Conference tallis::celt

1575.0. "Sitting Bull's medal" by ESSC::KMANNERINGS () Fri May 10 1996 19:02

    SITTING BULL'S MEDAL
    
    from todays Irish Times
    
    Sir, - I wish to enlist the assistance of your readers in tracing a
    very famous medal indeed. It was the medal that Sitting Bull wore around 
    his neck at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in
    1876, in which he defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Custer.
    
    What therefore is my interest in this medal? It concerns the Wild Geese
    and their involvement in this famous battle.
    
    The Wild Geese were forced to leave Ireland in the 17th century, and
    became soldiers of fortune, fighting on every inhabited continent. 
    Sometimes they fought each other, but their main foe was the British, 
    who had forced on them their dangerous and bitter exile. They
    made their presence felt in the world. They fought in every major
    conflict from the days of Louis XIV to the last World War. They founded 
    four navy's and were particularly active in the foundation of the United 
    States, Chile, Peru and Mexico. They were to a great extent
    responsible for opening up the western states of America, and were
    particularly active in the Boer War in South Africa. They fought on both 
    sides in the American Civil War, and they fought for the French Revolution.
    Four were Washington's principal aides just as four
    others were signatories of the American Declaration of Independence.
    Over 60 fell at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
    
    Sitting Bull wore this medal until his death in 1890. It was given to
    him by one of the Wild Geese. I am therefore seeking further information 
    about it, and I would like to have same
    included in the proposed Wild Geese Heritage Museum and the Wild Geese
    Library at Portumna Castle. - Yours, etc., SEAN RYAN, (hon sec),Portumna 
    Twinning Committee,
    Auvergne Lodge, Dominick Street, Portumna, Co Galway.
    

    
    Kev,
    
    Interesting stuff..Must say i didn't know about the Museum etc At
    Portumna?..is the library open to the public...IF I recall correctly
    The castle is outside the town??...
    
    rgs,
    
    mick

    dunno Mick. I was just wondering if any of our American friends know
    any more about Sitting Bull's medal. That's why I posted it. Did
    anyones great-grand parents leave any stories? 

> Did anyones great-grand parents leave any stories? 

About the last time Limerick won a senior All-Ireland?

                 James :-(.

    I'll believe a lot of things James, but I don't believe Sitting Bull
    was wearing an All-Ireland hurling medal at Little Big Horn, and anyway
    being the kind of guy he was he would have played for Offaly.

I think Sitting Bull would have fitted into the 
Limerick setup (Hurling or Rubgy) quite nicely and
if you look far enough back you'll find that he
had some Limerick root :-).

                  James.

    re.last
    
    What utter rubbish. Sitting Bull would have played on the Tipp full
    back line - alongside John Doyle, Michael Meagher and Kieran Carey. He
    would have been in good company.
    
    Come to think of it, he probably would not have been able to hold his
    place on that back line. -)
    
    I have some vague recollection about this medal belonged to Miles Byrne
    of Carlow. Details escape me at the moment. Miles was Custer's second -
    in command, I believe.
    
    MBr 

A Miles Byrne was also involved deeply in the rising down in
Wexford in 1798.  I don't think it could be the same Miles 
Byrne that was there at the death (no pun intended) at Little 
Big Horn though?

                        James.