Troublous Times in Canada: A History of the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870MacDonald, John A. (John Alexander)
History
Troublous Times in Canada: A History of the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870
MacDonald, John A. (John Alexander)
Canada -- History -- Fenian Invasions, 1866-1870; Fenians
"At Chicago the Fenians already possess five sailing vessels, a tug, and
two steam transports; at Buffalo they are negotiating for vessels; at
Bay City, Michigan, and at Cleveland they have other craft in process
of refitting; these will simultaneously raise the green flag and stand
ready to succor the land forces. Goderich, Sarnia and Windsor will be
simultaneously occupied; all the available rolling stock seized, and the
main line of the Grand Trunk cut at Grand River, to prevent the passage
of cars and locomotives to Hamilton. The geographical configuration
of the western half of Upper Canada will permit of a few thousand
men holding the entire section of the country between Cobourg and the
Georgian Bay. These are connected by a chain of lakes and water courses,
and the country affords subsistence for a vast army. Horses sufficient
to mount as many cavalry as the Brotherhood can muster, quartermasters'
teams in quantity, and a vast amount of lake shipping, will at once be
reduced to a grand military department, with Hamilton for the capital,
and a loan advertised for. While this is being negotiated, Gen. Sweeny
will push rapidly forward on the line of the Grand Trunk, in time to
superintend the fall of Montreal, where ocean shipping will be found
in great quantity. With the reduction of Montreal a demand will be made
upon the United States for a formal recognition of Canada, whose name
is to be changed at once to New Ireland. While this is being urged, the
green flag will scour all the bays and gulfs in Canada; a Fenian fleet
from San Francisco will carry Vancouver and the Fraser River country,
to give security to the Pacific squadron, rendezvousing at San Juan, and
the rights of belligerents will be enforced from the British Government
by prompt retaliation for the cruelties of British courtmartials."
ABILITY OF THE FENIANS TO HOLD CANADA.
"The population of the British provinces is little above two and a half
millions, and the military resources of the united provinces fall short
of sixty thousand men. Of these nearly ten thousand are of Irish birth
or descent. The States will furnish for the subjugation of these, eighty
thousand veteran troops. With the single exception of Quebec, it is
believed the whole of the British provinces will fall in a single
campaign. During the ensuing winter diversions will be put in motion in
Ireland, and while it is believed the Brotherhood can defy the Queen's
war transports to land an army in the west, arrangements will be
developed to equip a powerful navy for aggressive operations on the sea.
Before the 1st of June, it is thought, fifty commissioned vessels of
war and privateers, carrying three hundred guns, will be afloat, and to
maintain these a tremendous moral influence will be exerted upon every
Irish-American citizen to contribute the utmost to the general fund for
the support of the war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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