Captain John Lonergan – Civil War Hero
by William L. McKone
now available through the Brewster River Press
Experience the fascinating life of John Lonergan as told in the new book Vermont’s Irish Rebel. The cruel Famine led to the uprising of 1848 near his home town of Carrick on Suir, County Tipperary, and his immigration as a boy to Vermont. Lonergan’s dedication to the liberation of Ireland from British rule brought him into the Fenian Brotherhood, where he joined with other militant nationalists.
Lonergan formed Vermont’s only ethnic military unit, the Emmet Guards, which served as Company A, 13th Vermont, in the Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the Battle of Gettysburg, leading the charge of the Vermont regiments against Pickett’s forces on July 3, 1863.
After the war, Lonergan joined in the Fenian invasions of Canada in 1866 and 1870. He died in 1902, before Ireland became “a nation once again,” and is buried in Burlington, Vermont.
Click for a sample from the book
This handsome book of thoroughly-researched history contains numerous illustrations, including maps that will orient the reader to each area of action. Almost 600 pages weave a tapestry of Irish, American, and Canadian historical events centering on the struggle for Irish independence, all carefully sourced and indexed.