Narrative of the Fenian invasion of CanadaSomerville, Alexander
History
Narrative of the Fenian invasion of Canada
Somerville, Alexander
Canada -- History -- Fenian Invasions, 1866-1870
O’Neil, the chief of the invaders, has been described. He wore gray
clothes with some badge of green around a military cap. He ascended
the steps to Dr. Kempson’s front door, rapped, and demanded that the
Doctor should come out to speak with him. Mrs. Kempson descended to
the door instead of her husband. She is an intelligent lady seemingly
about twenty-five years of age, and mother of several young children,
who were then in the house. Colonel O’Neil quickly announced himself,
again demanded to see the lady’s husband, in his capacity of reeve
of the village of Waterloo; and intimated that if he did not come at
once force would be used. Mrs. Kempson inquired what they intended
to do? “To do? what do you mean?” “To us—what are you going to do to
us?” “We have come to hold possession of Canada; you are all, for the
present, my prisoners.” “Do you intend to kill us?” “No; not if you
be quiet and do as I require.” “What do you want with us?” “First
of all, where are your axes and spades, I must have them instantly;
and your husband must at once surrender himself to my orders!” The
lady intimated that the tools asked for were in the barn or in
the woodshed. Whereupon O’Neil ordered some men to find them, and
proceed to the railway track and the road in front of the church, cut
down the telegraph posts, sever the wires, lift the rails, and dig
trenches across the track; all of which was speedily done. While Mrs.
Kempson still guarded her doorway, O’Neil said, “Do you suppose my
men will kill you?” She expressed fear that they would. “They will
not hurt you” he replied; “but you must bring Dr. Kempson here at
once.” The Doctor came. O’Neil ordered him out to the road in front
of the garden wicket, placed an armed guard in front and in rear
of him, and said, “Dr. Kempson, you are chief magistrate of this
village, I require you to assemble the principal inhabitants and,
without delay, provide breakfast and other rations for one thousand
men. You march along with me. A picket of officers and men will keep
guard on your house; your wife will give them and also those in the
field such provisions as she may now have.” About fifty men occupied
the garden and searched the lower rooms and cellar. Mrs. Kempson gave
the bread, meat, wine and brandy which the house contained, and with
her servants baked more bread, fried ham, made tea and coffee in
pailfuls, which were carried out to the field beyond the garden gate,
where between one and two hundred men lay on the grass, besides the
fifty who crowded into the house. They in the field were prevented by
sentries from entering at the garden gate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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