1 P4118/14 Clashatlea
Ballymeelligott March 19th 1923 Dear Con It is with feelings of Sorrow that I learned of
the appalling catastrophy with which has befallen you
by the cowardly, and brutal murder, of your son
Charlie; Anyone who had known Charlie as I had
known him, could not but feelin feel terribly shocked by the
terrible news. I should have gone & sympathised
with you before now, but the fact is I could not on
any account bear meeting you, as I know you must
be terrily upset by this act of low crawling
try tyrants, calling themselves an Irish Goverment Charlie was the only officer in the
Firies Battalion, 'while he was adjutant thereof'
who ever took any pains from organising the
Companies of the Batt and keeping them in
working order. In 1918 when I was on command
of 'A' Company if I had any difficulties with the 2 men I had only to aquaint him of it and
it was righted immediately. When Charlie was Adjutant
he would not laugh at questions I would ask at
meetings, as the adjutant we had b previous to
the truce in 1921 had done, Charlie took a
special interest in placing every company large
or small in their proper places & he thought just
as much of the poor as he did of the rich, but it
was not so with some of the fellows that took his
place after. Isn't it a heartrendering thing to think that after
all this is done, that there are are are neighbours of
some murdered men, doing their endeavours
to get into the Civic Guards & other positions offered
by the Free State So called Government who are doing
their best trying to murder all the good men so that
when this thing ends, there will be on one to
reorganise the country. I have said qit quiet enough
the matter is not very interesting for long gossip
I remain your friend M Buckley 3 P.S.
I hope the other two boys are keeping
in good health and spirits. M.B.