John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition / / ed. by Philip Fennell, Marie King.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Backlist eBook-Package 2000-2013
• MitwirkendeR: Cusack, Martin Kevin,; Golway, Terry,
• HerausgeberIn: Fennell, Philip,; King, Marie,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [2006]; ©2006
• Year of Publication: 2006
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

The story of John Devoy’s 1876 Catalpa rescue is a tale of heroism, creativity, and the triumph of independent spirit in pursuit of freedom. The daily log on board the whaling ship Catalpa begins with the typical recount of a crew intact and a spirit unfettered, but such quiet words deceive the truth of the audacious enterprise that came to be known as one of the most important rescues in Irish American history. John Devoy’s men rescued six Irish political prisoners from the Australian coast, allowing millions of fellow Irishmen and American-Fenians, many of whom secretly financed the dangerous plot, to draw courage from the newly exiled prisoners.Philip Fennell and Marie King tell the story from John Devoy’s own records and the ship's logbooks. John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition includes an introduction by Terry Golway and the personal diaries, letters, and reports from John Devoy and his men. The story of John Devoy’s 1876 Catalpa rescue is a tale of heroism, creativity, and the triumph of independent spirit in pursuit of freedom. The daily log on board the whaling ship Catalpa begins with the typical recount of a crew intact and a spirit unfettered, but such quiet words deceive the truth of the audacious enterprise that came to be known as one of the most important rescues in Irish American history. John Devoy’s men rescued six Irish political prisoners from the Australian coast, allowing millions of fellow Irishmen and American-Fenians, many of whom secretly financed the dangerous plot, to draw courage from the newly exiled prisoners.Philip Fennell and Marie King tell the story from John Devoy’s own records and the ship's logbooks. John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition includes an introduction by Terry Golway and the personal diaries, letters, and reports from John Devoy and his men.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Editors’ Prologue -- Editors’ Note -- I Cruise of a New Bedford Whaler. That Brought Humiliation to England—Irish Skill and Yankee Grit Combined—Six Irish Military Prisoners Taken from an English Prison in Western Australia by The Clan-na-Gael—How and Why the Work Was Done -- II Seven Thousand Men Knew of the Expedition, but There Was No Traitor—Discussed from Maine To California—Yet the Blow Fell on England Like a Bolt from the Blue—How the Work Was Started —The Committee in Charge -- III John Mitchel Knew of the Project and Helped to Raise Funds —A Characteristic Letter -- IV Official Report of the Work Done Presented to a Convention in 1876—The Arduous Work of Raising the Money—How John Boyle O’Reilly Got a United States Naval Engineer to Inspect the Vessel -- V [No heading in the original account. The chapter describes the final preparations and departure of the Catalpa.] -- VI How John J. Breslin and Thomas Desmond of San Francisco Were Selected to Do the Work—An Appointment by James Stephens -- VII Auspicious Beginning of the Expedition by Captain Anthony Succoring a Ship in Distress—Caught Whale in the North Atlantic —John Breslin’s Official Report of the Enterprise—Anxiously Waiting for Ship’s Arrival -- VIII John J. Breslin’s Graphic Account of the Escape of the Six Prisoners, the Dash for the Boat, the Long and Weary Pull for the Ship, the Arrival on Board in the Nick of Time, and the Sharp Parley With the “Georgette”—The Victory Won -- IX Breslin’s Difficulties with the Men on the Homeward Voyage— Complained of Food and Treatment and Were Discontented— Demanded to Be Put Ashore and Forced a Change in the Plans— Arrived in New York -- X Unexpected Arrival of the Vessel in New York Creates Many Difficulties—Factional Attempt to “Capture” The Men from the Committee Foiled by Patrick Lennon’s Quiet Threat to Use Force —Work of Providing for the Soldiers -- XI Work of Raising Funds for the Rescued Men and the Winding Up of the Expedition—The Slander-Monger at Work—Financial Statement of the Enterprise -- XII The Expedition Wound Up After Many Difficulties—John King’s Narrative of His Part in the Work—The Fenians in Australia Had a Rescue Project of Their Own—Meeting with Breslin—How He Ran the Quarantine -- XIII John King Continues His Narrative of His Personal Part in the Enterprise—Meeting with the Two Men Sent From the Other Side of the Atlantic on the Same Errand—The Two Parties Arrange to Cooperate -- XIV Conclusion of John King’s Narrative of His Share in the Splendid Work—The Severe Ordeal in the Open Boat and the Race for the Ship Facing British Guns—Safe in the Land of the Free -- Editors’ epilogue -- Appendix A: letters from James Wilson -- Appendix B: from the report of the eighth annual [clan-na-gael] convention, Cleveland, Ohio, September 4, 1877 -- Appendix B: from the report of the eighth annual [clan-na-gael] convention, cleveland, ohio, september 4, 1877 -- Sources -- Index -- About the editors