When Ramsay’s _History of the United States_ was written in 1789, or thereabouts, the following Virginians were among those who subscribed for it in order to guarantee its publication: Patrick Gill, William Carroll, Edward Cunningham, James Fleming, H. H. Lacey, John McDermott, John McBride, M. Sullivan, Thomas H. Mitchell, J. C. Vaughan, A. Jordan, W. C. Moore, H. H. Redman, Edward Sexton, Francis Riordan, John Bowery, William Matthews. On examination it will be found that a majority of these surnames appear among the early settlers of the Old Dominion.
Thomas Fleming, whose name has been mentioned, was colonel of the Ninth Virginia regiment. One of its field officers was Major M. Donovan.
It is related in the Historical Collections of Virginia that Gen. Andrew Lewis was born in Ireland, and came here with his father and two brothers. They were obliged to fly from their native land on account of the resistance made by them against being evicted by their landlord.
Another prominent man in Virginia in 1753 was Dr. James O’Fallon. He is supposed to have been the ancestor of the O’Fallons of St. Louis, Mo., who were among the latter city’s first settlers. One of the latter, Col. John O’Fallon, served on the staff of Gen. Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe. Another well-known Irish name was that of Michael Dillon, whose death is recorded from a fall from his horse in 1704. Richard Donnahan was concerned in Bacon’s Rebellion in 1677, and with him was a Capt. Hubert Farrell, who is mentioned as being one of Bacon’s majors.
Philip Connor was an associate justice of the Provincial court in 1650, and Robert Managan (Monaghan) is recorded as taking an apprentice Sept. 24, 1690.
In the main, the first settlers of Kentucky were Virginians. The wife of Daniel Boone was the first white woman to stand upon the banks of the Kentucky river. This was in June, 1775, and in the September following she had for company Mrs. McCary and Mrs. Hogan.
Col. William Casey, born in Virginia, was one of the pioneers of the dark and bloody ground. Col. Joseph M. Daviess, who fell at Tippecanoe, was born in Virginia. His grandfather was an Irishman and his mother Scotch. It is written of him that he had marked peculiarities of both races. “The hardy self-reliance, the indomitable energy, and imperturbable coolness which had from earliest times distinguished the Scotch, were his; while the warm heart, free and open hand, and ready-springing tear of sensibility, told in language plainer than words that the blood of Erin flowed fresh in his veins.”