Patrick Callaghan, Fort Snelling, Minnesota, to sister Maggie, Fallow, Kilmacthomas, Waterford, 17 August 1883
Description
Patrick advises his brother Owen to join the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) in America and details the benefits of doing so. Makes many remarks that indicate his extreme Irish nationalist views; e.g., his desire for revenge against England, and his eulogy of Patrick O'Donnell, who killed the informer, James Carey, en route to South Africa. Notes that Irish immigrants suffer in America from low wages and high rental costs, and says he wants to form a kind of "family commune" with brother Owen and sister Bridget in some American city, once his term of enlistment in the U.S. Army is over. Also, he promises to send remittances home that will pay the apprenticeship fees for his younger brothers, because it is unwise for them to not have skilled trades (unlike himself and Owen, who are unskilled labourers).
Date
17/08/1883
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Resource Type
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/1/1/1
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
5pp
Topic
Callaghan/ O'Callaghan Letters
Geographic
Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling,Minnesota,United States,Fallagh (townland),Kilmacthomas,Waterford (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen eighties
Genre
Transcript,Reproduction
Note
Transcript, title and description by Professor Kerby Miller. Colloquial place name 'Fallow' is captured as contemporary 'Fallagh (townland)' in location metadata fields. Surname 'Callaghan' sometimes appears as 'O'Callaghan' across letters in this series.