The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
PIGEON HILL.--Famous as the scene of a skirmish between the British
Regulars and Volunteers and the Fenian bandits, who attempted to
invade Canada during the past summer. The following gives honor to
whom honor is due, and is written by a gentleman who can be relied
on:
“If any evidence were required, more than we possess, of the
essentially weak and contemptible character of the Fenian
organization, the circumstances attending the operations of
Her Majesty’s forces and our own volunteers on Saturday, June
9th, in the neighborhood of Pigeon Hill, would furnish it. As
one who accompanied that expedition, and had an opportunity of
observing all that passed, I shall be happy to furnish you with
a few details. I arrived at St. Armand’s Station between 11 and
12 o’clock, just at the moment that two waggons from Pigeon Hill
arrived, bringing five Fenian prisoners, who had been taken that
morning by different parties, whose names I need not mention, as I
cannot give all with accuracy. I must confess that my astonishment
was great when I saw them. Three were little scamps--such as one
sees about the streets of all great cities, as news-boys, &c.
One was a tolerably stout, resolute looking-fellow, the other a
mild-looking young man, much better dressed, who, I am sorry
to say, stated himself to have been born in Yorkshire, though
hailing from Montpelier, Vt. Shortly after they were lodged in
the guard-house, another prisoner, an able-bodied hard-looking
customer, about 28 or 30 years of age, was brought in. He had a
tremendous black eye, which he told me he received in a brawl
with his own companions the night previous. Leaving these in the
custody of the St. Armand volunteers, the column of attack started
for Pigeon Hill about 2 P.M. The Granby and Waterloo volunteers,
commanded by Captain Millar, formed the advance guard, being
followed by two 12-pounder Armstrong guns of Captain Balfour’s
battery, with their complements of artillerymen, commanded by
Captain Phipps, R.A. These were followed by two companies of the
Rifle Brigade, under Major Nixon, who, I understand, commanded
the whole column, and two companies of the 25th regiment--another
company of that regiment forming the rear guard. Between the main
body and the rear guard, the supply waggon and a farmer’s waggon,
carrying the Surgeon’s apparatus and medical comforts, were placed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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