Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-04
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1866.

miles west from Fort Erie, thence march
ing northeast to find the Fenians. They
came upon them about eight in the morn
ing, and fight ensued, not very bloody
though apparently for time quite doubt
full. 1t at last resulted in the repulse of the
Fenians, who fell back on Fort Erie
About sixty Fenian prisoners were taken
and sent to Ridgeway, whence they were
carried By a Canadian tug to Fort Enc,
which had in the meantime been occupied
by company of Canadian volunteers
from Dunnville.
At three o'clock Saturday afternoon,
this garrison was attacked by what ap-
pears to have been the advance of the
retreating forces of the Fenians- After a
brief skirmish the Canadians, outnum-
bered two to one, surrendered, and Fort
Erie was again il the hands of the Fenian
force. The Canadian tug containing the
prisoners was not captured.
Having thus fallen back on Fort Erie
the Fenian force concluded their brief
two-davs campaign by hasty skedaddle.
But, like many other poor fellows, they
found it harder TO get out of their scrape
than to get into it. The Michigan, whose
commander had doubtless been repri-
manded for his negligence in permitting
the Fenisns to cross at all, was On the
watch, and captured some four OF five
hundred who attempted TO get back to
the American shore. About thirty were
taken prisoners By the British forces,
under Colonel Peacock, which advanced
from Chippewa upon Fort Erie. O'Neil
is himself prisoner. Some succeeded in
crossing to the American shore, and some
are probably sill in Canada scattered,
and fugitives. Thus ends
Col ONeil's campaign Of forty-eight
hours.
But, in our opinion, the end IS not yet.
Every fact seems to sustain the theory
that this demonstration is but feint, and
has been executed in strict accordance
with orders. The programme seems to US
to have been about as follows Colonel
o Neil TO cross his force, move inland,
draw the entire Canadian army down into
the peninsula between Lakes Ontario and
Erie, do little fighting, and then fall
back on the American side and Join
Sweeny the latter, in the meantime, to
his forces along the St. Law
renee frontier and strike Prescott, Corn
wall OF the Isle aux Nois on Saturday or
Sunday. ONeil seems to have carried out |
his part of the work well, save in effect
ing a second crossing of the Niagara. We |
have not yet heard from the movement of
The larger body, but may momently ex-
pect to-do So Every fact seems TO point |
10 this conclusion. Certainly no sane man,
sven if he were Irish, would attempt to
make a serious invasion of Canada with a
men. The idea is senseless
while such a movement, as a feint, would
be reasonable Fort Erie, too, as point
Of attack, and Buffalo as u base, are the
asst places to be selected for q genuine
but the best if intended to de-
,eive the Canadians. The former Is of no
in ITSELF and is near 10 town
Of Importance, while it can easily be
reached by British troops: the latter is a
large city,whose papers are on the alert for
news, and in whose ports lie government
vessels instructed to prevent breaches of
neutrality. But the most significant fact
IS that, as we conclude from close Obser-
galion OF the reported movement of
Fenians, there are not less than five or
liz thousand of them scattered along the
Canadian frontier from Potsdsm to
Rouse's Point, with Sweeny at their head,
These men have been very quietly
gathered here, but they constitute much
mere formidable force than that which
ought the Fort Erie campaign We ex-
1ect to hear from them yet.
What will be done with the Fenian
prisoners in our hands? The question is
complicated and difficult one, which
nay yet give us trouble with Great
Britain.