The battery attached to the regiment was commanded by a Capt. Shields, one of whose lieutenants was a McCarty; possibly it may have been Page McCarty, mentioned before. This battery was from Virginia. The adjutant-general of Gen. Beauregard was Thomas Jordan. It will be noticed that this name, given and proper, was borne by one of the immigrants coming over before 1624. Shields and McCarty were also among the early Irish names. Surgeon McClanahan is commended in a letter written by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and in the report of Gen. Stonewall Jackson. He also speaks in the highest terms of his surgeon, Dr. Hunter McGuire. A Francis McGuire was in Virginia in 1608, and a Capt. Francis McGuire, who was a commissioned officer in the Revolutionary War, was the occasion of trouble between the states of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
McGuire was charged with taking away a free negro man from Pennsylvania. The correspondence between the states in consequence, as given in the state papers, is quite lengthy. From this it can be seen that the McGuires have figured from an early period in the history of the Old Dominion down to the present. Dr. Hunter McGuire was by the side of Stonewall Jackson when the latter died, after receiving the fatal wound from a volley fired by his own men at Chancellorsville.
Perhaps no name is more closely connected with Virginia for a certain reason than is that of Lynch. John Lynch was the son of an Irish immigrant who arrived in Virginia in the early part of the eighteenth century. His son, of the same name, was one of the first settlers of the town bearing his name, Lynchburg. His brother, Col. Charles Lynch, was prominent during the Revolution. He commanded a regiment at the battle of Guilford Court House. His son bearing the same name was governor of Louisiana. Col. Lynch was a bitter enemy of the Tories. It is said that the term “Lynch law” originated with him. He was credited with having hung not less than one hundred Tories by his own hand. Hence the expression “Lynch law.” This, however, is disputed by Irish writers, who claim that it originated with a mayor of Galway in the olden times, who, when the sheriff refused to hang his son convicted of murder, took the law into his own hands and executed him himself, following the example of Brutus, who performed a similar act during the existence of the Roman republic. One of the family, whether or not a descendant it is not necessary to know, was Lieut.-Commander William F. Lynch of the navy, who explored the valley of the Jordan some time before the Civil War. He was a officer in the Confederate navy in the War of the Rebellion.
Capt. John Fitzgerald was Washington’s favorite aide. It is stated that he was “the finest horseman in the American army.” His home was in Alexandria. During the trouble with France after the Revolution he was appointed to command the defences of that city. He was a man of the highest character and was universally respected. Col. Alexander McClanahan was one of a family, or clan, which furnished not a few useful men to Virginia for over a century. His brother, Capt. Robert McClanahan, was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant in 1770. This was called one of the bloodiest Indian engagements on record.
Surgeon McClanahan, who has been mentioned in the letter of Gen. Lee quoted, is undoubtedly of the same family. Within a few years, a Miss Virginia McClanahan was president of the Daughters of the American Revolution of the city of Washington.
John Lewis was an immigrant from Ireland who came to Virginia before the Revolution. Two of his sons, Col. Andrew Lewis and Capt. Charles Lewis, were in the battle of Point Pleasant, also. Charles was killed. The colonel afterwards served in the War of the Revolution, reaching the rank of general before the struggle was over.
Major William Croghan was an officer of the Virginia line in the Continental army. The name was borne by many men who had distinguished themselves during the Revolutionary period, and are well known to the readers of American history.
Among other officers of the line were Captains James Currey, Lawrence Butler, Michael Wallace, John McCoy and Matthew Carney; Lieutenants Joseph Conway, Timothy Fealey, Peter Higgins, John Jordan, John Rooney and William McGuire. Luke Cannon, Robert Hayes, William D. O’Kelley, Patrick McElroy and Patrick Lockhart are also mentioned. Major Ferdinand O’Neal was a distinguished officer of dragoons during the same period. The name occurs frequently as O’Neal, McNeil, Neal, Neale, and Neilly.
A Captain Sullivan was also an officer in the Virginia forces, with a Major Charles McGill. His company was known as Sullivan’s Militia. Capt. John O’Bannon was major of Farquier’s battalion of militia of Williamsburg. Col. William Fleming was one of the well-known officers and a representative of the name was among the first settlers in 1635. John Moylan was appointed clothier-general, and as such was sent to Boston to get clothing.
Among those who were killed at Point Pleasant with McClanahan and Lewis were Capt. McBride and Lieut. McGuire, and privates John MacMurdrey, Francis McBride, Hugh Cunningham, John Foley, Andrew McConnell and John O’Neal. About fifty in all were killed in this engagement.