The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-06-03
THE LOSS OF The BRITISH FORCES
Chicago Irishmen Will Celebrate
The Anniversary.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S PROCLAMATION
Seward Got the Alabama Claims
Quickly Settled.

Quickly Settled.
Friday next, the thirty third anniver-
sary of the battle OF Ridgeway, which
was fought on Canadian soil on June 2,
1866, will be variously celebrated in Chi
cago by survivors OF both parties OF bel
ligerents, says last Sundays Inter
Ocean. The Canadian Veterans asso-
citation OF Illinois, composed of natives
of the Dominion who took part in OPP
posing the Fenian raid, will meet and
perfect their organization These include
DR.. John A. McGill (president), John
Allan, Thomas S. Quincy, DR.. Joseph
H. Martin, and Major Francis La
Pointe. Among the chief local repre-
sentatives of the invaders are John S.
Mullen, Lawyer William ]. Hynes, John
F. Finerty, and Mortimer Seaman. OF
these, the first naned-Captain John S.
Mullen, civil war veteran who was
wounded at Missionary Ridges now
probably the only surviving resident OF
this city who took actual part in the
memorable fight at Ridgeway.
1t was lively and exciting time
among the Irish-American element of
Chicago in the closing days OF May OF
1866. The Roberts wing OF the Fenian
organization, despite the opposition OF
the O'Mahony section, which urged that
Canada had done no wrong to ireland,
and, therefore, deserved to be left in
peace, had decided on striking at Eng
land through her possessions north OF
the St. Lawrence. English oppression
in Ireland had grown intolerable; it de-
manded urgent retribution; and, as it
would be foolhardy, in face of power
full and vigilant English fleet, to attempt
to convey Fenian army across the At
lantic, the only available battle ground
was Canada. There was no grudge or
ill-will against the Canadians; it was
only the exigency of war.
So the call to arms went forth and
met with hearty response. Fifteen hun
dred Fenians assembled and encamped
at the stone quarries in the northwestern
section OF the city. Colonel James
Quirk, who had been second in COM
mand to the gallant Mulligan during
the war, organized regiment 300
strong, all disciplined, armed and uni
formed. Men who are now staid and
wealthy citizens OF Chicago stole from
their paternal homes to join the move
ment toward the Canadian frontier.
The Irish Fenian Sisterhood, locally
headed by Miss Kate Seaman and Miss
Celia O'Malley, was active in raising
funds and arousing the enthusiasm OF
the younger men. Money OF "the Irish
Republic" was produced of very
'creditable execution, bearing the sigma
lures Of Michael Seaman Gather OF
Lawyer Hickman Scanlan) and Daniel
O'Sullivan. The great watchword OF the
hour was ION to Canada!''
The federal government looked on
passively for the time being England's
unfriendliness to the Union had been
too recently manifested, during the civil
war, to encourage urgent zeal on the
part Of the executive. Secretary Sew
ard, through the information OF the gov
erno,a,,+ ,uo,tc could hove I,;d ~, L,.1
at any moment on every case OF Fenian
rifles and on the person of every Fenian
leader. But the Alabama claims we're
unsettled and he thought he might give
reluctant Great Britain hint of the club
he carried in facilities for expansion
northward.
The chief Fenian rendezvous on the
frontier was Buffalo. A Southern con-
tingent was the first to arrive, largely
made up of soldiers OF both armies in the
"late unpleasantness"-the first friendly
combination OF the blue and the gray.
ABOUT clock on the morning of June
an advance guard OF about 600 mens
crossed the Niagara river from Black
Rock, three miles east Of Buffalo, and
cncamped within the grass-grown para.
pets OF old Fort Erie, relic OF tire
Britisl,-American war of 1872. They
were under command OF Colonel John
O'Neill, veteran of the civil war. From
their place OF debdrkation they marched
to Frenchman's Creek, four miles down
the river. Supports failed to arrive from
the other side; on the contrary large
number of the undisciplined struggled
back across the river, reducing OaNeills
force to about $50. Late in the evening
scouts brought in warning that two