Jack Downey Comments on Canadian Issues to Inform and Amuse.



Photo Credit to Julie Ann Biggs out on the Mekong River, Cambodia Vietnam Border.".

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Circa 1865-1871: Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood Attacks Canada
Canada to be held hostage until England frees Ireland!

The ringing sounds of sabers clashing and the acrid smell of gunpowder have faded into memory since Canada last found herself under attack by the USA. Since the war of 1812, when General Sir Isaac Brock repelled our, then not so good, neighbors of the South, we have had several occasions to push the Yankees back over the 49th parallel. They even tried to join Alaska to the continental USA by approaching BC using the battle cry of "54-40 or fight!" Cooler heads prevailed and the folks in BC were spared the threat of a punch up around Vancouver. You will note that Hollywood has never made a film other than comedies about these attacks on Canada. Wars that are lost sell not well in the marketplace of the home of the brave. No one likes a loser unless he or she is a klutz and there was a large herd of them in these wars. Max Sennet's Keystone Cops could have had an Oscar winning film with this script.

Such colossal blunders reflect the gross lack of understanding on the part of USA attackers of quiet Canadian pride, now and in the past. To make my point, I'll tell you about the Fenian Raids by "The Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood", a little known example of spats with our now good neighbors to the South. To our American readers, we hold no grudge. You are forgiven. Just behave and watch your manners.

Time Line of Events of the Fenian Raids: 1865
December 20: Canadian militia called out for security on the border against possible Fenian attacks from the US.

1866
March 7: Ten thousand militia men were placed under arms as a precaution against anticipated attacks on St. Patrick's Day after the Fenians held a mass meeting in New York and threatened to invade Canada April 10: A group of Fenians massed at Eastport, Maine intending to invade Campo Bello Island, New Brunswick. They withdrew in the face of the Canadian Militia, British warships and American authorities May 31: About 800 Fenians under John O'Neill crossed the Niagara River at Buffalo into Canada. They occupied Fort Eerie and cut telegraph lines. The Buffalo and Lake Huron railroads were also cut before the Fenians proceeded inland. June 1: Much of the Canadian Militia is ordered out June 2: Canadian forces under Alfred Booker were driven back by the Fenians at Ridegway, Ontario with the loss of 10 dead and 38 wounded. Fenians retreated to Fort Eerie where they were engaged by another Canadian milita force under the command of John Stoughton Dennis. The Canadian's were forced back with the loss of 6 wounded an 54 prisoners. June 3: Over 20,000 militia men had taken arms and been called out. The main Canadian force commanded by George Peacocke entered Fort Eerie. O'Neill and the Fenians had already escaped back across the border to the US and ben given a heroes welcome. June 7: About 1000 Fenians commanded by "General" Spier crossed the Canadian border and occupied Pigeon Hill in Missiquoi County, Quebec. They plundered St Armand and Frelighsburg but retreated to the US when American authorities seized their supplies at St Albans. August 15: The right of Habeaus Corpus is suspended for one year in the case of persons suspected in complicity in the Fenian invasions. August 30: New Brunswick votes for confederation and provides for construction of the Intercolonial railway.

1867
February 7: Draft to unite the provinces of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into the Dominion of Canada is introduced in the House of Lords by Earl of Carnavon. March 8: The British North America Act (confederation) is passed by parliament. March 29: The British North America Act is given royal assent. May 22: A royal proclamation decree Dominion would come into effect on July 1st 1867. Sir John A Macdonald becomes the first Prime Minister of Canada.

1868
April 7: Thomas D'Arcy McGee, an MP and Father of Confederation is shot in the head while returning to his Ottawa home. It is Canada's first political assassination. The Fenians are suspected of being the assassins.

1870
May 25: Fenians under John O'Neill and Spier, who had marched into the vicinity of Ecles Hill, were driven back by the Canadian militia commanded by Osborn Smith. There were no Canadian casualties. The Fenian leaders were arrested in the US.

1871 October 5: Fenians under William B O'Donoghue crossed the border from the US and seized the Hudsons Bay Company post at Pembina, Manitoba. They were followed by US troops and arrested.

Due to these incursions, St. Patrick's day is celebrated with a day of "Paddy Bashing" at many watering holes in Newfoundland and Labrador. The other 364 days are used to punch out anyone who is not a Newfie out there on "the Rock." You have to be tough if you're Irish in Newfoundland! If you're Irish and not a Newfie, you need to be really tough or belong to AA to survive on "the Rock!" other wise you're fighting 365 days a year.

Who were the "Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood"?

The numerous problems that faced Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries fuzzed a powder keg of anti British sentiment. The additional disaster of the great Potato Famine caused massive Irish emmigration to Canada and the USA.. Best summed up with this quote by Sir Walter Scott, who said of Ireland's masses "...[people] live in cabins that would scarce serve for pigsties in Scotland."


Irish nationalists banded together to form the "Fenians" (flag at left) to gain home rule and freedom from England. Many Fenians came to North America and operated businesses. Vast numbers of them were navies, building railways and canals. The Fenians' ties with Ireland were strong and they missed the green, green grass of home. JFK's ancestors were involved with the Fenians. In fact anti British feelings were manifested when his father was a USA ambassador to England. Old hates die slowly. I harken back to an old song of this era my Irish Grandmother Rourke used to sing:

"I'll sell the horse and cow me boy and send you far away
'cause in Paddies land it's poverty you'll find."
No more to sit at the cabin door
Your mothers pride and joy.
'cause in Paddy's land it's poverty you'll find.


The North American Irish hit upon a delightful scheme, probably in a Bar. Some bright spark suggested that, if the Fenians mobilized and captured Canada, it could be held hostage, forcing England to free Ireland! DUH! It was thought that a simple incursion would allow the Canadian "POMES" (Prisoners of Mother England) to rise in revolt against it's tyrannical British masters and join with the Fenians. Time spent in RECCE is never wasted was a Napoleonoic rule of war. You would think that someone would have had a peek at the country they were to invade. These lads were somewhat dim, for sure not Bright! At the end of the Civil war there were over 10,000 members in this organization. Somehow one of their leaders should have had a clue or two on how to attack "the enemy" or is that why the war between the States dragged on for four long years. Custer found out what the lack of RECCE brings out on the Little Big Horn. The Fenians were about to suffer the same fate.

The Outcome of the War.
Although the Fenian raids failed in ending British rule in North America, they did have serious historical consequences. The raids promoted Canadian nationalism. Fear of American invasions united the separate provinces in common defense and, a few months after the raids in 1866, the provinces unified under the British North America Act of 1867, also known as Confederation. The American Fenian movement also pushed and encouraged their counterparts in Ireland, the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood, though Fenianism died out in the United States after the failed invasions by John O'Neil in the early 1870s. It is certain that the stirrings of confederation can be traced back to the time of the Fenian raids. Speculation suggests that the Fenian raids were actually responsible for the creation of Canada as a country when the USA tried to hold us hostage for Irish freedom.

A favorite Irish song from that Fenian War period.
Original words were a "Trooper Cut Down in His Prime." Many versions back to the Napolionic Wars wove a common thread that see soldiers change the words to apply to where they are deployed. click here. See for Yankee soldiers going off to Iran. Nothing ever changes in any army. The Brits had "Don't Cry for me Argentina" when they fought in the Falkland/Maldinis Island war.

Canadian Fenian Raid song 1865-1867 Tune Streets of Laredo" <BGSOUND SRC="laredo.mid">

As I walked out in the Streets of Toronto
As I walked out in Toronto one day,
I spied a young Fenian, all wrapped in white linen
wrapped up in white linen and cold as the clay.


I see by your outfit, that you are a Fenian
These words he did say as I slowly walked by.
Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story,
For I'm shot in the breast, and I'm dying today.


Twas once with the Fenians I used to go dashing,
Twas once in the Fenians I used to go brawling
First to the dram-house, and then to the cathouse,
Got shot in the breast, and I'm dying today.


Oh, beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly,
And play the dead march as you carry me along;
Take me to the green valley, there lay the sod oer me,
For I'm a young Fenian and I know I've done wrong.


Get six jolly rowdies to carry my coffin,
Get six pretty maidens to bear up my pall.
Put bunches of roses all over my coffin,
Roses to deaden the sods as they fall.


Then swing your flags slowly and rattle yours muskets lowly,
And give a wild whoop as you carry me along;
And in the grave throw me and roll the sod o'er me.
For I'm a young Fenian and I know I've done wrong.


Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold whisky
To cool my parched lips, the Fenian then said.
Before I returned, his soul had departed,
and gone back to Ireland - the Fenian was dead.


We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly,
And loudly did cheer as we bore him along.
For we all fought our comrade, so brave, young and handsome,
and still like the Yankees, although they'd done wrong.


© Jack C. Downey CD




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