Thomas P. Phelan, LL. D., Maryknoll Seminary, Ossining, N. Y.
The Catholic Historical Review, Volume 7, April 1921 – January 1922
By American Catholic Historical Association
That Catholics discovered and explored this continent and founded the first permanent settlements within the present limits of the Republic is one of the commonplaces of history. That Catholics played a prominent role in the revolutionary struggle is equally certain, although few recognize the fact. Occasionally, in the press or the pulpit, our present-day Catholics are styled aliens and even enemies, enjoying the liberty and prosperity won by the ancestors of their non-Catholic brethren. Even Bancroft assails the patriotism of the revolutionary Catholics: “The great mass of its (the Roman Church’s) members — who were chiefly newcomers in the Middle States — followed the influence of the Jesuits.” Quoting from a letter of Barbe de Marbois, French Charge d’Affaires during the controversy concerning the appointment of a bishop for the Catholics of the emancipated colonies, he says: “The Catholics, always directed by the Jesuits in this country, have been ill-disposed to the revolution; they are not much better disposed towards us. But several persons of consideration have not the same prejudices. One of them, Mr. Carroll (Charles Carroll of Carrollton), has even spoken to me of the desire of the whole congregation to be directed by a bishop “or vicar apostolic.” These attacks on the Jesuits were false and malicious. For more than a century they had labored in Maryland and Pennsylvania, the only colonies where Catholics were numerous. “The Catholic priests are all known; there is no charge of Tory proclivities against any one of them. Tory writers like Smyth and Eddy, familiar with Maryland, where most of the priests were, never claim the Catholic clergy as friendly to their side.” * It was a futile attempt to prove that the poorer Catholics, deluded by their spiritual advisers, were dis loyal, that the educated and wealthy classes alone supported the
1 History of the Foundation of the Constitution of the United States, Vol. v, p. 296.
*Ibid., p. 421.
‘Shea, History of the Catholic Church in the United States, Vol. II,
p. 186.
cause of independence. Yet the testimony of contemporary writers is opposed to such statements. Archbishop Carroll, defending the loyalty of his Catholic flock, asserts: “Their blood flowed as freely (in proportion to their numbers) to cement the fabric of independence as that of their fellow citizens. They concurred with perhaps greater unanimity than any other body of men in recommending and promoting that government from whose influence America anticipates all the blessings of justice, peace, plenty, good order and civil and religious liberty.” Washington also bears testimony to their valorous deeds: “On the 15th of March, 1790, the Catholics of the Republic presented an address to the newly elected President, congratulating him on his election. Bishop-elect John Carroll signed for the clergy, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Daniel Carroll, Thomas FitzSimmons and Dominic Lynch for the laity. In his reply, Washington paid tribute to the American Catholics and their French allies : “And I presume that your fellow citizens will not forget the patriotic part which you took in the accomplishment of our revolution and the establishment of our government — or the important assistance which they received from a nation in which the Roman Catholic faith is professed.”
The Catholic population was small and confined almost exclusively to Maryland and Pennsylvania. Writing to Cardinal Antonelli in 1785, Dr. Carroll refers to this matter: “There are in Maryland about 15,800 Catholics; of these there are about 9,000 freemen, adults over twelve years of age; children under that age about 3,000; and about that number of slaves of all ages of African origin, called Negroes; there are in Pennsylvania about 7,000, very few of whom are Negroes . . . there are not more than two hundred in Virginia … In the State of New York I hear there are at least 1,500. As to the Catholics who are in the territory bordering on the river called Mississippi … I hear (there are) many Catholics, formerly Canadians, who speak French.”* Bancroft furnishes another estimate:7 ‘The whole number of Catholics within the thirteen colonies, as reported
* Ibid., p. 168.
‘American Catholic Historical Researches (1911), pp. 292-298.
4 Shea, op. eit., p. 257.
f History of the Foundation of the Constitution of the United States , Vol. i, pp. 224-225.
by themselves about the year 1784, was 32,500. Twenty thousand, of whom 8,000 were slaves, dwelt in Maryland. The four southernmost colonies had but 2,500; New England but 600; New York and New Jersey collectively only 1,700; Pennsylvania and Delaware, lands of toleration, had 7,200; the French Catholics settled between the western boundary of the States and the Mississippi were estimated at 12,000 more. Apparently, Bancroft copied these figures from a letter of Marbois to Vergennes, written in 1785. • They appear exaggerated in certain colonies, yet the total agrees with the figures of Dr. Carroll. To these must be added the Indians of Maine, converts of the martyred Father Rasle, who never lost the faith. It is impossible to state accurately the number of Catholics, yet it is safe to say that there were at least forty thousand at the close of the revolutionary struggle. To minister to their spiritual welfare, “there are nineteen priests in Maryland and five in Pennsylvania, all members of the suppressed Society of Jesus, and in addition, Father Peter Gibault in the western settlements. These inoffensive Catholics and their priests were outlaws according to the Penal Laws of England and local enactments frequently added to their misery.” Archbishop Carroll in his narratives relates: “As long as the Provinces were subject to the British, the Catholic religion had not penetrated into any but Maryland and Pennsylvania. The laws were most vigorous against the exercise of it; a priest was subject to death for only entering within their territories. Catholics were subject to the most vigorous penalties for adhering to the worship which their con- sciences approved and were not only excluded from every office under the government, but would hardly have been suffered to remain in any of the other Provinces, if known to profess the faith of Rome. In this situation of things, few Catholics settled in other states or if they did, dissembled their religion, and either attached themselves to some other, or intermarried with Protestants and suffered their children to be educated in error. Even in Maryland and Pennsylvania the condition of Catholics was a state of oppression.” ‘ The late Martin I. J. Griffin, commenting on this statement, says: “There are no signs of the oppression in Pennsylvania as far as historical inquiry can now
‘Ibid., p. 421.
* American Catholic Historical Researches (1906), p. 164.
determine. Catholics have lull religious liberty as today; the right to open public chapels distinct from the private residences of the priests and to perform all religious functions of religion unrestrained by law as today. Any oppression must have been personal such as may yet today be manifested.” A brief perusal of the writings of Sanford H. Cobb show conclusively that Catholics were deprived of civil and religious rights in all the colonies except Pennsylvania. Although Penn enfranchised the Catholics, the test oaths devised under William and Mary and repeated during the reign of Anne debarred them from office as they could not take the blasphemous oath.” Even when the colonists were arming for the mighty struggle, Catholicism was attacked and maligned. The passage of the Quebec Act aroused animosity in every colony. In 1774, the Continental Congress in an address to His Majesty expressed surprise that a British Parliament “should ever consent to establish in that country (Canada) a religion that has deluged your Island in blood, and dispersed Impiety, Bigotry, Persecution, Murder and Rebellion through every part of the world.” Even such sterling patriots as John Adams, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton opposed the Act and denounced Catholicism. In addresses, pamphlets and sermons, clergy and laity thundered against the attempt to establish the “Romish religion.”
Yet Catholics, although few and despised, were prominent figures in the fight for liberty. In Maryland their leader was Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, the richest and most influential citizen of the colony. In his native province, on the floor of Congress, in the embassy to Canada, as the friend and supporter of Washington during the dark days of Valley Forge and White Marsh, he was the ideal patriot, and his name is indelibly inscribed on the Honor Roll of the Republic. With him labored his cousins, John, the first Bishop and Archbishop of Baltimore, and Daniel, a future framer of the Constitution and a member of the first Federal Congress. “Maryland contributed Neales,
“Ibid.
u Rise of Religious Liberty in America, p. 445.
“ American Catholic Historical Researches (1906), pp. 16-17. u
Ibid., pp. 8, 10, 16.
Bearmans, Brents, Semmes, Mattinglys, Brookes, and Kiltys. The rank and file contained numbers of Catholics.” “By far the greatest number of Roman Catholics are on the Western Shore, and what is very surprising, it was also the most violently rebellious and disaffected.” Among some of the Catholic officers of the Maryland Line were : Lieutenant William Clarke of the seventh battalion; Henry Neale of the fifth independent company; Lieutenants James Semmes of the first battalion and Ignatius Semmes of the second; Patrick McSherry, who removed to Pennsylvania and distinguished himself in the patriotic movements of that colony. “To obtain Religious as well as Civil Liberty, I entered zealously into the Revolution. God grant that this religious liberty may be preserved in these states to the end of time.” So spoke the great patriot in after years when he saw his co-religionists enjoying that civil and religious freedom they had purchased by the effusion of their blood.
In Pennsylvania the Catholics were mainly Germans, with a fair proportion of Irish. Both nationalities were represented in the patriotic ranks. The leading figures were: Captain John Barry, the Wexford Irishman, who brought the first prize to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, who fought in the Trenton-Princeton campaign, when the British fleet blockaded the bay, who won the last naval battle of the Revolution and at the close of hostilities commanded the entire navy of the colonies. He is justly styled “The Father of the American Navy,” as Washington appointed him Captain number one on the organization of the Federal navy, and under him were trained Stewart, Dale and Jacob Jones, naval heroes of the War of 1812. Another staunch patriot was Stephen Moylan, born in Cork, Secretary and Aide-de-camp to Washington, Quarter- master General, Colonel of the Fourth Pennsylvania Dragoons, Commander of the cavalry after the resignation of Pulaski, and Brigadier General, who joined the Commander-in-chief at Cam- bridge and was with him in many engagements until the final triumph at Yorktown. George Meade and Thomas FitzSimmons, patriotic merchants of Philadelphia, subscribed two
14 Shea, op. eit., p. 153.
“ American Catholic Historical Researches <1910), p. 222.
u Ibid., (1909), p. 336.
“Ibid. (1906), p. 827.
“Ibid. (1906), p. 247.
thousand pounds to establish a bank for supplying food and clothing to the dispirited army during the dark days of 1780. FitzSimmons organized a company and took part in the Trenton- Princeton campaign. Among the lesser heroes we find a most cosmopolitan list of names: Colonel John Moore, Major Michael Ryan and Major John Doyle of the army; Captains John Rosseter, Roger Kean, John Walsh and William Keeler of the Navy or the privateers; Paul Essling of the German regiment; Joseph Cauffman, surgeon of the ill-fated frigate Randolph, and Dr. Joseph Durang; Emanuel Holmes, a Portuguese “who loved liberty” ; Sergeant Andrew Wallace, a Scotchman, survivor of the Paoli massacre; Captain Anthony Selin, a gallant Swiss, hero of many battles. “Of the Catholics as a body, it cannot be said that they supported either side. Individuals followed their personal judgment in the matter, for the Catholic Church does not influence the political sentiments of her members.” As the muster rolls make no mention of the religion of the recruits, it would be a hopeless task to attempt to select the Catholic names from the record. Yet it is safe to say that both Irish and Germans followed the example of the leaders just named, and supplied a quota of enlistments, in proportion to their numbers, equal to their divided non-Catholic brethren.
In the other colonies, although Catholics were few in numbers we find many distinguished names. Colonel John Fitzgerald, aide-de-camp and secretary to Washington, and his eight co-religionists — the entire Catholic population of Alexandria, who joined the patriotic army at the outbreak of hostilities; Thomas Burke, of North Carolina, Delegate to Congress, 1777 to 1780, Governor, 1780, an officer of the State Line, who was captured and imprisoned by the Tories ; Aedanus Burke, a relative, Major in the Continental Army and Chief Justice of South Carolina ; Oliver Pollock, soldier under Galvez, who sent many
“ Ibid., Vol. v, pp. 513.
“Ibid. (1908), pp. 321-342.
“Ibid. (1907), p. 354.
“Ibid. (1908), p. 313.
” Ibid. (1908), p. 325.
* Kirijn, Catholicity in Philadelphia, p. 100. Philadelphia, 1909. “ American Catholic Historical Researches (1911), p. 276.
-Ibid. (1910), pp. 293-295.
” Ibid. (1905), p. 27.
supplies to the American army from Louisiana; the Rev. Peter Gibault and Dr. Lafont, patriotic French-Canadians, and Colonel Francis Vigo, the brave Italian, who assisted Colonel George Rogers Clarke in subduing the Northwest; the Catholic Indians of Maine and Nova Scotia, the St. John, Micmac, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes with their celebrated chieftain, Orono, who agreed “to oppose Old England” and guarded the frontiers from the Tories; Patrick Colvin, the Trenton boatman who ferried Washington’s army across the Delaware; the “Congress’ Own Regiments” under Hazen and Livingston, who suffered exile for the cause of freedom. From foreign lands came aid and sympathy. France sent four fleets and two armies and made independence certain. De Grasse, Rochambeau, D’Estaing and a host of volunteers like Lafayette, Du Coudray and Arundel fought or died for American freedom. Money, supplies, clothing and ammunition were sent to revive the drooping spirits of the patriots. Spain, too, supplied necessities and loaned large sums of money. The British possessions in the South were attacked and captured and Gibraltar was besieged. From Poland came the two heroes, Pulaski, the “Father of the American Cavalry,” who fell at Savannah, and Kosciusko, the “Father of the American Artillery,” who built the earthworks at Saratoga and fortified West Point. Volumes would be necessary to adequately describe the valor of those foreign patriots who gave so freely to the American cause and helped to establish the Republic. The present brief sketch can only make bare mention of some of their illustrious deeds.
It would be untruthful to say that all Catholics were loyal to the patriotic cause. “All Catholics did not take the part of the colonists — they were divided as all others were. Speaking in general terms, it may be believed that the Maryland Catholics were ‘Rebels,’ the Pennsylvania Catholics ‘Loyalists.’ The Mary- land Catholics wanted Religious liberty as well as Civil freedom, is the testimony of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. In Pennsylvania historian : “Every Catholic in the land was a Whig. In the
“ McCarthy, in Catholic Historical Review, Vol. ii, No. I, p. 68. * Shea, op. eit., pp. 188-189.
“American Catholic Historical Researches (1908), p. 193.
“Ibid. (1911), p. 268.
“Ibid. (1910), pp. 1-117.
* Ibid. (1910), pp. 128ff.
vania they had both/’ 44 Dr. Shea disagrees with the Philadel- list of Tories and Loyalists, in the volumes written since then, you cannot find the name of a single Catholic. There were no Catholic Tories.”** Bancroft, quoting from a letter of Marbois to Vergennes, gives another version, claiming that the Jesuits were opposed to the revolution, and had influenced the Catholics. ** Many documents have been found in later years which were unknown to Dr. Shea. Bancroft’s statement is false and misleading. Griffin’s conclusions are broad, yet he seems nearer to the truth. Contrary to the accepted teachings, the people of the colonies were not a unit for independence. All religious sects were divided on this question. “Peace professing Quakers became warriors, and even the Presbyterians — though they more than any other sect gave an almost unanimous support of America — yet had loyalists among them.” “New York alone furnished about fifteen thousand men to the British army and navy, and over eight thousand loyalist militia. All of the other colonies furnished about as many more, so that we can safely state that fifty thousand soldiers, either regular or militia, were drawn into the service of Great Britain from her American sympathizers.” ** When we consider the civil and religious dis- abilities of the Catholics in most of the colonies, it is not surprising that some at least remained loyal to King George.
Bancroft tells us: “In Philadelphia Howe had formed a regiment of Roman Catholics.” *• Contrary to the statements of some Catholic writers, the regiment was organized, with Alfred Clifton, a prominent member of St. Mary’s Church, as colonel and a roster of well-known Catholic officers. The Rev. Ferdinand Farmer was named as Chaplain, although he never served. “The offer,” he said, “embarrasseth me, on account of my age and several other reasons.” The exact number of recruits was 173. It accompanied the fleeing British on the
** Ibid. (1907), p. 277.
” Records of the United States Historical Society (1885), p. 20.
” History of the Foundation of the Constitution of the United States, Vol. v, p. 421.
” Griffin, Catholics m the American Revolution, Vol. i, p. 826.
“Van Tyne, Loyalists in the American Revolution, pp. 182-188.
* History of the United States, Vol. x, p. 175.
” Griffin, op. cit., Vol. ii, p. 828.
n American Catholic Historical Researches (1912), p. 88.
evacuation of Philadelphia and fought in Knyphausen’s corps at the battle of Monmouth. On reaching New York it had shrunk to “nearly eighty men” and was merged with the “Volunteers of Ireland.”
A little group of Scotch Highlanders who had settled in the Mohawk Valley, with their Chaplain, the Rev. John McKenna, are also enumerated with the Tories. Dr. Shea claims that the bigotry- of the patriots drove them to Canada : “Thus did anti- Catholic bigotry deprive New York of industrious and thrifty settlers and send to swell the ranks of the British army, men who longed to avenge the defeat at Culloden.” Recent researches show that the Highlanders were unwilling to violate the oath they had taken not to bear arms against the English government. In a petition for a priest, in 1785, their spokes- man tells of their loyalty to Britain during the Revolutionary struggle. *
There were Catholics also among the Hessian regiments sent to this country. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, was the Catholic ruler of a Protestant people. Among Washington’s papers a document is found relating to the embarkation of these German troops: “Among them are three thousand Westphalians, all Roman Catholics.” A Catholic Chaplain, Father Theobald, is mentioned, but his identity is shrouded in mystery. In the records of St. Mary’s Church, Philadelphia, several Hessian marriages are recorded, and in the little Catholic cemetery several Hessians are buried.
From this brief resume it is evident that all the Catholics were not Whigs, that some were Tories. Yet during that period races and sects were so divided that it would be wonderful if Catholics were united on this purely political question. Patriotism is only a relative term. Success made the rebels patriots, failure branded the loyalists traitors. Yet they must not be judged too harshly. Some followed the dictates of conscience; others were sold into military slavery by unjust rulers.
“ Griffin, op. eit., Vol. i, p. 337.
“Shea, History of the Catholic Church in the United States, Vol. ii, p. 187.
” Griffin, op. eit., Vol. i, pp. 133fF.
m American Catholic Historical Researches (1906), p. 827.
“ Griffin, op. cit., Vol. i, p. 172.
•Ibid., p. 178.
•American Catholic Historical Researches (1907), p. 248.
Yet the Catholic record in Revolutionary days was honor- able and their fellow citizens should not forget their noble deeds. They were persecuted by their non-Catholic brethren ; their religion was maligned; their loyalty was questioned. When the tocsin of war sounded, however, they adapted their conduct to the motto of Carroll : “We remember and we forgive.” Charles Carroll of Carrollton in the Halls of Congress, John Barry on the quarterdeck of his frigate, Stephen Moylan on the battlefield, typify Catholic fidelity and valor. “We believe,” said the Fathers of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, “that our country’s heroes were the instruments of the God of Nations in establishing this home of freedom.” 49 And in this great task our Catholic heroes played an honorable and an important part.
—Thomas P. Phelan, LL. D., Maryknoll Seminary, Ossining, N. Y.
Pastoral Letter, Third Plenary Council.