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AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.EARLY IRISH MILITARY OFFICERS IN CONNECTICUT -
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IRISH settlers are found in Connecticut at a very early period. Some of them participated in campaigns against the Indians. Captain Daniel Patrick, who had served in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, came here during the Pequod war, 1637, and rendered effective service. He is believed to have been an Irishman. One writer inclines to the opinion that his name was originally Gill-patrick or Fitzpatrick, and that he probably went from Ireland to the Low Countries and rendered military service there before coming to America. Capt. Patrick became one of the founders of what is now the town of Greenwich, Ct. He eventually swore allegiance to the Dutch government and was granted the rights of a "patroon" in Greenwich and vicinity. His wife was a woman of Dutch blood. A number of Irish soldiers from Connecticut participated in "The Great Swamp Fight," in 1675, during King Philip's war. This fight took place in southern Rhode Island and resulted in a severe defeat for the Indians. Among the Connecticut soldiers mentioned as taking part in the battle were: James Murphy, Daniel Tracy, Edward Larkin, James Welch and John Roach. The latter is referred to in the Norwalk records as "a soldier in the late Indian war," and was granted a tract of land as a gratuity. Quite a number of military officers bearing Irish names are identified with the colonial history of Connecticut. Thus, we find: Capt. John Lyon, (Greenwich), 1728; Capt. Joseph Keeny, (Preston), 1729; Ensign John Keeny, (New London), 1730; Ensign Richard Keeny, (Glastonbury), 1731 ; Lieut. James Tracy, 1756; Lieut. Daniel Lyon, 1756; Lieut. David Lacey, 1756; Capt. Timothy Hierlehy, 1758; Lieut. James McGunnigall, Jr., 1759; Lieut. Cornelius Higgins, (Haddam), 1759; Capt. Daniel Tracy, (Norwich), 1759; Lieut. Joseph Tracy, (Norwich), 1759; Lieut. Patrick Walsh, 1759; Lieut. Roger Riley, 1767; Capt. Thaddeus Lacy, (Woodbury), 1769, and a number of others. The Rev. James H. O'Donnell, now of Norwalk, Ct., in his History of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Hartford, goes extensively into this subject of early Irish people in Connecticut, and to his work we are indebted for a number of facts set forth in this chapter. As the volume on which we are here engaged is a military one, however, we are confining our labors almost entirely to that line of narrative. There is a mass of material at hand concerning pioneers and Irish settlers, generally, in Connecticut, from 1640 down, but such does not come within the scope of the present work. At the outbreak of the Revolution, the Irish and their descendants were very numerous in Connecticut, and it has been estimated that fully one thousand of them enlisted in the patriot ranks. The Revolutionary rolls of the State are replete with Irish names. In the "Lexington Alarm List," 1775, of Connecticut men, are found such names as: Fitzgerald, Gleason, Griffin, Kennedy, Manning, Martin, Murphy, McCartee, McMullen, Riley and the like. In every Connecticut regiment, during the Revolution, Irish names abound. And this applies not only to the regiments serving more especially within the State, but also to the Connecticut regiments of the Continental Line. The Connecticut rolls relating to the War of 1812 also contain many Irish names, the bearers being from New Haven, Hartford, New London, Norwich, Groton, Stratford, Litchfield, Bridgeport, Middletown, Danbury and other parts of the State. Many of these served in the Regular Army, especially in the Twenty-Fifth Infantry and in the Thirty-Seventh Infantry. In the war with Mexico, Connecticut men of Irish blood were likewise represented in the Regular Army. They were found in the First and Second artillery regiments ; and in the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Tenth regiments of infantry; also in other organizations.
On July 31, 1849, a meeting of those interested in a projected Irish company was held in the Glebe building, corner of Church and Chapel streets, New Haven. Capt. James Quinn was chairman of the meeting, and John Duffy, secretary. The organization was named the Washington-Erina Guards. Provision was made for drilling the men and the company made good progress. After drills had been in progress some time, Col. John Arnold, of the Second Regiment, requested the members of the company to petition Governor Trumbull for a charter and to have the organization taken into the service of the State as part of Col. Arnold's regiment, as there was a vacancy for a company in the latter. In accordance with Col. Arnold's request, a petition to Governor Trumbull was drafted Feb. 8, 1850, and was signed by John Duffy, Thomas Newman, James Gallagher, William Geary, Francis McBryan, John Maher, Barney Galligan, Patrick Maher, James Brady, Patrick W. Kennefick, Daniel Crowley, James Banning, Michael Shields, Stephen Flynn, Geoffrey Ahearn, Rendles Sheilds,1 Edward Hamel, Thomas W. Cahill, Thomas
Preston and John L. Duffy. This petition, however, was never forwarded to Governor Trumbull, as it was thought the incoming governor (Seymour) would be more likely to grant the desired recognition. Governor Seymour did so in March, 1852, the organization becoming officially known as Company E, of the Second Regiment. The officers commissioned were to take rank from March 17, that year, and comprised: Captain, John Duffy; First Lieutenant, Thomas W. Cahill; Second Lieutenant, Randal Shields; Third Lieutenant, Peter Hanley. The company established an armory at the corner of Water and Fleet streets, New Haven, purchased its own uniforms, and received flint-lock muskets from the State. These muskets it continued to use until an order came in August, 1854, from John C. Hollister, then Adjutant-General of the State, requesting the company to return the muskets to the arsenal, in Hartford, and stating that the command would be supplied with percussion-lock muskets instead. The old muskets were thereupon returned and the new ones received. A strict rule for admission to the company was that the applicant must be a native, or a naturalized citizen, of the United States. The company paraded with the regiment, attended the regimental encampments, went to Hartford to attend Governor Seymour's inauguration, one year, and was hospitably entertained by the people of that city. The company became very popular throughout the State, and received many compliments on its drill and general soldierly bearing. The organization of the Washington-Erina Guards took place, as has been stated, on July 31, 1849. Of the original members, the following were still living, Aug. 8, 1899, fifty years after: William Geary, Peter Sheridan, Thomas Preston, Michael McCarten, James Daly, Patrick Maher, John Cummisky, Thomas Layden, Michael Hughson, John Conlin, Jeremiah Donovan, James Wrinn, Daniel Carroll, Michael Gilhuly, Timothy 1 Spelled elsewhere as Randal and Randall Shields. Fogarty, Patrick Garvey, and Daniel J. Crowley,—seventeen in all. John Cummisky, one of these survivors, died in Chicago, I11., Jan. 8, 1900.
There was also an Irish company, attached to the militia, at this time, in Hartford; one in Bridgeport; one in Derby (Birmingham), and one in Norwich. These companies were composed of an excellent class of citizens, and in drill, discipline, and every other respect, were a credit to the State. According to an official roster of the State militia, the officers of these six Irish companies were, in December, 1854, as follows: Infantry Company F, First Regiment, Hartford, (Emmet Guards), Captain, Edward McManus; First Lieutenant, James McHugh; Second Lieutenant, Michael Collins; Third Lieutenant, Cornelius Ryan. Infantry Company E, Second Regiment, New Haven, (Washington-Erina Guards), Captain, Thomas W. Cahill; First Lieutenant, Patrick Maher; Second Lieutenant, Randall Shields; Third Lieutenant, Michael McCarten. Infantry Company D, Second Regiment, New Haven, (Jackson Guards), Captain, (vacancy); First Lieutenant, Peter Sheridan; Second Lieutenant, John Scanlan; Third Lieutenant, Michael Hughson. Infantry Company C, Third Regiment, Norwich, (Jackson Guards), Captain, Patrick McKiernan; First Lieutenant, James Williams; Second Lieutenant, Thomas O'Rourke; Third Lieutenant, John Gaffney.
Rifle Company B, Second Regiment, Derby, (Birmingham), (Derby Rifles), Captain Patrick McMahon; First Lieutenant, Hugh McGowen; Second Lieutenant, Michael Stevens; Third Lieutenant, Patrick Moneghan. Infantry Company B, Eighth Regiment, Bridgeport, (Montgomery Guards), Captain, M. O'Connell; First Lieutenant, John Fox; Second Lieutenant, Edward N. Goodwin; Third Lieutenant, Richard Sewell. At the time the foregoing companies were disbanded, in 1855, Infantry Company D, Second Regiment, New Haven, was commanded by Lieut. John Maher, Jr., the captaincy being vacant. With this, and possibly one or two other exceptions, the companies had, doubtless, the same officers as in December, 1854.
Henry J. Gardner, the Know Nothing Governor of Massachusetts, also issued an order disbanding the Irish companies of the militia in the Bay State Benjamin F. Butler was at that time colonel of a Massachusetts regiment. In this regiment was an Irish company—the Jackson Musketeers, of Lowell. Butler refused to promulgate the disbanding order to his regiment, quoted the military law of the State, and challenged the Governor to bring him before a court-martial. Governor Gardner did not dare accept the challenge. He did, however, issue an order dismissing Butler from command of the regiment, but Butler refused to be dismissed and again appealed to the law. Again the Know Nothing administration halted, nonplussed by Butler's masterly knowledge of the law relating to the case. Finally, Governor Gardner and his accessories found a way out of their dilemma. The regiments constituting the militia were reorganized, renumbered and relocated. Butler was thus frozen out, and the Irish companies throughout the State had to suffer. Butler, however, soon achieved a great triumph over the Know Nothing governor. In a short time after the reorganization of a brigade, the field officers got together to elect a brigadier general as they were by law authorized to do. They elected Butler to the position, much to the chagrin of the Governor and his supporters. Governor Gardner was obliged to sign Butler's commission as brigadier-general, and had he hesitated or refused to do so, the General would have promptly got after him with a mandamus or taken some other equally prompt step. On August 1, 1855, Capt. Ruckoldt of the New Haven City Guards, (a German company), stood on the corner of Chapel and Orange streets, New Haven. As Capt. Thomas W. Cahill and Lieut. Patrick Maher of the Washington-Erina Guards approached, Capt. Ruckoldt said, in substance, to Capt. Cahill that he (Ruckoldt) had met Governor Minor in the lodge, the previous night, and had learned that the Governor was going to disband all the Irish companies—giving no reasons—but that he was going to retain the German company. This information greatly interested his two hearers. The fact that the Irish companies, composed of American citizens, were to be disbanded, and that the German company, among whose members there were not over ten citizens—the rest being aliens—was to be retained, was especially significant. Capt. Ruckoldt's statement proved quite accurate. Gov. Minor, however, experienced some difficulty in having his disbanding order promulgated. The Irish companies had many friends in the State, even among the old-line stock. The Governor discussed his scheme with John C. Hollister, Adjutant-General of the State, with the result that Hollister got out of office. But Minor was determined to go ahead. So, Justin Hodge of Barkhamsted, a veteran of the Mexican war, was made adjutant-general to succeed Hollister. Without loss of time, the Governor issued the following:
Stamford, August 24, 1855. Justin Hodge, Esq., Adjutant-General. Dear Sir:—Military Companies organized as foreign Companies, and composed entirely of the foreign born, are believed to be detrimental to the military interests of our State, and their continuance inconsistent with the spirit of our Institutions, therefore, in pursuance with the authority vested in the Commander-in-Chief by Section 26 of the statute law1 of this State, passed May session, 1854, entitled, an Act for Forming and Conducting the Military Force, the following Companies being composed of the foreign born, viz:
 are hereby disbanded. You will issue the necessary orders for the purpose of disbanding each of the foregoing Companies, and notify the Quartermaster-General of the same, that the arms and equipments of each of said Companies belonging to the State may be returned to the Arsenal. Respectfully yours, (Signed) William T. Minor, Commander-in- Chief of the Connecticut Militia. 1 The following is a copy of the law referred to :
Adjutant-General Hodge refused to promulgate the foregoing, and resigned. The Governor was then obliged to get another adjutant-general to do his bidding. He selected Joseph D. Williams for the position, and this gentleman did the work required, as the following order shows: Adjutant-General's Office, Hartford, Sept. 25, 1855. In pursuance of the foregoing order directed to General Justin Hodge, dated Aug. 24, 1855, the following Companies have been disbanded, viz:
 and orders have been issued and directed to the commanders of the Companies with the Colonels of their respective Regiments.(Signed) J. D. Williams, A djutant-General. The same day, Sept. 25, Williams issued an order to each commander of the six companies, notifying him that his company was "this day disbanded," and directing him to return State property to the Arsenal at Hartford. The following is a copy of the order issued at this time to Capt. McKiernan, of Norwich: Adjutant-General's Office, Hartford, Sept. 25, 1855. Patrick McKiernan, Esq., Capt. Comt'd'g Company C, 3rd Regt., Connecticut Militia, Sir:— By order of the Commander-in-Chief, Infantry Company C, 3rd Regt., Connecticut Militia, is this day disbanded. In pursuance of the above order you are hereby directed to deliver all of the property belonging to the State in your possession to the Quartermaster-General at the State Arsenal at Hartford. Yours, &c, (Signed) J. D. Williams, Adjutant-General. The orders to the commanders of the five other companies were similar in phraseology, and were addressed, respectively, to Capt. Thomas W. Cahill, Capt. Edward McManus, Capt. M. O'Connell, Capt. Patrick McMahon, and Lieut. John Maher, Jr. Adjutant-General Williams also issued the following: Adjutant-General's Office, Hartford, Sept. 25, 1855. Levi Woodhouse, Esq., Quartermaster-General. Sir:— By order of the Commander-in-Chief, the following named companies have been this day disbanded, viz:  and the arms and equipments of said companies belonging to the State have been ordered into your Office. If they should not be forthcoming you will take early measures to enquire into the cause.
Yours, &c, The disbandment of the Irish companies occasioned great dissatisfaction throughout the State. The New Haven Register, speaking of Capt. Cahill and his company (the Washington-Erina Guards, Co. E, Second Regiment), said: "Capt. C. is himself a native of New England—was born within a stone's throw of Bunker Hill, and came with his parents to this city, before he was a year old— and has steadily resided here since. He is as intelligent and patriotic as Gov. Minor, and in every sense as good a citizen. He is one of the best officers in the State, and every member of his company is a naturalized citizen. No breach of duty is charged upon them; no unsoldierly act is alleged; no disrespect of superior officers; no contempt of orders; no evidence of want of attachment to the country; but a full compliance by them with all the militia laws is conceded. We hardly know which is the most despicable—the injustice of the act, or the hypocrisy which attempts to excuse it. "The injustice of such a step is the more apparent when it is remembered that by the law under which this company was mustered and enrolled, it is provided that any person who shall serve seven years in any company, shall be exempt from the poll tax, and at the expiration of that term, from military duty. Here are men, then, who served with fidelity nearly four years, been at great expense for dress and equipments, devoting their time and money to the service of this State, turned off without a decent apology for the act, and the contract meanly abrogated! We have no patience with such demagog-ism. The young men thus attempted to be disgraced, are among the most industrious of our mechanics—most of whom either came here in infancy, or were born upon the soil—and are 'American citizens,' as much as Gov. Minor or his supple Adjutant, and as worthy of confidence. The indignation felt by all classes of our citizens, (outside of the 'midnight conclave' where the order originated), is intense; and the authors of it have only added another mill-stone to the weight which is rapidly sinking them to an infamy as merited as it is fathomless." The Bridgeport Farmer, Oct. 2, 1855, referring to the Montgomery Guards of that city, another of the dis- banded companies, said: "This Company B, as it is here called, known in this city by the name of Montgomery Guards, was formed in 1852, by Captain Coates, a naturalized Irishman, who had been an officer of some grade, or a drill master, in the United States Army. Mr. Coates was a very zealous whig, and in all party matters, was particularly intimate with Mr. John M. Wilson, now one of the principal managers of the Know Nothing Inquisition in this city. All the members of the company are of Irish parentage, we believe, though some of them are natives of this country. Those of them who were not born here, have, we are told, been duly naturalized, and of course, are entitled to all the rights and privileges, as well as to all the name of American citizens. They are all, we understand, industrious and skillful mechanics, * * * * They have expended a considerable amount of money to equip themselves with uniforms, etc., and devoted much time to the study and practice of infantry tactics. As a company, and as individuals, they have discharged, promptly and faithfully, all the duties that are required by law, and at the regimental muster, made as fine an appearance, we are informed, as any company on the field. In actual service, we have no doubt, they would shed their blood and sacrifice their lives as heroically, in defence of American liberty, as any other company in this State, not excepting even Captain Minor's favorite company, the Stamford Guards. * * "The ground on which this disbandment was first attempted to be justified, was, that these companies were composed chiefly of persons not naturalized. But it does not appear, from all we can learn, that this is true in relation to any considerable number. Indeed, nearly all who were born abroad, have been duly naturalized, and taken the Elector's oath, to support the Constitution of this State, and of the United States—while a considerable portion of them are natives of this or some of the neighboring States—and all devotedly attached to our country and her free institutions. It cannot, therefore, with any show of truth, be said that there is the least ground for apprehension on account of any allegiance they may owe or be supposed to owe to any foreign power. Nor does it appear that they have been disobedient soldiers or refractory citizens. * * * This disbandment was so entirely uncalled for and unjustifiable, that two Adjutant-Generals refused to obey the order of the Governor for that purpose, which was issued contrary to the advice and remonstrances of some of the best military men in the State. The decree had been uttered, however, by the Know Nothing Inquisition, and Governor Minor was required to see it enforced." The animus of the Know Nothings against the Irish companies had a racial and religious basis. These companies were Irish and Catholic. The "foreign" company retained was German and Protestant. The fact that the Irish companies were composed of American citizens, and the German company mainly of aliens, counted for nothing with the dark-lantern plotters. The tactics of the latter, however, were short-lived. The Know Nothing party was soon tumbled from power. The Washington-Erina Guards, after their disbandment in 1855, as a military company, continued to meet as a social organization, until May 18, 1857, when a new organization was formed in New Haven. This was the famous Emmet Guard of that place. Present at the meeting for organization were representatives of the Washington-Erina and Jackson Guards, the latter of which had also been disbanded in 1855, and several prominent adopted citizens. Capt. Patrick Maher was chairman of the meeting, and Michael McCarten was secretary. A committee was appointed to solicit funds, it was decided to name the new organization the Emmet Guard, and John Bell was engaged to make the uniforms. Capt. Maher, as a committee to purchase muskets, subsequently waited upon Eli Whitney and bought the required number of guns at $3 each. They were of an old pattern, but answered the purpose very well. The Emmets became a very successful organization, acquired great proficiency in drill and was one of the best known military companies in the State. On July 30, 1859, the Emmet Guard received in New Haven, as guests, the Irish Fusiliers, (Co. A, 69th Reg't, New York), at that time commanded by Capt. Michael Corcoran, who afterwards became a General and was in command of Corcoran's Irish Legion. The Emmets entertained the Fusiliers in New Haven over July 31 and Aug. 1, and displayed true Irish hospitality. The company orders issued to the Emmets, for this occasion, were signed by "Thomas W. Cahill, Commandant," and "P. McLaughlin, Orderly Sergeant." These orders stated that the Hibernian, Montgomery, and Carmen societies of New Haven would also participate, on the evening of July 30, in the reception to the visiting organization. In i860, the Emmets made a return visit to New York as the guests of the Fusiliers and were handsomely treated. The Emmets continued drilling and perfecting themselves in general military knowledge. They had a full set of regimental officers, so that when the War of the Rebellion broke out there was material and ability enough in the organization to officer a regiment or a brigade. The Emmet Guard, of New Haven, was a nucleus in the formation of the Ninth Regiment, C. V., in the Civil War, and furnished two or three companies and sixteen commissioned officers to the cause of the Union. These officers were as follows.
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