Thomas Francis Meagher

from the N.Y. Times, July 8, 1867:

       Thomas Francis Meagher
  A dispatch informs us of the death by
drowning of Gen. THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER,
Secretary and Acting Governor of Montana Ter-
ritory. He was born in Waterford, Ireland, on
the 3d of August, 1823, and, consequently, at the
time of his death had nearly completed his forty-
fourth year. It is well known that he took a
prominent part in Irish politics as one of the
leaders of the "Young Ireland Party," and that
after being tried and convicted on the charge of
treason he was sentenced to death. This sen-
tence, however, was commuted to banishment
for life to Van Dieman's Land. Thence he es-
caped, and obtaining passage by a sailing
vessel he arrived at this port in May,
1852. On his arrival here he was re-
ceived with much enthusiasm. Public re-
ceptions were tendered him almost without
number, and for many years the anniversary of
his arrival was celebrated by a club which bore
his name. Foe some time after he lectured in
various parts of the country, and in 1854 he vis-
ited California. Subsequently he read and
practiced law in this City; edited the Irish
News, a weekly paper, in 1856; visited Central
America the following year, and passed some
time afterward in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
  He raised a company for the Sixty-ninth Regi-
ment, in 1861, and accompanied it to the field.
Early in the war, however, he was assigned to
the command of the Irish Brigade, and shared
its fortunes in nearly all the campaigns of the
Army of the Potomac. He was wounded at the
battle of Fredericksburgh, but speedily recov-
ered and resumed his command. He was
much beloved by his troops, who were
mostly his own countrymen, and over whom he
exercised great control. On the field of battle
he was always conspicuous, and had a happy
faculty of inspiring his soldiers with the great-
est enthusiasm at the critical moment. He was
recently appointed Secretary of Montana, and as
Acting Governor has declared himself to be
earnestly in favor of a vigorous and energetic
prosecution of a war angainst the Indians.