Joseph F.X. McCarthy Stephen Moylan: An American Military Career STEPHEN MOYLAN An American Military Career BACKGROUND Stephen Moylan immigrated to America in 1768, where he became one of the Philadelphia Irish who played leadership roles in the American Revolution. Moylan’s particular activity was in the Continental Army, which he served effectively as a citizen soldier. His career as staff and line officer illustrates very well the inchoate growing pains of our country’s armed forces. It also shows a man committed to his adopted United States, and still a fond son of his native Ireland. He provides us with an interesting example of the paths open to men of talent in the critical years of the American Revolution. In 1737, Stephen was born in Cork, a son of John Moylan and Mary Doran. The Moylans and Dorans were merchant families, among the most prosperous Catholic families in Cork. The penal code barred Irish Catholics from being educated in Ireland, but the family followed a tradition among Irish families that could afford the measure. They sent their sons to France for their formal education. According to a U.S. Army Unit History, Stephen “was educated by Jesuits in Paris”. An uncle, Fr. Patrick Doran, S.J., was active in France, and it is likely that he was in touch with Stephen during his student days. It is certain that Father Doran helped Stephen’s brother, Francis Moylan (1735-1815) who was a student in Paris. Fr. Doran helped the young man decide to become a priest for his home diocese of Cork, rather than for a monastic order. The Moylans seem to have followed another fairly common 18th Century habit: several sons migrated to foreign ports to establish informal branch offices of the family trading business. Stephen was an established businessman no later than 1765 at Lisbon, a city just recovering from the devastating earthquake of 1755. In 1768 he moved to America, settling in Philadelphia, which was soon to experience the political earthquake of the American Revolution. Pennsylvania was probably the only colony in which an immigrant Catholic could expect to be welcomed. Pennsylvania, founded by Quakers, was home to many Protestant sects not welcome elsewhere in British North America. It even tolerated Roman Catholics. Moylan became a parishioner at St. Mary’s Church, the mother Church of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, which had opened for services only in 1763. St. Mary’s became the first cathedral of the Diocese of Philadelphia in 1810. Page 1 Of 22 Joseph F.X. McCarthy Stephen Moylan: An American Military Career Philadelphia not only tolerated Catholics, it was the major American seaport, a second good reason for Stephen Moylan to reside there. Records show that Stephen Moylan entered several partnerships with other Philadelphians in owning several ships. He was also sole owner of several vessels at one time or another between 1768 and 1775. Like many colonial merchants, he prospered in the peacetime trade made possible by the end of the Seven Years War in 1763. That peace was threatened, however, by the escalating disaffection between the North American colonies and the home government. The Stamp Act controversy had hardly ended when Stephen arrived in America. The very next year, the English government insisted on keeping the tax on tea, which led, of course, to repression – and rebellion – in New England. Colonial merchants were caught up in embargoes and pledges to punish British commerce for the actions of the British government. Stephen Moylan had been in Philadelphia only three years when he joined a number of Philadelphians of Irish descent, to establish The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick. On St. Patrick’s Day in 1771, this “fraternal association” was created to assist immigrants from Ireland. (The New York Society of Friendly Sons dates from 1784.) The group was described as “for the most part men of fortune”. Many founders became prominent in the Revolution – seven Continental Generals, many regimental commanders, leaders in business and social events in the city. Only three founders were Roman Catholics – one of whom was Stephen Moylan. Moylan was chosen as the first President of the Society. Another Catholic member, Thomas FitzSimons, served in the Revolutionary War and represented Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention. He later helped found the Bank of North America and the Insurance Company of North America. Some indication of the standing of the early members of the Friendly Sons can be gathered from their “honorary” membership list (folks unfortunate enough not to have Irish blood!) At the first meeting, the group chose two Honorary Members whose names resonate in the Revolutionary War period. One was John Dickinson, a successful Philadelphia lawyer who specialized in commercial law. Dickinson represented Pennsylvania at the Continental Congress. He opposed a complete split with Great Britain, and voted against adopting the Declaration of Independence. Once Independence had been proclaimed, he volunteered for military service. Robert Morris, known to the schoolbooks as “Financier of the Revolution” was the second honorary member inducted by President Moylan in 1771. Morris must have been especially happy to have close contact with the Friendly Sons. According to the history of that organization, members contributed 35% of the funds needed to establish the Bank of the United States in 1780 – which Morris established to supply the Page 2 Of 22 Joseph F.X. McCarthy Stephen Moylan: An American Military Career Continental Army. Membership in the Society does never had any special political filter, but its members were solidly behind the Revolution. A solitary Tory among them was expelled from the Society! One anecdote is especially indicative of the attitude, and the prestige, of the Society. In December 1781, with victory at Yorktown virtually guaranteeing peace, the Friendly Sons wished to honor George Washington in a special way. What better than to make him an Honorary member? Unfortunately, the list of Honoraries was already full. So, a special exception was made for General Washington: he was “unanimously adopted” as a full member of the Society. The General wrote a gracious and apparently heartfelt acceptance, including the remarks. I accept with singular pleasure the Ensign of . a Society distinguished for the firm adherance of its Members to the glorious Cause in which we are embarked. Give me leave to assure you, Sir, that I shall never cast my eyes on the badge with which I am honoured, but with a grateful remembrance of the polite and affectionate manner in which it was presented. The General actually attended three meetings of the Society: one at which he was guest of honor, and two regular meetings, which he chose to attend as a member. The Society of the Friendly Sons fell into a major decline in the 1790s, because many of its younger members joined the new Hibernian Society, which seemed to have a much more active agenda. Stephen Moylan was reelected President in 1796, and according to the historian of the New York Friendly Sons, the Philadelphia group “was probably kept alive by General Stephen Moylan”. At the dawn of the Revolutionary War, Stephen Moylan had established himself as a successful merchant, and was a leader in Philadelphia Irish circles, regardless of religious affiliations. The onset of war, and the assistance of one friend, brought him to the birthplace of the United States Army, the siege lines around British-occupied Boston. MILITARY SERVICE SIEGE LINES AROUND BOSTON Tension between the American colonies and the mother country accelerated in the 1770s, leading to armed confrontation in 1774. Colonial governments agreed to embargo trade with England, and a Continental Congress was assembled. The shooting war broke out in the Boston area, where Crown forces occupied the city. In April 1775, battles at Concord and Lexington pitted redcoated regulars against colonial Page 3 Of 22 Joseph F.X. McCarthy Stephen Moylan: An American Military Career militiamen. In May, militia troops captured Fort Ticonderoga (during Fall and Winter, that fort’s guns were hauled overland to provide artillery for the siege of Boston). In June, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington to command the forces around Boston. Those forces were militiamen from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, who had trooped to the Boston area. They set up roadblocks and built rough fortifications, intending to cut Boston off from overland contact: this would turn the redcoats into a besieged army. Before Washington could arrive, the battle of Bunker Hill took place. This was one of the bloodiest British blunders of the entire war: they won the high ground, but lost over a thousand men, charging under their packs against entrenched and fortified colonists. Many of the casualties were company grade officers. The British forces in Boston included several regiments of infantry, plus grenadiers, artillery, and marines. These troops had good equipment and training, but Bunker Hill gave them reason to be cautious. Many competent infantry and grenadier officers had been killed at Bunker Hill, and the higher-ranking leaders did not prove themselves especially competent. The British had a formidable record of success, however. At close quarters, British bayonet charges were historically impressive, and must have been visually terrifying. Units of the Royal Navy were available to provide vital supplies, artillery cover, and landing services for the army units. Moreover, the British had a record of recent success in the Seven Years War. Their army had proved it could crush rebels. Just a generation earlier, British and German troops crushed the 1745 Scottish rebellion at Culloden. The troops then methodically tracked down and exterminated the Scots survivors of that campaign. Rebels in America knew they might face the same fate. By Act of Congress, Washington had been placed in command of a Continental Army.