The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

TUE FENIAN RAID ON CANADA.

Particulars of the events of the recent Fenian raid
on Canada are contained in the New York papers
which arrived by mail. The movement, it appears,
was determined upon o wing to the frequent quarrels
amongst the Fenian Brotherhood. The contributiods
of the members towards the undertaking were given on
the con lition that unless a forward movement was
' made before the lstof June the money shouldrevert to
the subsci Piers. Apprei iat int; filly the ciindit ion of
affairs, General O'Neill decided torn ins bodies of troops
at various points on the fron.ier, hoping that the di-
version of the volunteers to Red River would leave the
fiel I open for an attack, whic`i, if simultaneous must
result in success. Arms and ammunit ion were accord-
ingly provided, uniforms purcfiesed, and the vari-
ous circles near the b rder were instructed to hold them-
selves in readiness to march at an hour's notic •. In chi.
zens' dress large parties of excursionists made their
way to the border. On Monday, the 2ard May, the
Fenians commenced the onward march in columns of
four, General O'Neill, mounted on a small red horse,
placing himself in the front, flanked by a body guard
of four men on foot on each side. "Slowly and sadly"
moved the two hundred, following the highway, until,
within twenty rods of the line, General O'Neill espied
the red coats of the Canadian volunteers, and ordered a
halt. This was effected beside an old brick house on
the left side of the road, and on the side of a sparsely.
wooded hill. Farther along on the road, at a distance
of fifty feet, were two barns facing each other, and
flanked on both sides by a stone wall. A long pile
of hemlock bark stretched itself along, just oppo-
site the house, and served as a convenient am-
Nish for the attacking Feniaue. Beyond the barns the
road pakses across a bridge and is entirely unprotected.
The position can perhaps be understood by comparing
it to the arc of a circle, placing the Fenian soldiers at
the bottom and the Canadians at the top of the curve.
After the halt General O'Neill faced about on his horse
and addressed his countrymen as follows: "Soldier,—
This is the advance guard of the Irish-American army
for the liberation of Ireland from the yoke of the
oppressor. For your own country you now enter
that of the enemy. The eyes of your countrymen are
upon you. Forward, march?" Colonel Brown, who
commanded the skirmish line, also addressed a few
words of cheer to the men. The advance company
was from Burlington, and was commanded by Captain
William Cronan, of that city. At the conclusion of
General O'Neill's address he lifted his hat and replied :
"Genera!--I am proud that Vermont has the honour
of leading this advance, Ireland may depend upon us to
do our duty."
Until thee time the main body of the Fenian forces
hail been hidden from the view of the other side, but
as they slowly defiled past the dividing line between
the two countries their number, and extent became
visible. Tne volunteers waited until the last of their
antagoniats had set foot upon British soil, and then
volley after volley of musketry was fired into their
ranks. The battle had begue. So unexpected was
this attack that the Fenians became panic-stricken,
and scattered like wildfire behind the walls and fences
and into the barns, behind the bark pile, and anywhere
that shelter could be obtame L.

General O'Neill, who had tomn concealed behind the
house, rushed forth with drawn sword and ahnuted
to his scattering soldiers. Gaining an audience he
raid : "Men of Ireland—l am ashamed of you.
You have acted disgracefully, but you have another
chance of showing whether you are cravens or not.
Comrades, I will lead you again, and if you will not
follow me I will go with my officers and die in your
front. I leave you now under command of Boyle and
O'Reilly."
Skirmishing was then recommenced, and continued
for about one hour, when General O'Neill drew back
his forces from the brow of the hill far the purpose of
rest. .

He was then approached by several of his officers,
who requested permission to charge the hill, but bear.
ing in mind the unlucky result of a similar opeatien at
Fredericksburg during the rebellion, he ref usA.
Yielding partially, however, to their wishes, he
ordered them to charge across the open valley, and
take a position on the wooded hill directly opposite the
Canadian forces. The movement was executed in the
double quick; but while cl:mhing the hill Prieal.e
Thos. Murray, of Portland, Me., fell shot through the
heart, and Francis Camber, of Bridgeport, Conn., re-
ceived a wound ilk the groin.
The General, in company with Boyle and O'Reilly,
walked down the side of the hill and entered the par-
lour of the brick hoes,' encountering General Geirge
Fester, who, with his deputy Thomas Parley, of St.
Albans, was seated iii the parlour. He reached out
his hand, but the greeting was refused, and General
Foster, placing his hand on O'Neill's shoulder, said,
"I arrest you, by virtue of my authority as a Dis-
trict Marshal of the United St des."
"Sir," exclaimed General O'N, ill, starling back as
he spoke, "I shall resist your arrest"
"it will be usel,sr, sir," replied General Foster.
"Rat, eir, I am armed."
"So am I," said the General. "John, open that
carriage door. Now, Mr. O'Neill, get in, Sr I will
throw you in. I aio going to take you to St. Albans,
right through the midst of your men, and if you make
tbe slightest outcry I will shoot you dead."
Resistance was useless, as the General had said, and
O'Neill placed himself in the carriage, and WAS driven
to St. Albans.

-
The fighting after this arrest, with the exception of
an occasional shot or two, was not renewed. Some
of the Fenians took up their homeward march, but
the great majority returned suddenly to their old
camping ground, where they were j iined by 150 re-
cruits, who had just arrived, under the command of
Major Moore of New York.
On the 211 of May the advance guard, under
Captain Monaghan, of Burlington, Vt., crossed the:
border, and took pos,ession of Pigeon /Jill, the 60th
Rifles falling hack without firing a gun. General I
Donnelly, of Springfield, was in command of the
invading column which had not advanced. A raid
was mails on the Grand Triink Railway, fifteen miles
above island Pod, and five miles from the border, I
and 230 rails torn up, in order to stop and capture
a cattle train on its way to Boston.
The lindens for the right wing of the Fenian forces
on the Canadian border numbered sixty men, mostly
officers from Rhode Island, under command of olonel
M.Natnara, accompanied by Colonels S. Driscol and
Sennott of General O'Neill's staff, who arrived at Port-
land the evening before, en route for Island Pond.
Several volunteers joined them, and Colonel Driscol
left for Island Pond, ostensibly with a second lot from
the NVest, numbering about seventy-five men. About
sixty Irishmen, supposed to be Fenians. holding tickels
for Island Pond, passed up the Grand Trunk Railroad
on the same morning. They took possession of a car,
allowing no other passengers to enter.
The Fenians numbered ahout 3,000 in all.
[REUTER'S TEL EGRA Nl.] •
TUIVINTO, June 6.
The special correspondent of the Toronto Globe at
Saul St. Marie telegraphs that a party of armed
Fenian! passed Upton on Friday night on board the
Chicago etc nhost. The Canadians and Americans on
both sides of the canal turned out. The Fenians, who
numbered about 100 men, were seen serving out
ammunition; but on finding the troops prepared to
oppose them they desisted from their intended attack
and went on to Duluth.