THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT.
The American-Irish Historical society has become a permanent institution. We are now entering the third year of our existence. Success has attended our efforts from the start, and the future is bright with prospect for continued good work.
The society already has a membership of close to 1,000, and the material will compare favorably with that of any historical organization in this country. Among our members are representatives of the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of the Cincinnati, the Sons of the Revolution, the Military Order of Foreign Wars, the United States Medal of Honor Legion, the Society of Tammany, the Bunker Hill Monument society, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion and several other patriotic bodies.
We have also in our membership representatives of literary and educational organizations such as the Papyrus club of Boston, the Twentieth Century club of that city, the American Oriental society, the New England Historic-Genealogical society, the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, Denmark, and the Archæological Institute of America. Relative to the great American universities, we number in our ranks alumni of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Boston, Johns Hopkins, Bowdoin, Brown, Notre Dame, the University of Vermont, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia. The Catholic University at the national capital is represented on our roll by its rector, its vice-rector and three of the faculty.
We have among our associates descendants of David O’Killia (O’Kelly), the Irishman who located on Cape Cod, Mass., as early as 1657; of Barnabas Palmer, an Irishman, born in 1725, who was present at the capture of Louisburg, and of Gen. Stephen Molyan of the American Revolution. Three great societies composed mainly of men of Irish lineage are likewise represented in our organization. I refer to the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, founded in 1737; the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia, and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of New York city.
We have with us, too, many people who are prominent in law, medicine, and journalism, and many who have attained eminence on the bench, in science and art, and in mercantile pursuits. With this composition, the American-Irish Historical society can legitimately claim to be well equipped in personnel for the work it has in view.
In the war with Spain, just closed, our Society was well represented, and one of our members perished in battle before Santiago de Cuba. Of the Society there fought on Cuban soil: Theodore Roosevelt of the Rough Riders; Capt. John Drum of the Tenth U. S. Infantry, Major W. H. Donovan of the Ninth Massachusetts, and Sergt. E. F. O’Sullivan, also of the Ninth.
Gen. M. C. Butler of the Cuban Evacuation Commission is of us, while in the Sixty-ninth New York we are also represented.
Since our last annual meeting seven members have died. They were: Dr. Joseph H. Fay, Fall River, Mass.; Mr. Andrew Athy, Worcester, Mass.; Mr. John R. Alley, Boston, Mass.; City Marshal John E. Conner, Chicopee, Mass.; Rev. Philip Grace, D. D., Newport, R. I.; Capt. John Drum, U. S. A., and Capt. John M. Tobin, Washington, D. C.
Captain Drum, of the Tenth U. S. Infantry, was killed in battle near Santiago, Cuba, July 2, 1898. A braver soldier never lived. His obsequies took place in Boston, our Society contributing an appropriate floral offering. Captain Tobin died in December, last, at Knoxville, Tenn. Up to within a short time before his death he had been assistant quartermaster, First Brigade, Second Division, First Army Corps. During the Civil War he served gallantly in the Ninth Massachusetts regiment, particularly distinguishing himself at Malvern Hill, and being wounded at the Wilderness.