Great Irish patriot, exiled rebel, fighting Union general and Governor of the wild Montana Territory, Thomas Meagher packed many lifetimes' adventure and achievement into one incredible career. He was a man both Ireland and America could be proud to claim.

Born in Ireland in 1823, Thomas Meagher grew up in a land oppressed by British rule. Though his parents were well-to-do, young Tom could not ignore the misery of his people, and soon was a leader in the Irish independence movement. Reluctantly abandoning his ideals of non-violence, he was captured by the British after an unsuccessful uprising and sentenced to be hung.

Reprieved at the last minute and sent to penal servitude in Australia, the young rebel made a daring escape and was given a hero's welcome when he arrived in New York. But Meagher was not destined to rest long on his laurels. Soon his adopted country was plunged into civil war and Meagher led Irish-American troops into battle. At Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, General Meagher and his legendary Irish Brigade preserved Union defeat from turning into disaster. But compassion warred with fighting spirit in the superb soldier, and he resigned from the army rather participate in Sherman's brutal march through Georgia. A different test of conscience came when Meagher was sent to govern the Montana Territory, then wracked by bloody Indian wars. Torn between sympathy for the exploited Indians and duty to protect the white settlers, Meagher gallantly sought to find a just middle path—only to have his tragic death cut short his efforts.

Thomas Meagher was a man who refused to put power above principle, and his story continues to be relevant and meaningful in a world where the fight for man's freedom and dignity has never ended.

From the dust jacket