The Irish standard., 1899-06-03


burned the abandoned arms of the rec
reants.
The night march was made over bad
roads, soft from recent rains and cut up
by wagon wheels. They tramped first
toward Chippewa and then turned off
toward Limestone Ridge highway, run
ming toward the town OF Ridgeway. On
this road, on the morning OF June 2,
they were opposed by the enemy, who
had come by train.
I'VE first caught sight OF them about
8 o'clock said Captain Mullen. Most
of them were in dark green uniforms,
the rest in red-and at sight OF the Eng
lish redcoats some OF our fellows got
mad to get at them. The dark green
was the Tenth Royals OF Toronto, called
the Queens Own, under Colonel Book
er, ten companies; the scarlet, the Thir-
tcenth infantry battalion OF Hamilton,
four companies-about 1900 in all. or
nearly three times our number. Both
sides threw out skirmishcrs, and the
shooting began. To most OF us, who
had been i'll the war, it was plain that
fighting was new to them; they cx-
posed themselves unnecessarily, which
trained men never do. About all they
could see OF us was a line of ilags-onc
OF the biggest displays OF green flags
ever saw. each with the sunburst on it,
no harps. Most OF us lay along rail
fence; others had cover in an orchard.
After, think, about an hour and half's
shooting and mancuvering we got the
order to charge, We ran fast. many OF
us being bareiootcd after the march OF
the night before, but they ran faster a
confused crowd OF red and dark green.
throwing away their muslltcs, knapsacks
and overcoats. We pursued them for
three miles, into the town OF Ridgcway,
and found the place deserted by all save
one man. Their dead and wounded lay
all along the road and in the fields. We
lost one man killed and about dozen
wounded"
The British loss at Ridgcway was one
officer and twelve privatcs killed, two
officers and sixtyhvc privatcs wounded.
and dozen rank and file made prison.
ers
From Ridgeway. where the Fcnians
captured the large British flag which was
displayed two years ago at the Irish
fair, they returned about 5 p. m. to Fort
Erie, just as a British battery was being
landed to attack them in the rear. The
tug, with the artillery and about fifty
captured Fenian stragglcrs on board,
steamed away before O'Ncill's men
could reach the dock, but about one
hundred and fifty men who had
been put ashore lined up in the town
square and showed fight A vollcy from
the Fenians broke and dispersed them:
some took refuge in the hotel and com
mcnccd firing from the upper windows;
several jumped into the water and clung
to the piles OF the dock among these
was captain King, commander of the
Wclland Canal volunteer battery, whose
leg, broken by shot, was aftcrward am
putated. There were bake ovens out
side the houses" said Captain Mullen,
"and from these we pulled four or five
officers out by the heels. After few
were killed and wounded on both sides,
the troops in the houses surrendered on
threat OF being burned out, and fifty
more prisoners fell into the hands OF the
Fcnians.
But the army OF about 1000 British
regulars was now closing in on the in
vadcrs, no supports had reached the lat
ter, the Fcnian program OF invading
Canada at dozen points at once had
miscarricd, SO the enterprise was aban-
doned. That night O'Ncill and his par
ty, rccrossing the river, were made
prisoners by the U. S. revenue cutter
Michigan. Officers and men we're put
under bonds, and later the former were
s,1bjccter TO form OF trial and discharg-
cd. President Andrew Johnson issued on
June proclamation against the breach
of the neutrality laws. About $4,000
Fenians, who had assembled along the
frontier in preparation for the raid, were
transported to their homes at the ex-
pcnsc of the federal government.
But willy Secretary Seward had gained
his point. The hint had been given, the
demonstration made. England had been
shown the vulnerability OF her Canadian
frontier and the mistake of continuing
her enmity with America. The Alabama
claims were quickly settled, and Amer
ica became richer by $I5,ooo,ooo.
Such was at least one material effect
OF the dashing and daring, if more or
less grotesque raid OF which both the
raiders and the raidcd are now, after
the lapse of tlirty-three years, rcviving
many interesting memories.
John p Sutton writes from Lincoln,
Ncb., to the Chicago Citizen on "Thc
Queens Own" and says:
l see by the Chicago Daily News tina,
the British government is about TO dis
tribute medals to the surviving sprint
crs who distanccd the Fcnians when the
latter invaded Canada in 1866. Medals
are supposed to be worn on that part OF
the body most exposed to the cnemy