Thomas Francis Meagher Totally Explained

Everything about Thomas Francis Meagher totally explained

Thomas Francis Meagher aka: "O'Meagher", or "Meagher of the Sword" (August 3, 1823 – July 1, 1867) was an Irish nationalist and American politician. In his younger years he became an Irish revolutionary, fighting for Ireland's independence from British rule. During this time Meagher introduced the flag that's now regarded as the national Flag of Ireland. In 1848, Meagher was convicted of sedition by the United Kingdom, and sentenced to death. Due to public outcry, his sentence was commuted to expulsion to Van Diemen's Land on the Australian state of Tasmania.
In 1852, he escaped to the United States and arrived in New York City. Once in the United States he joined the United States Army and served as a Brigadier General during the American Civil War, and most notably forming and leading the Irish Brigade.
Following the Civil War, Meagher served as acting govenor of the Montana Territory. In 1867, Meagher drowned in the Missouri River.

Family

Born in Waterford City, County Waterford, Ireland, Meagher (pronounced Mahr) came from an established Catholic County Tipperary family of tailors & vintners. His father, Thomas Meagher (1796–1874), was born in St John's Newfoundland to Thomas Meagher (1763–1837) and Mary Crotty and was a merchant for the "Waterford-Newfoundland" trade. He was an MP for Waterford and its first Roman Catholic Lord Mayor in over two hundred years, thanks to Daniel O'Connell's successful agitation. His wife Alicia Quan (1798–1827) was the second eldest daughter of Thomas Quan and Alicia Forristall.

Early life

Meagher was educated at Jesuit boarding schools in Ireland (Clongowes Wood) and England (Stonyhurst College). The acquisition of the flag is commemorated at the 1848 Flag Monument in the Irish parliament. The design used in 1848 was similar to the present flag, except that orange was placed next to the staff, and the red hand of Ulster decorated the white field. This flag was first flown in public on March 1, 1848, during the Waterford by-election, when Meagher and his friends flew the flag from the headquarters of Meagher's "Wolfe Tone Confederate Club" at #33, The Mall, Waterford.
   Following the incident known as the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 or "Battle of Ballingarry" in August 1848, Meagher, Terence MacManus, Smith O'Brien, and Patrick O'Donoghue were arrested, tried and convicted for sedition, which, due to a newly passed ex post facto law, meant that Meagher and his colleagues were sentenced to be "hanged, drawn and quartered". But it was after his trial Meagher delivered his famous – second only to Robert Emmet's pre-execution speech in the pantheon of Irish political rhetoric.
   Meagher and his colleagues were soon joined in Richmond Gaol, Dublin, by Kevin Izod O'Doherty and John Martin; but the death sentences were commuted to transportation to "the other side of the world," and in 1849 all were transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania, Australia). As acting governor, Meagher attempted to create a working relationship between the territory's Republican executive and judicial branches and the Democratic legislative branch. He failed, making enemies in both camps. Further, he angered many by signing a sentence reprieve for a fellow Irishman who was convicted of manslaughter.
   Meagher called Montana's first constitutional convention in hopes of achieving statehood. However the territory did garner enough support to be admitted to the union until 1889.

Disappearance and death

In the summer of 1867 he traveled to Fort Benton, Montana, to receive a shipment of guns and ammunition sent by General Sherman for use by the Montana Militia. Meagher fell ill on the way to Fort Benton, the Missouri River terminus for steamboat travel, stopping six days en route to recuperate. When he reached Fort Benton, he was still ill, but took some time with local politicians and admirers.
   Some reports state that he spent the afternoon imbibing with his well wishers. Others say that he was simply too ill to drink. Meagher's supposed compatriot, Colonel W. F. Sanders, stated that Meagher appeared to be acting "mentally deranged" and was "loudly demanding a revolver to defend himself against the citizens of Ft. Benton." It was allegedly suggested to the General that he should get some rest, and that's what he allegedly purported to do, reboarding his steamboat, the G. A. Thompson, sometime in the early evening.
   After about 11:00 PM, according to Sanders, "there was a colored man...the barber...[who] said a man had let himself down from the upper to the lower deck and jumped into the river and gone on down the stream." Sanders goes on to say that "the next day some members of the general staff" said that he, Sanders, must not mention anything about Meagher's mental condition or that the drowning wasn't an accident in his letter to Meagher's wife. But this Sanders refused to do, and explained everything to Mrs. Meagher as he saw and as he was told by the witnesses.
   Afterwards, no one seems to have questioned the barber's report as suspicious, or the fact that Sanders had alienated himself from Meagher saying that "the secessionists (then called Democratic)...took charge of Gov. Meagher."
   One other witness, a female passenger who had remained on board the steamboat, recalled that she heard a deck-hand yelling "man over-board" at about the same time Meagher disappeared; and several years later at least two people attempted to "admit" that they in fact had something to do with Meagher being murdered. But none of the accounts did lead to any sufficient discovery.
   Meagher's death, is still considered to be suspicious, however; and as he was outspoken, there could have been numerous persons who would have wanted to murder him.

Legacy

Meagher was survived by his second wife, Elizabeth Townsend (1840–1906) the daughter of Peter Townsend (1803–1885) and Caroline Parish of Monroe, Orange County, New York. He was also survived by his son, born to his first wife, Thomas Bennett (Bennie) Meagher.
He is remembered for his service to Montana with statues on the front lawn of the Capitol grounds in Helena and in Billings. There is a statue of Meagher, on horseback with sword raised, located at The Mall in his home city, Waterford. The county of Meagher County, Montana was also named in his honor.

End notes

1. Meagher had at times been appointed Brevet Major General.
2. The granite monument reads: "The Irish Brigade commander was born in Waterford City Ireland on 23 August 1823, a well educated orator, he joined the young Ireland movement to liberate his nation. This led to his exile to a British Penal Colony in Tasmania Australia in 1849. He escaped to the United States in 1852 and became an American citizen. When the Civil War broke out he raised Company K, Irish Zouaves, for the 69th New York State Militia Regiment which fought at First Bull Run under Colonel Michael Corcoran. Subsequently Meagher raised the Irish Brigade and commanded it from 3 February 1862 to 14 May 1863 til later commanded a military district in Tennessee. After the War meagher became Secretary and Acting Governor of the Montana Territory. He drowned in the Missouri River near Fort Benton on 1 July 1867. His body was never recoverd."

Quotes

The ecstasy...

� ...The glory of the old Irish nation, which in our hour will grow young and strong again. Should we fail, the country won't be worth more than it's now. The sword of famine is less sparing than the bayonet of the soldier.

On deciding to fight for the Union

� It isn't only our duty to America, but also to Ireland. We couldn't hope to succeed in our effort to make Ireland a Republic without the moral and material support of the liberty-loving citizens of these United States.

On presenting the flag to the people of Dublin April 1848

� The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the 'Orange' and the 'Green', and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.

Promising the judge before passing sentence

� My Lord, this is our first offence, but not our last. If you'll be easy with us this once, we promise on our word as gentleman to try better next time.

Books by Young Irelanders (Irish Confederation)

Additional reading

The Politics of Irish Literature: from Thomas Davis to W.B. Yeats, Malcolm Brown, Allen & Unwin, 1973.
John Mitchel, A Cause Too Many, Aidan Hegarty, Camlane Press.
Thomas Davis, The Thinker and Teacher, Arthur Griffith, M.H. Gill & Son 1922.
Brigadier-General Thomas Francis Meagher His Political and Military Career,Capt. W. F. Lyons, Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited 1869
Young Ireland and 1848, Dennis Gwynn, Cork University Press 1949.
Daniel O'Connell The Irish Liberator, Dennis Gwynn, Hutchinson & Co, Ltd.
O'Connell Davis and the Collages Bill, Dennis Gwynn, Cork University Press 1948.
Smith O’Brien And The “Secession”, Dennis Gwynn,Cork University Press
Meagher of The Sword, Edited By Arthur Griffith, M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd. 1916.
Young Irelander Abroad The Diary of Charles Hart, Edited by Brendan O'Cathaoir, University Press.
John Mitchel First Felon for Ireland, Edited By Brian O'Higgins, Brian O'Higgins 1947.
Rossa's Recollections 1838 to 1898, Intro by Sean O'Luing, The Lyons Press 2004.
Labour in Ireland, James Connolly, Fleet Street 1910.
The Re-Conquest of Ireland, James Connolly, Fleet Street 1915.
John Mitchel Noted Irish Lives, Louis J. Walsh, The Talbot Press Ltd 1934.
Thomas Davis: Essays and Poems, Centenary Memoir, M. H Gill, M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd MCMXLV.
Life of John Martin, P. A. Sillard, James Duffy & Co., Ltd 1901.
Life of John Mitchel, P. A. Sillard, James Duffy and Co., Ltd 1908.
John Mitchel, P. S. O'Hegarty, Maunsel & Company, Ltd 1917.
The Fenians in Context Irish Politics & Society 1848-82, R. V. Comerford, Wolfhound Press 1998
William Smith O'Brien and the Young Ireland Rebellion of 1848, Robert Sloan, Four Courts Press 2000
Irish Mitchel, Seamus MacCall, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd 1938.
Ireland Her Own, T. A. Jackson, Lawrence & Wishart Ltd 1976.
Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell, T. C. Luby, Cameron & Ferguson.
Young Ireland, T. F. O'Sullivan, The Kerryman Ltd. 1945.
Irish Rebel John Devoy and America's Fight for Irish Freedom, Terry Golway, St. Martin's Griffin 1998.
Paddy's Lament Ireland 1846-1847 Prelude to Hatred, Thomas Gallagher, Poolbeg 1994.
The Great Shame, Thomas Keneally, Anchor Books 1999.
James Fintan Lalor, Thomas, P. O'Neill, Golden Publications 2003.
Charles Gavan Duffy: Conversations With Carlyle (1892), with Introduction, Stray Thoughts On Young Ireland, by Brendan Clifford, Athol Books, Belfast, ISBN 0 85034 1140. (Pg. 32 Titled, Foster’s account Of Young Ireland.)
Envoi, Taking Leave Of Roy Foster, by Brendan Clifford and Julianne Herlihy, Aubane Historical Society, Cork.
The Falcon Family, or, Young Ireland, by M. W. Savage, London, 1845. (An Gorta Mor)Quinnipiac University

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