Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-02
The Fcnian Rad.

on w edneBday, DO Weii 40 thc pdItiCuioAS
of the preparation and the closing scenes
of the great farce. As this is the sensa-
ton of the hour, these brief details are
more explicit than the hurried sketches
given by telegraph.
ARRIVAL OF THE U. s. MARSHAL.
u. S. Marshal Foster was informed at
noon Tuesday that Gen. Mcdowell, COM
manding this department, would come
up to ST. Albans to cooperate with him !;
and probably General Mcdowell is in st.
Adams Wednesday morning. A COM
pany of the 9th United States Artillery
under command of Major Andrews, at
Eastport, Maine, received orders Tuesday
afternoon to be in readiness to proceed to
the Canadian frontier at a moments
notice. The company of the same reei-
ment stationed at Portland, under COM
mand of Capt Beaverton, has also reoeiv-
ed orders to the same effect.
At II o'clock, Gen George 2. Foster.
L. S. Marshall for Vermont, with his
deputy, Thomas Failey of st. Adams, in
carriage, arrived upon the scene They
found guard of Fenians stopping the
passage of citizens to the front. This the
officers in command were speedily inform
ed by the Marshal, would not do. This
was the public highway and they had no
right to prevent the passage of any citizen.
The guard was accordingly withdrawn,
and the reporters and a number of citizens
passed on with the column. The Marshal,
seeking out General O'Neil, informed
him of his authority and of the Presidents
proclamation, and f~mally ordered him
to desist from his unlawful proceeding.
The order was received by O'Neil very
eoolly and with apparent unconcern.
THE FIELD.
The highway at the point of battle runs
due north on ground which rises imme-
diately from the road on the right or west
side, the hillsides being covered with or
chards and occasional patches of wood
land. A valley crosses the road at right
angles, through which runs a small stream
known as Pixies River
Through this valley runs the Canada
line, crossing the road on the south side
of the stream, some twenty or thirty rods |
north of the brow of the valley, where
stands the brick farm house of Alvah
Richards. Arrived on this brow the
Canadian militia were plainly to be seen
on The opposite brow, perhaps a quarter
of mile beyond the line. They 8kirted
piece of woods on the west side of the
road and were posted behind some stone
fences, their line forming right angle,
giving both direct and fauking fire up
on the road.
THE BATTLE OF PIKE RIVER
Soon opened. O'Neil formed his troops
in line of battle, extending at right angles
acress the road, one company being de-
taohed to act as skirmishers. These re-
ceived their orders from Col. Brown,
good looking officer in civilian dress, and
wearing Scotch cap, who, taking q mus
ket, addressed the company Captain Gro
nan's), saying that he was honored with
the command Of the skirmish line, and
that they must keep cool and obey orders
These were, to march down the road, and
to cross the bridge.
ADVANCE UPON THE ENEMY.
1t must have been intended that they
should deploy as skirmishers Immediately
upon crossing the bridge; but no deploy- {
ment was made. The company marched ]
down the hill by fank-that is in column
of fours-and had hardly crossed the line
when they were opened on by the Cana
dians, some of whom were nearer to them
than they had supposed. The company
halted, fronted, returned the fire and then
made rush across the bridge. Several
fell, one killed, others wounded. Two
men were shot upon the bridge and fell
into the stream; the rest stopped, broke, {
and sought shelter from the enemy's fire ,
under the bridge. ..
In the meantime firing opened sharply
between the militia and the main Fenian
body. One or two men were wounded, c
and there was rapid scattering of the I
citizens present, and reporters, five or six |
of whom had pushed forward and were :
actually between the contending lines. $
These sought shelter in hurry in the l
Richards house. Gen. O'Neil. finding his l
line beginning to get unsteady, ordered t
them into the field on the left of the road, /
under cover of piece of woods just on I
the brow of the valley. From this posi-
ton they fred several volleys.
The repulse of the advance company,
some of whom could be seen running {
without arlGs for some woods on the right, (
and the uncomfortable way in which the ,
bullets whistled, were too much for
O'Neil's men, and they fell back in disorder, / !.
till they We're rallied by Gen. ONeil and ]
his staff, when they were addressed again /
by Gen. O'Neil as follows, f
GEN. o'NElLs SECOND SPEECH.
Men Of ireland Pm ashamed of you
You have acted disgracefully. But you
will have another chance of showing {
whether you are crayens or not. Com ,
rades, / will lead you on again, and if ,
you will not follow me, l, with my officers
will go and die in your front.
With these words he ordered them
back TO their position, and scattered fire
was kept up across the line for an hour !
and a half, with no particular effect on
either side, the Canadians keeping their
position behind the stone fences, and he
Fenians keeping their position with the
loss of several men, and more or less scat I
tering to the rear.
THE ARREST OF GEN. o'NEIL. a
AT this stage of the proceedings Gen. c
ONeil passed down across the road alone, I
with the intention of detaching q COM .
pany from the right of his line for flank
movement. His movements had beoa Z
closely watched by Gen. Foster, WIG. Dee. {
ing his opportunity was at hand addressed
a company of dozen oitizoas who were
Watching the proceeding little out of p
the line of fire, with taa words "Gentle. .
men, I propose 20 arrest Gen. O'Neil.
Win you baol. gne in the discharge of my
duty ~ we viii" was the reply. Gen. {
C'Neil had just then stopped to speak to {
a wounded man in the road, when Gen. ,
Foster stepped up to him and said, 81 ar ,
rest you in the name of the United States
government" "No, no." said O'Neil, t
''You must not, will not &c arrested" i
But the Marshal knew better Assistant 1
Marshal Failey was by this time at hand q,
with their carriage. ONeil was put into
it, in moment, and in another the
Marshal with his prisoner was driving c
rapidly from the spot. O'Neil was eau l
ioned that my cutlery would be at the :
risk of his life and he was thus taken
back right through his followers, who
were guarding the arms and ammunition a
in the rear, without any suspicion of /
what was going on. 1t was certainly a
bold deed TO seize the commander of !