Zed
03-21-2011, 06:14 PM
For further discussion of the Fenian Raid from the Black Irish Nigger thread;
"O'Neill spent the first day trying to rally the local citizenry to the Fenian cause and to commandeer supplies for his mission, but his force was plagued by desertions almost from the outset. By nightfall, O'Neill estimated that he had perhaps 500 men remaining in his camp.[8] Later during the night, O'Neill was reinforced by an additional column of 200 Fenians who had been deployed earlier elsewhere; bringing his total strength at Ridgeway to at least 650 men.[1]"
"In the first hour of the battle, the Canadians appeared to prevail, driving Fenian skirmishers back across Bertie Road. Then something went wrong: to this day, it is not clear exactly what. Some sources say that the Canadian militiamen mistook Fenian scouts on horseback for cavalry. Orders to defend against a cavalry charge, although quickly countermanded, led to chaos in the Canadian ranks and Booker ordered a withdrawal after ninety minutes of battle. Other sources indicate that QOR troops mistook a company of redcoated 13th Battalion infantry for British troops relieving them and began to withdraw; which then triggered a panic among other troops who mistook the QOR withdrawal for a retreat. The Fenian commander, noting chaos among the enemy, ordered a bayonet charge that completely routed the inexperienced Canadians. The Fenians took and briefly held the town of Ridgeway, putting it to the torch. Then, expecting to be overwhelmed by British reinforcements, they quickly turned back to Fort Erie. The Canadian loss was 7 killed, 2 died of wounds shortly afterwards and 37 wounded. [3] O'Neill said he had four or five men killed, but Canadians claimed to have found six Fenian bodies on the field."
"The battle at Ridgeway was followed by a Fenian victory later in the afternoon over the heavily outnumbered Canadian volunteer Welland Field Battery (armed as an infantry unit) and the Dunnville Naval Brigade at Fort Erie. Nevertheless, the rapid convergence of large British and Canadian reinforcements convinced many of the Fenians to return in haste to the United States - some on logs, on rafts, or by swimming. O'Neill and 850 Fenians[9] surrendered their arms to waiting U.S. authorities. In his book, 1916:The Easter Rising, Tim Pat Coogan said the force was described at the time as the Irish Republican Army."
From wikipedia.
"O'Neill spent the first day trying to rally the local citizenry to the Fenian cause and to commandeer supplies for his mission, but his force was plagued by desertions almost from the outset. By nightfall, O'Neill estimated that he had perhaps 500 men remaining in his camp.[8] Later during the night, O'Neill was reinforced by an additional column of 200 Fenians who had been deployed earlier elsewhere; bringing his total strength at Ridgeway to at least 650 men.[1]"
"In the first hour of the battle, the Canadians appeared to prevail, driving Fenian skirmishers back across Bertie Road. Then something went wrong: to this day, it is not clear exactly what. Some sources say that the Canadian militiamen mistook Fenian scouts on horseback for cavalry. Orders to defend against a cavalry charge, although quickly countermanded, led to chaos in the Canadian ranks and Booker ordered a withdrawal after ninety minutes of battle. Other sources indicate that QOR troops mistook a company of redcoated 13th Battalion infantry for British troops relieving them and began to withdraw; which then triggered a panic among other troops who mistook the QOR withdrawal for a retreat. The Fenian commander, noting chaos among the enemy, ordered a bayonet charge that completely routed the inexperienced Canadians. The Fenians took and briefly held the town of Ridgeway, putting it to the torch. Then, expecting to be overwhelmed by British reinforcements, they quickly turned back to Fort Erie. The Canadian loss was 7 killed, 2 died of wounds shortly afterwards and 37 wounded. [3] O'Neill said he had four or five men killed, but Canadians claimed to have found six Fenian bodies on the field."
"The battle at Ridgeway was followed by a Fenian victory later in the afternoon over the heavily outnumbered Canadian volunteer Welland Field Battery (armed as an infantry unit) and the Dunnville Naval Brigade at Fort Erie. Nevertheless, the rapid convergence of large British and Canadian reinforcements convinced many of the Fenians to return in haste to the United States - some on logs, on rafts, or by swimming. O'Neill and 850 Fenians[9] surrendered their arms to waiting U.S. authorities. In his book, 1916:The Easter Rising, Tim Pat Coogan said the force was described at the time as the Irish Republican Army."
From wikipedia.