In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

[ VI ] How John J. Breslin and Thomas Desmond of SanFranciscoWereSelectedtoDotheWork— AnAppointmentbyJamesStephens The ship having sailed, the next thing was to select the man to effect the rescue. This was done at a meeting held shortly after the departure of the ship. I intended to go myself and I was assured of all the votes of the committee except one (and I am not even sure that even that would be against me), but conditions arose, owing to impatience and dissatisfaction on the part of men who had helped to raise the money, which made it absolutely necessary that I should remain in New York. In fact, my disappearance would have at once indicated that I had gone to Australia and the consequent loose talk would almost certainly ruin the chances of success. I gave up the idea very reluctantly, mainly at the request of Patrick Mahon, the treasurer, and James Reynolds. John J. Breslin had just come from Boston to New York. His presence had not become widely known, so that his going away again would not cause any remark. He had liberated James Stephens from Richmond Prison and made a “clean job” of it. He was familiar with the British prison service, was a man of fine presence, good manners, high intelligence and very unusual decision of character. He was the ideal man for the work, but there was great difficulty in securing his selection. He was personally known to no member of the committee but myself and Goff, and only slightly to the latter, and he was not only not a member of the Clan, but belonged to a rival organization,143 having branches only in Boston and New York. It was as a member of a conference committee to bring about a union which did not come off that he had met Goff with me. Breslin was a proud man, and if I told him he could only be selected on 72 143. United Irish Brotherhood. Amos, 216. condition that he joined the Clan he would surely reject the offer. Yet when I proposed him for the chief command of the expedition that very condition was made, and it took some delicate negotiation to overcome his scruples. He finally was taken in quietly in Hoboken and all obstacles were removed. His selection was unanimous. California had raised nearly half the money collected for the expedition and made no condition and no “kick.” It made, however, a special and very earnest request that the selection of one man to take part in the work be left to John C. Talbot, California’s representative on the committee, and the request was unanimously agreed to. John C. Talbot selected Thomas Desmond,144 and he accompanied Breslin to Australia by steamer and gave a good account of himself when pluck and nerve were needed. Breslin started with insufficient funds, as he had to go to Los Angeles to consult John Kenealy, who had been released from Australia, knew all about conditions there and was a man of high intelligence and sound judgment. We had to trust to luck to get in the necessary funds after Breslin ’s departure, and there were long delays and embarrassing disappointments before he and Desmond were finally able to sail for Sydney. Senator Conover’s Services Breslin’s instructions were clear and explicit as to the disposition of the prisoners and the vessel after the rescue had been effected. No matter what plans we might have discussed here, the rescue itself had to be left to the man in charge when he should get on the ground and was face to face with the situation. But we in America had to provide for the prisoners and dispose of the ship, so the same instructions were given to Captain Anthony and to Breslin. The Catalpa was to make for Fernandina, Florida,145 land the men there and put out to sea again to cruise in the Atlantic for whale, so as to, if possible, clear the expenses of the expedition and pay back the advances made to the committee by a large number of clubs.146 How John J.Breslin and Thomas Desmond of San FranciscoWere Selected 73 144. Thomas Desmond (1838–1910) was born in Cobh, Cork and emigrated to America in 1854. He was an active Fenian and Clan member in California, where he became a wheelwright and carriage maker. Sheriff’s Star Bulletin, Vol. 1, Issue 1, August 2000 [http://www.ci...

Share