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 =Index=: (Sir John A Macdonald era) Claims for damages, 166-167; claims withdrawn,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.



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