Fenian Raids Victoria County, Ontario Canada

The Fenian Raids Stimulate Enlistment

But let us return to the sixties. After the Trent affair, the next stimulus to defensive zeal came from the Fenian raids. In 1865 the American branch of the Fenian Brotherhood (more recently reincarnated as the Sinn Fein) planned an invasion of Canada to avenge the failure of an uprising in Ireland. On June 1, 1866, a force of 1500 Fenians, chiefly veterans of the Civil War, crossed the Niagara River under the command of General John O'Neil, and reached Ridgeway by the following morning. Here they inflicted a sharp defeat on a Canadian force of 850 men under Lt. Col. A. Booker. Stronger contingents menaced them, however, and they withdrew to the American side.

The immediate effect of this initial loss to the Canadians was the enthusiastic organizations of defense forces throughout the whole country. In Victoria county three independent infantry companies were formed at Lindsay, Omemee, and Bobcaygeon respectively.

The Lindsay company was officered by Capt. John D. Smith, Lieut. Adam Hudspeth, and Ensign George Matthews. The Omemee company was under Capt. W. H. Cottingham, Lieut. J. J. English, and Ensign Thos. Stephenson. The officers of the Bobcaygeon company were Capt. H. D. Sheffield, Lieut. Gardiner Boyd, and Ensign Lewis Parker.

While the Fenian menace lasted, the companies drilled every evening and three afternoons a week. They were however, to have no share in active service for the Fenians' first success was their only success and every subsequent foray became a fiasco.

Military Annals

Victoria County

Add/Correct a Link

Comments/Submit Data

Copyright 2002-2024 by Canadian Genealogy
The WebPages may be linked to but shall not be reproduced on another site without written permission.