US Congressman, Journalist. A well known newspaperman in his day, noted for his coverage of the Indian Wars. He was elected as an Independent to represent Illinois' 2nd District in the Forty-eighth Congress, and served from 1883 to 1885. Finerty arrived in the United States from his native Ireland in 1864 and immediately joined the Union Army, serving with the 99th Regiment of the New York State Militia during the last months of the Civil War. He then moved to Chicago and launched his journalism career, winning fame as a star correspondent of the Chicago Times (1875 to 1882). In 1876 he accompanied General George Crook's forces in the Great Sioux War and later covered the Ute (1879) and Apache (1881) Campaigns; one witness described him as "using pencil and carbine with equal facility". He traveled to Mexico in 1878 and was the first American reporter to interview President Porfirio Diaz. From 1879 to 1881 he was the Times' political correspondent in Washington DC. During his single term in the US House of Representatives he was primarily concerned with expanding the military. A dedicated Irish nationalist, Finerty founded the Chicago Citizen, a weekly newspaper for the city's Irish community, and was its editor from 1882 until his death; in 1901 he was elected first President of the United Irish League of America. He also published two books, "Warpath and Bivouac" (1890), an account of his experiences covering the Sioux War, and the two-volume "Ireland: A People's History of Ireland" (1904).
US Congressman, Journalist. A well known newspaperman in his day, noted for his coverage of the Indian Wars. He was elected as an Independent to represent Illinois' 2nd District in the Forty-eighth Congress, and served from 1883 to 1885. Finerty arrived in the United States from his native Ireland in 1864 and immediately joined the Union Army, serving with the 99th Regiment of the New York State Militia during the last months of the Civil War. He then moved to Chicago and launched his journalism career, winning fame as a star correspondent of the Chicago Times (1875 to 1882). In 1876 he accompanied General George Crook's forces in the Great Sioux War and later covered the Ute (1879) and Apache (1881) Campaigns; one witness described him as "using pencil and carbine with equal facility". He traveled to Mexico in 1878 and was the first American reporter to interview President Porfirio Diaz. From 1879 to 1881 he was the Times' political correspondent in Washington DC. During his single term in the US House of Representatives he was primarily concerned with expanding the military. A dedicated Irish nationalist, Finerty founded the Chicago Citizen, a weekly newspaper for the city's Irish community, and was its editor from 1882 until his death; in 1901 he was elected first President of the United Irish League of America. He also published two books, "Warpath and Bivouac" (1890), an account of his experiences covering the Sioux War, and the two-volume "Ireland: A People's History of Ireland" (1904).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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