Thomas Francis Meagher | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Thomas Francis Meagher (1860s) in his formal military uniform | |
| Territorial Secretary of Montana Acting Territorial Governor of Montana | |
| In office September 1865 – 3 October 1866 | |
| Preceded by | Sidney Edgerton |
| Succeeded by | Green Clay Smith |
| In office December 1866 – 1 July 1867 | |
| Preceded by | Green Clay Smith |
| Succeeded by | Green Clay Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 August 1823 Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland |
| Died | 1 July 1867 (aged 43) Missouri River, Montana Territory |
| Political party | Irish Confederation (Ireland) Democratic (U.S.) |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Bennett (1851–1854; her death) Elizabeth Townsend (1856–1867; his death) |
| Children | 2 |
| Nickname | Meagher of the Sword O'Meagher (Temporally self given) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Young Ireland Irish Confederation United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1848 (Young Irelanders) 1861–1865 (USA) Union Army |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Commands | Company K, 69th New York Militia; Irish Brigade |
| Battles/wars | |
Thomas Francis Meagher (/ˈmɑːr/ MARR; 3 August 1823 – 1 July 1867[1]) was an Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sentenced to death but received transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in Australia.
In 1852, Meagher escaped and made his way to the United States, where he settled in New York City. He studied law, worked as a journalist, and traveled to present lectures on the Irish cause.[2]
He married for a second time in New York. At the beginning of the American Civil War, Meagher joined the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of brigadier general.[3] He was most notable for recruiting and leading the Irish Brigade and encouraging support among Irish immigrants for the Union. By his first marriage in Ireland, he had one surviving son; the two never met.[4]
Following the Civil War, Meagher was appointed Montana's Territorial Secretary of State by President Andrew Johnson and served as acting territorial governor. In 1867, Meagher drowned in the Missouri River after falling from a steamboat at Fort Benton, Montana. Historians have questioned the circumstances around his death, with varying hypotheses including weakness from dysentery, intoxication, suicide, and murder. A 2016 analysis by Timothy Egan in The Immortal Irishman suggested Meagher may have been murdered by Montana political opponents.[5]
- ^ See photo of his headstone: Thomas Francis Meagher at Find a Grave
- ^ Egan, Timothy (2016). The Immortal Irishman : the Irish revolutionary who became an American hero. Boston. ISBN 978-0-544-27288-0. OCLC 913923705.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Meagher had at various times been appointed a brevet major general
- ^ Egan, Timothy (2016). The Immortal Irishman : the Irish revolutionary who became an American hero. Boston. ISBN 978-0-544-27288-0. OCLC 913923705.
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