New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-31

and all along the Niagara River and the bordero
detachmants ready to resist the invaders
on May 81 however. when Colonel o. Neil. M
officer selected by General" Sweeney, OF the
Brotherhood to carry out this enterprise, crossed
the river at Buffalo ne found Fort Erie. on the
British side. unoccupied The numbers Of the
force which actually landed on Canadian soil
have been yariously estimated. They probably
did not exceed nine hundred For more than a
day and night O'Neirs little army ranged about
the neighborhood Of Fort Erie and it Is said
to the credit Of their leader that while they
foraGed upon the inhabitants. after the manner
of regular invaders. their conduct was generally
free from exc, sses.
The actual collision did not take place until
June > when tie queens own Volunteers, from
Toronto AMI the Hamilton militia met the in
yaders near the village OF Ridgeway. Details
of the battle are not plentiful in history. The
losses on the British side were put down at nine
killed and thirty wounded ard they retired upon
RidgeWay and Port Coborne. Can adam
tradition says that volunteer bugler sounded
the retreat" by mistake. At the same time II
is certain mat large number Of FeniaHs were
taken prisoners by the Canadian troops If the
defenders Of the Dominion r-treatei. - did the
invaders Falling back on Fort Erie. O'Neil
found that General Grant, having arrived at
Buffalo that day. had promptly stopped tn for
vardug Of supplies to the Fenian army across
the river. Nothing vas left for them out 10 get
out of Canadian territory as quickly as possible
which they attempted to do. though seven hun
bred of the entire force were cut Of BY the
United States gunhoat Michigan.
General Barry. To whom had been assigned
by Grant the guarding Of the frontier n this
side. cxact"d from large number of his feu'an
prisoners their parol. Ito abandon our oNpedi-
ton against Canada desist from any vi'lat d
Of the neutrality laws Of the United states
and return Immediately To our respective
homes" The number of "hon rhis parole was
taken must have included hundreds Who had
Lot succeeded in crossing the Niagara River
Two weeks later a proclamation was ISSUED IN
Buffalo signed NJ. W. Burns. Brisadier General
commanding Irish army at Buffalo reIu' Stins
the brothers" To return To- their homes. This
reclamation bears witness that the extreme
vigilance Of the Government of the Unite state,
frustrated our plans 1t vas the United states
and not EnGand mat Imped"d our onward
march 10 freedom"
But in tn mean tim" other alarms Of FrHldn
invasion had disturbed the Canadian frontier.
These were mostly exaggerated. # not altogether
groundess on June : the Fcn.an General
Sweeney was arrested at st Adams. Vt. from
which place. already memorable for A raid
made upqn it from Canada by Confederat"s dur
Ing the civil War it had been intended To make
a descent in some force. The Fenian army. It
s.erns had actually crossed the frontier. bout
upon IN" arrest Of their general and the APP
rroach IF a considerable body Of Canadian rdI-
unteers they retired.
After this Fenian raiding Of Canada Ian
guished O'Nen himself made two more ab"rtve
attempts one in 1870, On Lower Canada, h"
other in the following year. on Manitoba. In
the latter case the vigilance Of the United states
Government manifested itself in the prompt ac-
ton # the troops at Fort Pembina. Mimi.
Colonel O'Neil never suffered any very long or
severe Imprisonment for these violations Of the
neutrality laws. He spent the last six or seven
wears Of his life in Nebraska. occurring and pro
noting scheme; of Irish colonization The after
effects Of thr raids" have appeared chiefly in
interchanges " requests between the Govern
mcnts Of Washington and London for cemency
toward captured invaders. in the growth among
tn. British Of a more perfect faith i'm the honesty
Of this countrys intentions. and in the more
thorough organization and equipment OF mat
Canadian volunteer and militia army which =
now able 10 spare several thousand men for GER
vice. in South Africa without fear Of denudlng
the, Canadian frontier Of its defenders.