This is not true. It is of minor importance to other mis-statements of this gentleman, and is only noticed here, as showing that his story laid before the Court of Inquiry was unreliable, even where he had no motive for erratic obliquity. He did not concern himself about the men’s rations further than to murmur over his own substantial breakfast that he was very tired, and request some one else to do informally, what he should have done officially. The irregularities of the day had commenced. Applications were made to several owners of stores and crackers and red herrings were obtained, but in small quantity. Some men got half a herring; others a whole one; some had crackers; some had none. They who ate no herring were the most fortunate; for that June day became hot, and they had no canteens in which to carry water.
“Move not later than 5.30, at five if bread be ready.” He knew he had made no requisition on the baker. Officers of the “Queen’s Own” were running hither and thither in search of food. Meeting Mr. McGrath of the Welland railway they implored him for something to eat. He gave them crackers for which they were thankful. As there was no bread to wait for, Booker left Colborne at 5-8 a. m. Twenty minutes afterwards the telegram arrived from Col. Peacocke ordering him not to move until 7.
The train arrived at Ridgeway about 6, having proceeded over the intervening ten miles slowly and with due caution, so far as the engine driver had command. The Fenians instead of being at French creek were halted on the Ridge road, three miles distant and had sent forward scouts to watch military arrivals at this station. No sooner did the small volunteer army alight than emissaries of the enemy numbered them and went off with information.
The combined force of Q. O. Rifles from Toronto, 480; of York and Caledonia companies, together 95, and 13th from Hamilton 265; numbered, 840 of all ranks. Only one company of Q. O. had ammunition. Why they had come from Toronto without it, and been scattered through Colborne village without pickets, or guards, or sentries, can only be accounted for on the supposition that Col. Dennis, who came in command of them and leaving them to Major Gilmore, started off on an enterprise of his own devising at 4 a. m., had an imperfect conception of the military art, though holding the office of Brigade Major of the 5th military district. Why the Q. O. were sent from Toronto without ammunition, Major-General Napier knowing that fact, and telling them they were likely to be engaged with the enemy within twenty-four hours, (his first speech), or within twelve hours his second version of first speech, the powers of common sense fails to comprehend.
Quartermaster-sergeant Stoneman of the 13th supplied ammunition to the Toronto, York, and Caledonia Rifles at Ridgeway. The percussion caps ran short. Some of the York and Caledonia getting only 40 caps to 60 cartridges. There was a large surplus of cartridges left, but no caps. With difficulty and delay, Q. M. S. Stoneman pressed a farmer’s waggon into service and followed after the column which by that time had marched out of sight. No guard was placed by Lt.-Col. Booker over the ammunition. Dr. Ryal junr. of the 13th had been supplied at his father’s expense with some surgical necessaries. But there were no hospital ambulance.
Arrived at this point, with mind depressed by fault-finding, by recital of official negligences, by wants not supplied among the rank and file, the follower of this little army enters within a fresher, higher, moral atmosphere. The mind is now carried to a height from whence it beholds heroes. They may not be all developed. He is not the best soldier who distinguishes himself even in some very notable performance of gallantry. The true and good soldier is he who keeps his place in the ranks, goes where he is ordered to go, does what he is ordered to do. The men of the column now before us may have no demand made on them this day, to display the qualities commonly called heroic. The nervous and unsteady will sometimes rush upon an enemy with a vehemence which the world applauds. That is not heroism. The popular idea of high courage displayed in battle, is the charge, the shout, the rush with bayonet on the enemy’s line. That charge of bayonets has on occasions been effective, but it neither evinces high courage, nor is it often a safe movement. There is no man breathing who approaches the verge where the enemy’s fire may open, or who being within it hears the whiz of mortal missiles of death, but fears to be a victim. Courage is not a condition of mind which has no fear; courage is the conquest of fear. Without fear there is no courage. Of all the forms of danger from an enemy in battle the most trying to the manhood of the soldier, is bullet firing from forest thickets, from orchards, from behind curtains of concealment, out of houses, over garden walls, under covert of field fences; from behind trees. In such places the enemy is not seen or is but dimly discernable. In the greater fields of carnage where columns are undergoing rapid evolutions, and moving through massive formations exposed to quickly repeated vollies of artillery, men do not feel so acutely apprehensive, and sensitive. The reasons why not are various. The sight of blood maddens some. The magnitude of sanguinary havoc deadens the more delicate senses. Combativeness is inflamed. The desire to destroy obtains ascendancy. In the more intellectual natures the thought of death and the hereafter have been committed to the mercy of Almighty God. It has been done silently, and military duty, proceeds as if there had been no praying. The individual reckons on being killed. Unless he be fool as well as sinner he has not deferred repentance and prayer to that supreme hour. If he finds himself alive, and unhurt where many have fallen, he accepts the renewed term of life calmly, but inwardly gives Heaven his gratitude, feeling that he has yet some good service to perform for himself, kindred, country.
If these columns of subdivisions now marching from Ridgeway station up the Ridge road, have some quality that the hypercritical must find fault with, it is a disposition towards too much levity. These young volunteers are rather too sure that a fight with the Fenians will do them no harm. But this condition of gaiety has another meaning. It is young life in the morning of promise. That lightness of laugh, aptness of jest, gaiety of remark, that general vivacity is the sparkling of a native born, self-reliant spirit. Underneath lies manly fortitude.
“With ball cartridge, load!” These words of command at Ridgeway Station fell upon youthful ears with more meaning than any other words of command, at any time previously. Yet their full import may not have been comprehended. The Toronto men, clothed in dark green, ten small companies, had the lead, right in front. To Trinity College company of that battalion, only about twenty strong, the York Rifles were added, also in green. Next was the 13th, six companies, in scarlet. The Caledonia men wearing green, formed a rear guard. The Toronto field officers left their horses at Colborne, because said they, with some prudent ideas of difficulties to come, horses would be of no use in forest thickets; because said they afterwards, horses could not have been safely landed from the cars at Ridgeway. Major Skinner of the 13th took his horse, and lent it to Lt.-Col. Booker.
The road from Ridgeway station is skirted on each side with the ancient forest, but occasionally with cleared patches on which are dwellings and gardens, until you reach up about as far as the houses near to the letters B B on the map. There the cleared land widens on either hand. Towards the left the woods are seen forming a waving line, five, six, and seven hundred yards back to north-west, several farm fields with zigzag rail fences intervening. On the right hand is a space of pasturage unenclosed, broken on the front near the Ridge road with shallow quarries of limestone, lime-kilns now disused; much debris of broken stone; occasional trees dotted on the surface; the extent upward over a gentle elevation, three or four hundred yards. This is a section of Limestone Ridge. Its first boundary is that marked garrison road, and school house. The bugler sounds. The column halts. What is the matter? One on horseback comes to Lt.-Col. Booker and informs him that the Fenians occupy the road, and positions on the ridge within the fields and orchards, about three quarters of a mile further along to north-east. This is Squire Learn a justice of peace. He has been considerably beyond Hoffman’s tavern, and says he had come within sight of Fenian outposts on the road near to the place of letter C on the map where subsequently the square to receive Cavalry was formed. The Squire was fired upon. He had, he says, been commissioned by government to assist the commanding officer with information, and is now fulfilling this service. Little more of him was seen. The Colonel might reasonably doubt every man’s fidelity. Possibly he doubted this gentleman. Possibly he doubted none. But there were somewhere around him, persons professing to be friends who were not trustworthy.
Something in motion by the edge of the wood down on the left, drew the Colonel’s attention. He consulted with Adjutant Henery of the 13th and other officers. They and he differed in opinion. By aid of his field glass, he saw, so he affirmed, at least 200 Fenians in the wood, some mounted. They said there were only some cows and a man on horseback driving them. This matter did not involve any important issue. It was only a farmer, one of the Angurs, “running his cows off.” Yet the Colonel acted prudently, with the concurrence of Major Gilmore, in sending skirmishers across the fields to discover if the enemy occupied the woods on the left. No opposition was met in that direction.