Alan’s TTIM Stories  #1

A few years back a beer company created an advertising campaign based on a fictious “most interesting man in the world.” The successful campaign placed our hero in a variety of daring escapades with a final endorsement of a particular beer.

Looking beyond Madison Avenue fictional characters, many nonfiction candidates vie for the title. My candidate is Thomas Francis Meagher. His amazing story is noted by a statue in front of the Montana State Capitol building in Helena. The story covers three continents, death-defying experiences, direct influences of Queen Victoria and Abraham Lincoln, the battle for Irish independence, outback exile, the American Civil War, and western expansion.

Life #1: Meagher’s story begins as part of a wealthy family in Waterford, Ireland. Even in an atmosphere of affluence, he could not ignore the occupation policies, unjust laws, brutal enforcement, and widespread poverty under centuries of British rule. The British considered Irish as savage, lower forms of life. Meagher displayed intelligence at a young age pointing to a possible future career in law. His father enrolled him in a private Jesuit school for boys – Stonyhurst College (motto: Quant Je Puis – as much as I can) an oddity in Protestant England. He filled school years with mischief and the love of language, advised to soften his strong Irish brogue. Despite his accent, he developed oratory skills, never forgetting disdain for the British.

Life #2: Meagher returned to his homeland and further witnessed British atrocities and oppression. His countrymen and women were dying from potato famine exasperated by British policies – using starvation as a political weapon. The situation demanded a voice for freedom. He became a celebrity orator for an independent Ireland with impressive gatherings at every speaking engagement, uplifted by the adoration of like-minded nationalists. Meagher designed a banner in an attempt to unite the island. Green for Catholic Ireland, orange for Protestant Ulster became the flag of Ireland still used today.

His elegant and effective rhetoric marked him as a traitor to the Crown. His actions put him in middle of the 1848 rebellion. Tried and sentenced to death, he sat in a dank, cold prison cell waiting for the end of his young life at the end of a noose. International pressure convinced Queen Victoria to proclaim Royal clemency. The Crown commuted his sentence to exile in the penal colony of Australia. Shackled below deck of a ship leaving Ireland, he was denied the view of his beloved homeland as it disappeared – never to be seen again.

Life #3: With escape from the Tasmanian prison colony impractical, chains and shackles were removed. The claustrophobic cell was exchanged for a restricted wilderness, lakeside homestead. Limited freedom allowed Meagher to fish and garden and to marry Catherine – a pretty girl from a nearby settlement. He adapted to the best of his abilities. Still considered a criminal, the internal flame of freedom continued to burn. A daring rowboat escape across a treacherous ocean strait led to a ship headed for America. If successful, a pregnant Catherine would follow.

Life #4: Meagher joined the growing Irish population in New York City. He looked to the law and journalism to become financially stable during a time of intense prejudice against Irish immigrants. His wife moved to Ireland where Meager was still a fugitive, an ocean away from the country and the woman he loved. Childbirth destroyed Catherine’s weak health. Meagher mourned the loss of his wife, his homeland, and separation from his son.

Life #5: A new love softened the melancholy challenges in a new country. He fell in love and married Elizabeth Townsend. Marital bliss was interrupted as he witnessed the country being torn apart by secession and war. The tragic turn presented an opportunity to prove the worth of courageous Irish immigrants. An army volunteer, Meagher rose through the ranks by recruitment ability and bravery. At the Battle of Fair Oaks, the Irish Brigade under the green flag with a golden harp, held the line led by Meagher’s flashing sword from horseback. The Brigade gained a reputation for courage – opposite of the cautious commanding general – McClellan. Hearing the tales of bravery, President Lincoln recommended Meagher’s promotion to Brigadier General.

The Brigade paid a dear price for their fearlessness at Antietam and Fredericksburg. On the front lines the Irish Brigade was decimated. Irish blood covered the battlefields from both the Union and Confederate sides. Wanting to refill the Brigade’s ranks, Army officials refused to give Meagher permission to find new recruits.  

Life #6: As the country settled into a time of peace, restlessness led Meagher to his next adventure in the American West. After the small island of his homeland and an equally small island of his exile, the expanse of the West fascinated Meagher. He embraced the idea of a New Ireland in the West free of prejudice. President Johnson appointed him acting territorial governor of Montana.

An uncompromising Irishman, soldier, and easterner, he made enemies. English prep school student, freedom fighter, political fugitive, wilderness homesteader, and soldier did not prepare him for the reality of the lawless West. His integrity clashed with those intent on vigilante justice. On a trip down the Missouri River, Meagher disappeared from a steamboat, followed by stories and conspiracy theories. Did the hard-drinking Irishman fall overboard in a drunken stupor? Was he thrown overboard by henchmen of a political rival? The mystery lies under the swift moving currents of the Missouri. His body was never recovered. So much life crammed into 43 years.

As his image sits on a horse with sword raised, listen closely. Thomas Francis Meager speaks from an unknown place, “Mine is a story of purpose, passion, courage, resilience, and mystery – a story worth telling.”

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Copyright 2024 © Alan Vandervoort

Resources:
For more information on this fascinating story, I highly recommend the book, “The Immortal Irishman” by Timothy Egan.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Other resources:
Wikipedia
Death Valley Days 1960
History.com

Follow Alan’s TTIM Stories at Facebook.com/alan.vandervoort or Instagram & Threads vandervoort_author or www.alanvandervoort.com. Novels: Sandhills – A Novel and Key Largo Summer are found at Booklocker.com and other online booksellers.