Arrival

I was doing a bit of research and was trying to see if I could locate the arrival to the U.S. for John O'Donnell. I did find a John O'Donnell who arrived in New York on May 23, 1849 from Liverpool, England on the ship Unicorn. I am not sure if that is my great grandfather or not.

I tried to research the Poor Law Union in Ireland, but I did not have much success. I think that will require more investigation on my part. I did find a site, however, that would research families in Ireland. If I did that, which would I research first, the O'Donnell or Kelly clan? You do end up with a book, but I am skeptical about how much is just general information and how much is specific information. More thought and deliberation needs to be done here.

Compared to the famine that was occurring in Ireland at the time, I am sure that the frontier of the western U.S. must not have seemed like a hardship. This is a quote from the year 1847: "Nicholas Cummins, the magistrate of Cork, visited the hard-hit coastal district of Skibbereen. "I entered some of the hovels," he wrote, "and the scenes which presented themselves were such as no tongue or pen can convey the slightest idea of. In the first, six famished and ghastly skeletons, to all appearances dead, were huddled in a corner on some filthy straw, their sole covering what seemed a ragged horsecloth, their wretched legs hanging about, naked above the knees. I approached with horror, and found by a low moaning they were alive -- they were in fever, four children, a woman and what had once been a man. It is impossible to go through the detail. Suffice it to say, that in a few minutes I was surrounded by at least 200 such phantoms, such frightful spectres as no words can describe, [suffering] either from famine or from fever. Their demoniac yells are still ringing in my ears, and their horrible images are fixed upon my brain." [http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/hunger.htm] John O'Donnell was one of the lucky ones who lived through the famine and was able to get to another country.

I am guessing that he must have been educated because of a few reasons: the ranger at Fort Davis said the fact that he was promoted so early in his army career indicates he was educated. Also, I am thinking the fact that he opened the saloon in New York after his first enlistment must indicated some where-with-all.

School begins next week for me with my first meetings and some workshops. This adventure has been fun and I hope that I will get to continue it, but I am sure it will be hit and miss.