Series 2 - Hibernicus: or Memoirs of an Irishman, Now in America....

141pp

Materials pertaining to the anonymous 1828 memoir Hibernicus: or Memoirs of an Irishman, Now in America.... (Pittsburgh: Cramer & Spear), including a photocopy of the book and Kerby A. Miller's notes on the memoir written circa 1974. The anonymous was a Catholic born in 1779; his father a member of the Irish Volunteers. The author initially received a good education but experienced a great deal of hardship due to his father's circumstances (failed marriages, heavy debt, and early death). Despite his Catholic faith, the author served in the British Army during the 1798 Rebellion, providing a vivid eyewitness account of the pivotal Battle of Vinegar Hill. His reflections blend military duty with personal observations on the sectarian tensions of the era. The author eventually went to Dublin to study law but was disillusioned with what he saw as the biased and corrupt Irish justice system. His employer having committed suicide, the author left the legal profession and became a merchant. During this time, the author became a fervent Irish nationalist. In 1818, facing economic hardships, he emigrated from Ireland. His journey took him through Quebec before he eventually settled in the United States and worked as a merchant. In the latter portion of the text, the author describes further hardship experienced by himself and his young family on the American frontier.