the highest and most responsible stations in the army, navy, cabinet, and Congress.

Until the flames of war broke out, the objects of the society were purely social and convivial. They met and dined and sang and joked, as Irishmen have been wont to do from time immemorial, and many a time Washington was present at their festivities. In 1775 the revolutionary feeling became very intense, and the side which the members of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick took is very unequivocally indicated by the record of their proceedings at the meeting of December 17, 1775. A motion was made, seconded, and carried, that Thomas Batt, a member of the society, should be expelled for taking an active part against the liberties of America. When at last war was declared, this group of brilliant Irishmen threw themselves into the movement with all the energy and resolution of educated men. No one saw more keenly than did Washington what valuable material for leaders there was in this Society of Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and we see at once that he availed himself, without any delay, of the martial instincts of his Irish colonists.

It would be impossible to go through all the roll' of honourable Irish names that adorned the military history of the American Revolution; but amongst the Friendly Sons" there are some that must be

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mentioned. Major-General Anthony Wayne, the son of Irish parents, entered the army at the age of twenty-nine, and fought in Canada, at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and led the assault in the most desperate attack on Stony Point at the point of the bayonet. General Wayne was known as "Mad Anthony," on account of his reckless valour.

General Walter Stewart came to America, from Londonderry, when very young, entered the army, and was appointed a colonel of infantry at the age of twenty-one, causing great annoyance amongst native American officers of greater age and longer standing.

General William Thompson was a native of the north of Ireland. He accompanied Montgomery in his expedition to Quebec, and commanded the American forces at the battle of Trois Rivières, in Canada, in June, 1776.

Major-General H. Y. Knox was born of Irish parents, and throughout the whole revolutionary contest was actively engaged as an artillery officer, besides having occupied the post of Secretary at War and of the Navy, under General Washington, until 1794.

General William Irvine was born in Ireland, and was educated for the profession of medicine. He

raised, commanded, and equipped a regiment of the Pennsylvanian line, and was entrusted with the defence of the north-western frontier. He subsequently became a member of Congress.

General Edward Hand was born in Ireland and became one of the most distinguished officers of the American army of Revolution, and was so high in the confidence of Washington as to become adjutantgeneral, and was considered one of his right-hand men.

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Stephen Moylan, the first president of the Friendly Sons," was also distinguished by the confidence of Washington, and rose to the rank of brigadier-general of cavalry. He was a native of the south of Ireland, and brother to the Catholic Bishop of Cork.

Colonel Richard Butler and his two brothers, scions of the Ormonde family, also distinguished themselves during the war, particularly at Stony Point and Saratoga. The first rose afterwards to the rank of major-general, and was tomahawked by an Indian chief at the battle of St. Clair in 1791. Honourable mention is made of Colonel Butler in Marshall's "Life of Washington."

John Barry was the first commodore of the American navy, and was born in the county of Wexford. He entered the merchant service in early life as captain of a ship owned by Reese Meredith.

General Washington, on his visits to Philadelphia, always stayed at Mr. Meredith's house, and thus became acquainted with Captain Barry and his abilities.

These were the principal Irishmen of this convivial society who rose to prominence in the war of Revolution. There were others from various states who are deserving of mention. But before briefly giving some account of them, let me conclude with one instance of the material assistance rendered by this Irish club to the necessities of the American army. At a time when everything depended on a vigorous prosecution of the war, it was found almost impossible to arouse the public spirit of the Americans. In this emergency was conceived and carried into operation "the plan of the Bank of Pennsylvania, established for supplying the army of the United States with provisions for two months." Ninety-three individuals and firms subscribed, and the amount realized was £300,000. Of this, twenty-seven members* of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick subscribed £103,500.

* Their names show their origin to have been nearly all of Ulster parentage, viz. Robert Morris, Blair M'Clenachan, William Bingham, J. M. Nesbitt, Richard Peters, Samuel Meredith, James Mease, Thomas Barclay, Hugh Shiell, John Dunlap, John Nixon, George Campbell, John Mease; Bunner, Murray, and Co.; John Patton, Benjamin Fuller, George Meade and Co., John Donaldson, Henry Hill, Kean and Nichols, James and Samuel Caldwell, John Shee, Sharp Delany, Tench Francis.

But besides these Irish soldiers and citizens, members of this remarkable convivial society, there were many others of Irish birth and parentage engaged in the War of Revolution. Richard Montgomery, the first general of the Continental Army who fell in the struggle, was born at Conroy Castle, near Raphoe, in the county of Donegal. He was killed at Quebec. On the news of his death, Sir Henry Newenham appeared in the Irish Parliament in full mourning, and when his wife visited Ireland, she was visited by the Duke of Leinster and the Earl of Charlemont.

The three brothers, John, Daniel, and Ebenezer Sullivan, were three very conspicuous figures throughout the revolutionary period. Indeed, it is claimed for John Sullivan that he struck the first blow for American independence. He and John Langdon, in 1774, seized the military stores at Fort William and Mary, at the entrance of the harbour of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This was the first exploit of the movement, and the powder thus obtained enabled the rebels, as they then were, to fight the battle of Bunker's Hill. After the deaths of Generals Montgomery and Thompson, Sullivan became general of the northern division of the Continental Army, and served with great distinction during the succeeding campaigns.

John Stark was the son of one of the oldest Irish