Narrative of the Fenian invasion of CanadaSomerville, Alexander
History
Narrative of the Fenian invasion of Canada
Somerville, Alexander
Canada -- History -- Fenian Invasions, 1866-1870
The advance to be made simultaneously from points along the American
frontier from St. Albans in Vermont, to Chicago in Illinois, on
a sinuous frontage line of fifteen hundred miles. The right wing
was at St. Albans and to the eastward. The centre at Malone, State
of New York, situated at about fifteen miles inland from the St.
Lawrence river, and having railway facilities to concentrate men and
supplies from the wide interior of the States, and to distribute
them to selected positions on the frontier opposite Canada. Malone
was considered available for a landing at Cornwall, the lower outlet
of the Upper Canada section of the St. Lawrence canals. Also for
an attack on Prescott from Ogdensburg. The occupation of Prescott
was to include the severing of the Grand Trunk railway, and to give
possession of the branch line to Ottawa city, seat of the Canadian
Government. Malone was available also for an expedition to Montreal
by way of the Richelieu river. That expedition was also to co-operate
with Spears’ force crossing the Missisquoi frontier line, both
marching with artillery within easy supporting distance of each other.
Murphy and Heffernan were to cut the Lachine and Beauharnois canals;
while Spears destroyed the Grand Trunk at several points, including
Longueil, opposite Montreal, St. Hilaire, and St. Hyacinthe.
Kingston was to be threatened from Cape Vincent and Ogdensburg, both
within easy supporting distance from Malone, by a body of two or
three thousand men, who were merely to keep moving, advancing and
retiring in the vicinity of the St. Lawrence, where it issues from
Lake Ontario, and so occupy the Kingston garrison of British regulars.
O’Neil with 5,000 men was to cross from Buffalo, by the narrows
of Lake Erie, or upper section of the Niagara river, or if
transportation availed, to go to Port Colborne, the Lake Erie
terminus of the Welland canal. In any case to reach that place,
occupying the canal and Welland railway; Buffalo and Lake Huron
railway; and reach the chief depot of the Great Western at Hamilton;
occupy that city and co-operate with forces which would advance
against Toronto, from the south by Lake Ontario and its shores,
from the north and west by Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The Niagara
peninsula and agricultural country around Hamilton were expected
to furnish horses sufficient to transpose O’Neil’s 5,000 men on
foot into cavalry. Many of these had been in cavalry service in the
American war. O’Neil himself was from Nashville, Tennessee, his men
were from Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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