MEAGHER, miiTher, THOMAS ERA NCI S ( 1823 67). An Irish-American soldier. De was born in Waterford, Ireland, and was educated at the .Tesuit College of Clongowes Wood. and at Stony burst College, Lancashire. England. On the outbreak of the French Revolution of IS-IS lie was sent to Paris by the Trish Confederation to congratulate the republican leaders.. On his re turn, he was arrested on a charge of sedition. tried for high treason. found guilty, and sen tenced to death; hut subsequently the sentence was changed to banishment for life to Tas mania. Transported thither, he escaped in 1852 and succeeded in reaching New York. In 1855 he began to practice at the New York bar. and the following year became the aditor of the Irish Yews. At the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, lie organized a company of zouaves, joined the Sixty-ninth Regiment. New York Vol unteers, was acting major at the first battle of Boll Run, and after serving the three months of the first cell, returned to New York and organized the Irish brigade. being commissioned
brigadier-general on February 3, 1862. 110 served in the latter part of the Peninsular campaign, and participated in the second battle of Bull Rim. and in the battles of Antietam and Fredericks burg.. in the last of which lie was seriously wounded while leading a charge on Slarye's heights. He resigned temporarily, but was re commissioned in 1864, and for some time was in command of the District of Etowah. He was appointed secretary of Montana Territory in 1865, and for several mouths in 1'366, during the absence of Governor Edgerton, served as Gov ernor pro tem. On July 1, Ititri, he fell from the deck of a steamer, at Fort lIenton, tut the upper :Missouri, and was drowned. Ile published o'_4ptechts an the Leyislatire Independence of Ire land (1852) and Last flops of the Sixty-ninth Ncir Th-giinent in Virginia.