev. T. P. O’Neill, Westchester, N. Y. Col. John McManus, Providence, R. I. Col. J. P. Donahoe, Wilmington, Del. James L. O’Neill, Elizabeth, N. J. Edmund O’Keefe, New Bedford, Mass. James B. Carroll, Springfield, Mass. Thomas Hamilton Murray, Woonsocket, R. I. John J. Cadigan, Boston, Mass. Thomas J. Cummins, Albany, N. Y. William P. Dempsey, Pawtucket, R. I. James O’Sullivan, Lowell, Mass. M. J. Harson, Providence, R. I. D. D. Donovan, Providence, R. I. John J. Moore, Springfield, Mass. Patrick O’Farrell, Washington, D. C. Edmund Reardon, Cambridge, Mass. Joseph P. Flatley, Boston, Mass. M. A. Toland, Boston, Mass. Fred C. Murphy, Springfield, Mass. William M. Sweeny, Astoria, L. I., N. Y. P. J. Garvey, Holyoke, Mass. Patrick Farrelly, Morristown, N. J. S. C. Farrelly, Morristown, N. J. J. A. Hart, Orange, N. J. F. C. O’Reilly, Orange, N. J.

The after-dinner exercises were of great interest. Vice-President-General John D. Crimmins, who was at Palm Beach, Fla., for his health, sent a telegram regretting his absence, and adding:

“Our Society should flourish. The field is ripe, and so far the surface is only scratched. When in deeper furrows, forgotten history will be brought forth that will glorify the deeds of the Irish race in building our nation.”

Letters of regret at inability to be present were received from Mayor Van Wyck of New York city, Hon. Patrick A. Collins of Boston, Mass., and other gentlemen.

THE PRESIDENT-GENERAL’S ADDRESS.

President-General Gargan, in rising to open the exercises, spoke substantially as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY: In January,
1897, the first meeting to organize this Society was called at
Boston. As the reports show, we have now nearly 1,000 members
residing in almost every state and territory in the United States,
and representing the best elements in the several walks of life.

Our object is to see that history is written fairly and impartially.
During the last twenty-five years we have adopted new methods in
writing history. The historian who is to write on any epoch no
longer accepts as truth the recorded facts of another historian who
has written of a former epoch. He challenges every statement made
unless corroborated or verified by documentary proof.

We now have access to many valuable papers and letters that throw a
new light upon men, their motives and action.

The history of the United States has been largely written by men of
English blood, who have unduly glorified the actions of their
ancestors. More critical and scientific examinations have shown us
that the Irish element contributed very largely to the settlement of
the colonies from New England to Georgia, and were an important
factor in bringing about the Revolution and establishing the
government of the United States.

Our Society is now engaged in searching many of the colonial
records, and I suggest that the members in the different states of
the Union examine into the origin and ancestry of the prominent men
in their states, prepare information and write papers that may be
placed in the archives of this Society.

I congratulate the members on the increase in numbers, the continued
prosperity of the Society, and urge all who can to contribute
liberally to the publication fund, for spoken words are often but
perishable things, and if the history of the part which our race and
blood have borne in upbuilding the Republic is to be preserved, we
can only keep alive the record of their sacrifices, their heroism
and their patriotism by preserving them in the form of permanent
memorials, books and publications of the Society.

THE ADDRESS OF SENATOR CARTER.

Hon. Thomas H. Carter, U. S. senator from Montana, made an eloquent address. In the course of his speech he paid deserved compliments to Hon. P. A. Collins of Boston, Hon. John D. Crimmins and General O’Beirne of New York, and to other members of the society.

Senator Carter showed the absurdity of calling the United States an Anglo-Saxon country, and traced the expansion of the original thirteen states, and the wonderful resources of America. He said in substance:

A new race has sprung up in this country better than Saxon or Celt.
The success of the Republic is due to the fact that it unbridles
manhood. The special purpose of this association is to ascertain
what part dear old Ireland has played in this drama.

I am gratified beyond expression that this Society insists on seeing
justice done to the race from which we have sprung. The work must be
logical and correct. One of the most remarkable things is the
intellectuality of the Irish race.

Wherever freedom’s flag is hoisted you will find an Irishman at or
near that emblem. O’Higgins in South America is synonymous with
liberty. On every battlefield in North America the Irishman is
found, as he also is in poetry, history, arts and sciences. I would
not adulate the race. The Irishman forms only a part of the American
citizenship. But whether it is in storming Manila or the capital of
Great Britain the Irishman will be found doing his work
enthusiastically.

I would be delighted to see the Society extended to every state of
the Union. There are many, very many, incidents in connection with
the Irish race in America I would like to see set down. As a rule
the Irish hold the offices, not because they are Irish, but as a
recognition of ability and the eternal fitness of things.

Senator Carter spoke eloquently in praise of Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher, one of the original white settlers of Montana, who died while holding the office of governor of that territory.

Spirited addresses were also made by Hon. Thomas M. Waller, ex-governor of Connecticut; Judge Wauhope Lynn of New York city; Ex-Congressman Weadock of Michigan; Hon. William McAdoo of New York; George E. Van Siclen, who spoke eloquently in behalf of the Boers of South Africa, and Gen. James R. O’Beirne of New York.

Vocal selections were rendered during the evening, and Miss Sullivan of New York gave selections on the harp.

CELEBRATION OF THE LEXINGTON BATTLE ANNIVERSARY.

EXERCISES AT LEXINGTON AND BOSTON.

On April 19, 1900, the Society observed the 125th anniversary of the battle of Lexington, Mass. In connection with the celebration, two notices were issued to the members, viz.:

AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

(Founded, 1897. First President-General, Rear Admiral R. W. Meade,
U. S. N.)

OBSERVANCE OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON.

BROTHERS: You are hereby notified that the 125th anniversary of the
battle of Lexington and “the Concord Fight” will be observed by our
Society on Thursday, April 19, 1900.

Our programme for this patriotic occasion will comprise two leading
features, namely: (1) A visit to Lexington, Mass., in the forenoon,
and (2) a banquet in the evening at the Hotel Bellevue, Boston,
Mass. Lady friends of the members will be welcome at both events.

The exercises prepared by the town of Lexington for the day include
a national salute of 45 guns, morning and evening, a drum corps
parade at dawn over the historic route of march, and a trades
procession about midday. Headquarters for the society will be
established in Lexington at the Russell House, where a reception
committee will be in attendance.

The Society will pay its respects to the town officials of
Lexington, will visit the several points of historic interest and
will then place a laurel wreath to the memory of the heroes of 1775.
Members and guests from Boston may take trains from the North Union
station, that city, at such hour in the morning as may suit their
convenience, all meeting at the Russell House, Lexington, about
11:30 a. m. Those desiring, may later take conveyances for Concord.

The banquet in the evening at the Hotel Bellevue, Boston, promises
to be a brilliant event and should be attended by every member who
can possibly be present. Preceding the banquet, from 6:30 to 8,
there will be a reception and concert, and at 8 p. m. the company
will proceed to the dining hall.

Tickets for the banquet will be three dollars each, and are now
ready. Please notify the secretary as soon as possible if you intend
to be present at the banquet, and whether you will be accompanied by
guests.

Fraternally,
THOMAS J. GARGAN,
_President-General_.

THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY,
_Secretary-General_,
77 Main street, Woonsocket, R. I.
April 2, 1900.

AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

CIRCULAR NOTICE, NO. 2, RELATIVE TO THE LEXINGTON ANNIVERSARY.

BROTHERS: In connection with the celebration on the 19th inst., the
town of Lexington, Mass., under its official seal, has extended our
Society cordial recognition.

Mr. Christopher S. Ryan of Lexington has been officially designated
by the citizens’ committee to meet our members on their arrival at
the Russell House there and escort them to the Town Hall. Here they
will be received by the town clerk and selectmen at 11:30 a. m.

Soon after, we will proceed to the monument on the historic green,
and there place a memorial wreath, addresses being made by members
of our Society and invited guests.

THE CELEBRATION AT THE BELLEVUE.

But the most interesting feature of the anniversary will be our
celebration in the evening at the Hotel Bellevue, Boston, Mass. The
reception and concert will be from 6:30 to 8 p. m., and the banquet
at 8.

Among those who have accepted invitations to the banquet are
President Elmer H. Capen of Tufts College and President G. Stanley
Hall of Clark University. There will also be addresses by Gen. James
R. O’Beirne of New York, Hon. William McAdoo of New York, Mayor
Driscoll of New Haven, Conn., Mayor Boyle of Newport, R. I., and
other prominent gentlemen.

If you intend to be present at the banquet and have not yet notified
the secretary, kindly do so as soon as possible.

Fraternally,
THOMAS J. GARGAN,
_President-General_.

THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY,
_Secretary-General_.
April 12, 1900.

Among the members and friends of the Society who visited Lexington in accordance with the foregoing notices were: President-General Gargan; Secretary-General Murray; Stephen J. Geoghegan, New York city; T. St. John Gaffney, New York city; Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass.; Hon. James F. Brennan, Peterborough, N. H.; Thomas F. O’Malley and A. A. Elston, Somerville, Mass.; D. D. Donovan, Providence, R. I.; Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Harson, Providence, R. I.; Daniel Donovan and his daughter, Miss Donovan, Lynn, Mass.; Timothy Donovan, Lynn; James Jeffrey Roche and M. A. Toland, Boston, Mass.

The delegation was received at the town hall, the latter being made headquarters for the day instead of the Russell House.

The visitors paid their respects to the selectmen and town clerk and were shown objects of historical interest connected with the battle. Christopher S. Ryan, the special committee on the part of the town to receive the members of the Society, did so in a most gratifying manner.

Shortly before noon, the members and guests proceeded to the battle monument on the “Green” and attached thereto a large wreath, inscribed as follows:

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| THIS LAUREL WREATH |
| |
| IS PLACED HERE BY THE |
| |
| AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY |
| |
| AS A TRIBUTE TO THE PATRIOTS, |
| |
| Who at this place on |
| |
| APRIL 19, 1775, |
| |
| Bravely Gave Battle to the English Foe. |
| |
| May the Example of the Men of Lexington be an Inspiration |
| to the Friends of Liberty, Now and Forevermore. |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

Several of the members, later in the day, visited historic Concord, Mass.

THE EXERCISES IN THE EVENING.

The evening exercises at the Bellevue, Beacon street, Boston, were fully as enjoyable as those of the morning had been. Music was furnished by a ladies’ orchestra. President-General Gargan presided at the banquet. Among the members and guests present were:

Elmer H. Capen, president of Tufts College, Mass. G. Stanley Hall, president of Clark University, Worcester, Mass., and Mrs. Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. O’Malley, Somerville, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Harson, Providence, R. I. Dr. Michael Kelly and Mrs. Kelly, Fall River, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Elston, Somerville, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Reardon, Cambridge, Mass. Dr. John F. Couch, Somerville, Mass., and Mrs. Ellen M. Couch. Hon. James F. Brennan, Peterborough, N. H. Rev. P. J. Kavanagh, Lexington, Mass. John E. Milholland, New York city. Stephen J. Geoghegan, New York city. James Jeffrey Roche, Boston. Thomas Hamilton Murray, Woonsocket, R. I. Joseph Smith, Lowell, Mass. T. St. John Gaffney, New York city. M. A. Toland, Boston. E. O’Meagher Condon, New York city. Hon. Richard Sullivan, Boston. Ex-Mayor John Breen, Lawrence, Mass. Ex-Congressman Joseph H. O’Neil, Boston. M. J. Jordan, Boston. P. J. Flatley, Boston. Timothy Donovan, Lynn, Mass. William Doogue, City Forester, Boston. Dr. T. J. Dillon, Boston. Dr. P. F. Gavin, Boston. Dr. W. H. Grainger, Boston. Patrick Gilbride, Lowell, Mass. Patrick M. Keating, Boston. George F. McKellegett, Boston. John J. Ahern, Cambridge, Mass. Martin Fay, Boston. James Mahoney, Boston. M. E. Hennessy, Boston. Herbert A. Kenny, Boston.

There were also present during the evening: Hon. John W. Corcoran, Boston, recently judge of the Superior court, and J. E. Burke, superintendent of public schools, Lawrence, Mass.

Upon the conclusion of the banquet the post-prandial exercises were opened by President-General Gargan, who said:

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT-GENERAL GARGAN.

_Members and guests of the American-Irish Historical Society_:

To-day we commemorate the deeds of those heroic men who on April 19,
1775, on the green at Lexington, won a fame as imperishable as the
men who fought at Marathon or Thermopylæ. Well might Sam Adams
exclaim, “What a glorious morning for America is this.” As a
distinguished foreigner has well said, “It is their sacrificed blood
in which is written the preface of the nation’s history.”

At Lexington was the opening scene of a revolution destined to
change the character of human governments and the condition of the
human race. Yet I sometimes incline to the opinion, as I read the
utterances of men who in our day are called statesmen, and some of
the newspapers, that the age of patriotism has gone; that an age of
selfish materialists, economists, and calculators has succeeded. Let
us hope there is still a saving remnant in this republic which will
rekindle the love and patriotism which actuated the men who
established our government.

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The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. III, 1900Chapter I: Part 1

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