The Portland daily press., 1881-06-07
Campobello.

oApluiuS tuo errOr.
Campobello.
Something About this Famous Island In
the Bay Of Fundy-Reminiscenc of the
Fenian Raid in 1866.
The recent sale of the island of Campobello,
in the Province Of New Brunswick, once
more brings to public attention a name that
fifteen years ago was in everybody's mouth,
but that has been spoken and written SO infre-
quently of late that it is almost forgotten.
Campobello was, in the spring of 1866, the pro-
posed basis of the first of the Fenian raids by
which Ireland was to be freed through attack
ing the British on this continent, and it never
was moro than coveted site, If it were actual
ly that, for military operations. Early in
April of that year the people of Eastport. Me-,
of whose harbor Campobello is the easterly
boundary, became aware that there were stran-
gers in their town, who were engaged in an en-
terprise not of an ordinary character As the
days slipped by into the past these strangers
were Joined by others, and almost impercepti-
bly, there was developed a military organiza-
tion, at the head of which were Doran, Killian
and Sennott, and in which were many who
had but recently been discharged from the no
longer needed armies of the United States
The quiet dwellers i'll that frontier town were
filled with CONSERVATION upon learning that
there was among them a band of avowed fill
busters, but as those men were quiet and we'll
behaved the alarm they had created soon SUBJ
sided and their movements were watched with
eager curiosity. 1t was soon an open secret
that they intended to seize Campobello and
there the utmost terror prevailed. With all
possible speed its inhabitants left it or hid in
its woods, each one adding to the panic OF his
fellows by tales of Fenian ferocity that had no
foundation in fact, but that had all the force
of reality to those who believed that they were
to be plunged into the horrors of war. These
fears were increased by several circumstances.
First, the Owen family, owners of the island,
were not at their house upon it; then the Brit
ish authorities took alarm at what seemed to
be menacing danger, and sent their war ves-
sells and troops from Halifax and Quebec, the
former to patrol the boundary line of the prov
ince, the latter to garrison St. Andrews and
st. Stephens and other points of vantage But
it was the raising of a sledge-hammer to crush
fly; for the United States sent an additional
cutter to Eastport; Gen. Meade went to the
same place with one hundred and fifty men;
the customs officers seized some arms that were
believed to be for the Fenians, and that were
claimed by Killian; there was an indignant
gathering of the would-be liberators in East
ports principal hall; sudden disappearance
of most of them followed, and the movement
was at an end Whether or not it was more
than feint to draw attention from the Cana
dian border upon which an attack was soon af-
ter made, will probably never be known. 1t
seems incredible, however, that it could have
been of a serious character. Campobello is but
eight.miles in length, of irregular shape and
in most parts quite narrow; there is not foot
of land upon it that can be reached by shot or
she'll from guns of ordinary calibre. Moreover,
it is in the mouth of the turbulent Bay of Fun
dy; it is ten miles or more from the nearest
British mainland, and it has but one dock,
which would be of little use for naval expe-
dition and OF no value whatever for a land
campaign. There is no reason to believe that
Fenian ever set foot upon it, or seriously en-
deavored to do so.
In addition to the notoriety that this demon
stration gave it, the island has a romantic his
tory of its own. Up to the early part of the
one family had "squatted' and thus obtained
title to about forty acres Of its surface. With
the exception of this plat the island was given
to an officer of the British Navy, Admiral Owen,
die class and man of very considerable
wealth. Upon the property he thus acquired
he built rambling mansion, surrounded it
with greenhouses and ornamental grounds,
constructed macadamiZed roads for his own
pleasure drives, leased fishing and farming
privileges to the hardy inhabitants of the ada
cent islands, and gave particular care to the
preservation of the timber, of which there was
great deal of value. He also created and
maintained a house in Fredericton, the capital
Of the nrnviprQ and his family in,
London was frequently occupied by him. He
left but one child, daughter, who inherited
his wealth. and who was for many years the
richest person in New Brunswick. She mar
ried Captain in the British navy, whose
name was Robinson, but who assumed her
name for family reasons. Their life was one
OF elegant leisure, changing in its passage as
pleasure or convenience demanded from the
scenes of the metropolis of England to those of
rugged Northeastern America. There were
born to them two sons and two daughters, and
when these had grown to man and womanhood
it often happened that the family was Eat
home" at all of its three residences The older
of the sons took a commission in the British
army. Some years ago he was thrown from
his horse while in India and SO severely in
jured that for a great length of time he was
insane. The younger followed the example Of
his father and grandfather and was an officer
in the navy OF his country. Capt. Robinson,
Senior, died about ten years ago, and soon
after his family decided to remain permanent
ly in England. Because of that decision Cam
pobello has been for sale.
The Owens were staunch churchmen and
women. They constituted living and filled
it with an Oxford Doctor of Divinity, who
preached to them alone-or almost alone-as
their tenants, with few exceptions, were either
Campbellites or Methodists. The priest OF the
parish was a scholarly man, who found pleas
ure in his books and in frequent visits to cler-
gymen of other places more favored by society.
His wife was woman of wealth and culture.
who was much at her early home in England
and who when on Campobello was without
social equal if the Owens were absent At the
house of the rector and at that of the lord Of
the manor there was always cordial welcome
to those of title, rank or distinction, and many
a British man-of-war ON the way to ST. John
has put into Eastport Harbor for no other rea-
son than that her officers might enjoy the hos
pitalities and join in the pleasures of the mag
mates of Campobello, which no doubt will be
popular summer resort, but from which the
glories of its past have forever departed.