Madam, - David S. Cook (May 29th) expressed disappointment that the report from Butte of the President's visit to Montana did not mention Thomas Francis Meagher. For obvious reasons, I too looked in vain for a reference to "Meagher of the Sword".
Born in Waterford in 1823 he became an active member of the Young Ireland Party leading to his arrest and transportation to Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Escaping to America, he became a leader of the Irish element in New York city, raising and leading the 69th Irish Regiment in the Civil War, at the end of which he was appointed first governor of Montana. His name is embodied in "Meagher County", Montana, which is about 70 miles from Butte and near the Missouri River where he met his untimely death by drowning in 1867. - Yours, etc,
NIALL MEAGHER, Gleann Na Greine, Naas, Co Kildare.