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| Monument to the Irish Brigade (detail). Antietam, Maryland |
Two countries have
commemorated the life of Thomas Francis Meagher with bronze sculptures: his birthplace in Waterford, Ireland and the
United States, his adopted country. Thomas
became known as Meagher of the Sword,
because he fought to support the ideals of freedom.
Born in 1823, Meagher became
an outspoken leader for Irish independence from England. He is also remembered
for creating the tricolor flag that now represents the Republic of
Ireland. Thomas was inspired by the flag
of the French revolution, but he proposed the colors: green, orange, and white.
Attached to his equestrian monument in
Waterford, a bronze plaque includes a quote by Thomas Francis Meagher regarding
his intended symbolism for the Irish flag.
The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce
between the “Orange” and “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.
Today the three stripes are
associated with freedom, brotherhood and equality.
Unfortunately, his enthusiastic speeches and his
support for the Young Ireland uprising earned him imprisonment in
Tasmania. However, he escaped after a
couple years and established a new life in New York.
Equestrian Monument. Waterford, Ireland.
The turbulent American Civil War era was the background for Thomas Francis’s new career as Brigadier General for the Union army. He led the New York Irish Brigade in several battles, but his most famous was the battle at Antietam, Maryland on September 17, 1862. There were massive casualties between Union and Confederate soldiers. General Meagher’s leadership continued as the war raged on for the next several months, but by May 1863 Meagher submitted his resignation.
In 1865, Thomas Francis earned a Presidential appointment to the territory of Montana where he served as acting Governor. Unfortunately, Thomas’s political career was tragically halted when he apparently fell overboard a riverboat on July 1, 1867. Despite a search in the Missouri river, his body was never found. The lack of conclusive evidence surrounding his death has raised some controversy, particularly since he had political enemies.
There are three major monuments dedicated to Thomas Francis Meagher in:
1) Waterford, Ireland; 2) Antietam, Maryland; and 3) the Capitol Building in Helena, Montana.
References:
Barnes, Ian. The Historical Atlas of the Celtic World. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books,
Inc., 2009.
Hearne, John and Rory Cornish. Thomas Francis Meagher, The Making of an Irish
American. Portland, Oregon: Irish Academic Press, 2005.
Pritchard, Russ A. The Irish Brigade. Philadelphia: Colin Gower Enterprises
Ltd., 2004.
