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
With the Niagara frontier thus protected and the remainder of the Active
Militia in Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford and all other points in the
Second Military District under orders to be prepared to move whenever
their services might be required, the danger was averted, and the alarm
of the people of that section soon subsided. The total strength of the
force on active service on the Niagara frontier at that time (under
command of Lieut-Col. Durie, D.A.G.) amounted to 1,159, consisting of 93
officers and 966 men, with 147 horses and four guns.
To guard the St. Clair River frontier, a sufficient force was placed
on active service to keep in check any raiders that might attempt a
crossing from the State of Michigan, while all of the troops in the
First Military District were warned to be ready to move to the front
when summoned. The troops called out were posted as follows:--
_At Sarnia_--London Field Battery, with two guns, three officers, 30
men and 25 horses, Lieut.-Col. Shanly commanding; Mooretown Mounted
Infantry, three officers, 39 men and 42 horses, Capt. Stewart
commanding; 27th Battalion of Infantry, 24 officers and 224 men,
Lieut.-Col. Davis commanding.
_At Windsor_--St. Thomas Cavalry Troop (Capt. Borbridge), six officers,
42 men and 45 horses; Leamington Infantry Company (Capt. Wilkinson),
three officers and 45 men; Windsor Infantry Company (Capt. Richards),
three officers and 42 men; Bothwell Infantry Company (Capt. Chambers),
three officers and 40 men; Lobo Infantry Company (Capt. Stevenson),
three officers and 47 men.
Ceaseless vigilance was in evidence everywhere among the volunteers who
guarded the points above mentioned, and the troops on duty were fully
prepared for any invading force that might set foot on our soil. But
fortunately the Province of Ontario was spared a repetition of the
events of 1866, although it was not the fault of the enemy, who made
strenuous efforts to get over the border. In 1870 President Grant took
prompt measures to prevent unlawful expeditions from leaving the United
States, and through the watchfulness of the American Government the
designs of the Fenian leaders were defeated. Generals O'Neil, Starr,
Gleason, O'Reilly, Donnelly and others had been promptly arrested by the
United States authorities, and the rank and file soon abandoned their
campaigns and returned to their homes.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
While perusing the fyles of the Toronto _Globe_ in the Public Reference
Library recently, my eye caught the following item in the issue of that
journal dated June 1st, 1870, which brought back to memory personal
reminiscences which may be of interest:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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