Narrative of the Fenian invasion of CanadaSomerville, Alexander
History
Narrative of the Fenian invasion of Canada
Somerville, Alexander
Canada -- History -- Fenian Invasions, 1866-1870
We are now sufficiently informed on the aspect which the campaign
presented on the morning of 2nd June; at Chippewa, where delay was
caused because volunteer militia had come without haversacks without
food; at Ridgeway, where Col, Booker had arrived an hour before the
time he should have been leaving Colborne; at Henry Angur’s farm,
where the Fenian commander O’Neil had halted his force, while he sent
scouts forward to see if British and Canadian troops were approaching
in his direction.—With this sufficiency of information let us catch
up to the gallant eight hundred sons of Toronto and Hamilton, cities;
Caledonia and York villages, and march in their footsteps to the
field of conflict.
CHAPTER XI.
_Combat on Limestone Ridge._
Lieut.-Col. Booker produced the following as having been written
by him at Colborne after the arrival of Capt. Akers: “_Mem._
leave not later than 5.30, at 5 if bread be ready. Move to depot
at Erie and wait till 7. If not communicated with by 7, move to
Frenchman’s Creek. If NO by telegraph, disembark at Ridgeway, and
move to Stevensville at 9.30. Send pilot engine to communicate with
Lieut.-Col. Denison at Erie and with telegrams.”
About that bread. The reeve of Colborne offered to provide rations
for the 13th if presented with a requisition. Booker said; “No;
I think the least the municipality can do is to provide us with
rations.” He did not then give a requisition. But bread and cheese
for supper were procured. About three in the morning an officer went
to him at the house of Mr. Pring, customs collector, and spoke of
breakfast being requisite for the men before starting on the march.
Lieut.-Col. Booker was then seated with a dish of hot beef-steak
before him. He replied to the officer: “I am very tired. Go see what
you can get from the reeve or any one in the village.” The officer,
accompanied by the Quarter-master of the Toronto Rifles, went to the
reeve’s house; knocked at the door; saw a window raised, and heard
an angry reply to their request, “You got all the bread I had hours
ago.” Then the reeve shut down his window, and they went elsewhere.
That was the bread, the supply of which, Capt. Akers had made a
condition in the time of marching. What bread? None. The Lieut.-Col.
who had his hot beef-steak as a foundation for the fatigues of the
day, had presented no requisition, else the baker, being also reeve,
would have readily complied with it. Booker says (Statement to Court
of Inquiry)
“During the night at my request Major Skinner endeavoured to secure
a bread ration for the men. Some biscuits and bread were obtained,
and that officer reported to me that the baker would prepare a
batch of bread to be ready at 3 a. m. of the 2nd.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account