Fenian Raids
The Fenian Brotherhood is said to have been formed about
1858 in Ireland and the United States, the object being to liberate
Ireland from its connection with England, and establish a republic. A
history of the movement in Ireland will be found in McCarthy's History
of our Own Times, and in O'Leary's Recollections of Fenianism. Early
in 1866 the American branch of the Brotherhood planned an invasion of
Canada. The Canad
an militia was called out, but the invasion was
postponed. In April, the New Brunswick border was threatened, and troops
marched to the defence of St. Andrews and St. Stephen. The Fenians
thought better of it. Late in May another party, under one O'Neil,
crossed from Buffalo to Fort Erie and advanced to Ridgeway, where they
were driven back. In 1870 the same O'Neil led his followers into Quebec,
but was again repulsed. In 1871 he made a similar attempt in the West,
but a detachment of United States troops from Fort Pembina followed,
arrested him, and dispersed his followers. An aftermath of the earlier
Fenian Raids was the murder of Thomas D'Arcy McGee (q.v.) in Ottawa,
1868. =Index=: (Sir John A Macdonald era) Claims for damages, 166-167; claims withdrawn,
175-177; irritation in Canada, 176; Imperial government assumes
responsibility for their settlement, 177; gives Imperial guarantee of
loan for public works and defence in Canada, 178, 196. (Tilley era) Influence on
Confederation, 98; history of, 99, 105-107; referred to in address in
Assembly, 102. (Baldwin / La Fontaine / Hincks era) Feared by Metcalfe in 1843, 186. (George Brown Era) Threatened in
1866--influences New Brunswick electorate towards Confederation, 188.
(Sir Georges E. Cartier era) As an argument for retaining British troops in Canada, 92; Cartier's
speech on, in House, 1872, 110. =Bib.=: Somerville, Narrative of the
Fenian Invasion of Canada; Campbell, The Fenian Invasions of Canada of
1866 and 1870; Dent, Last Forty Years; Correspondence relating to
the Fenian Invasion, Ottawa, 1869; Trials of the Fenian Prisoners at
Toronto Who Were Captured at Fort Erie, C. W., in June, 1866, ed. by
George R. Gregg, and E. P. Roden; McMicken, Fenian Raid on Manitoba
(Manitoba Hist. and Sc. Society, 1888); Hannay, History of New
Brunswick; Macdonald, Troublous Times in Canada; Denison, Soldiering
in Canada and The Fenian Raid on Fort Erie.