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
The next day (25th of May) things were looking more serious. About 9
o'clock in the morning I went down to the railway depot on my quest
for "news items." and found that two trains had just arrived--one from
Pittsburgh and the other from Central Ohio, on which were an unusually
large number of men, who were bound for Buffalo. They were swarming on
the station platforms and patronizing nearby saloons and restaurants
freely while waiting for train connections. I wanted more information,
and mingled with them with the intention of getting it. Most of them
were very reticent, but I finally found out, by judicious pumping of
a burly fellow from Pittsburgh, that they were Fenians on their way to
Canada. I instantly made up my mind that it was time for me to go home.
I had previously written to the Captain of my old corps (in which I
had served at Fort Erie in 1866) giving him "pointers" as to what the
Fenians were doing, and notifying him that I would be home to fill my
place in the ranks when occasion required. I considered that the time
had now arrived for prompt action on my part, and as the train was due
to leave within an hour, I hurried over to my employer and explained
matters, resigned my situation, got my salary, secured my valise (which
I had already packed), and was ready to leave in less than half an hour.
My brother (George M. Macdonald), who was also employed on the same
paper as myself, did likewise, and when we were leaving the office our
employer very cordially commended our action and bade us "God speed" on
our journey, at the same time handing us a roll of money "for present
use," as he expressed it, and adding that when the trouble was over
and we were ready to return, our situations would be open for us. Such
generous kindness, and the warm words of appreciation of our services
which accompanied the genial "good-by" of our employer, touched us both
deeply, and have remained in my memory ever since as one of the bright
spots in my life. On our way to the station we met another Canadian
(Thomas Kennedy), whose old home was at Niagara, where he belonged to
No. 1 Company of the 19th Battalion. He was greatly "worked up" when he
saw the Fenian contingent getting ready to start, and when we informed
him of our intentions, he resolutely remarked. "Boys, I'm going home,
too; and as I haven't got time to go down to my boarding-house for my
clothes, I'll go just as I am. We'll be in uniform in Canada to-morrow."
So he came with us. By this time the train was ready to leave, and we
managed to get a double seat in one end of the car. The coach we were in
was soon filled with Fenians, and the vacant seat beside me was taken
by a sturdy-looking fellow who confidentially told us that he was a
Sergeant in a company from Cincinnati, and that a large force of
"the byes" were proceeding to the frontier. From this soldier we got
considerable valuable information as to the strength and composition of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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