Narrative of the Fenian invasion of Canada

by Alexander Somerville

The Nashville Press of July 9, 1866, reported a statement made the day before by O’Neil, on the occasion of a public reception. “Tell us,” cried a voice in the crowd, “about the ‘Queen’s Own.’” He responded: “I desire to rectify a mistake about those troops. It has been said that they acted in a cowardly manner. Not so. When they advanced in line of battle in their red uniforms they presented a beautiful appearance. It was one of the prettiest sights I ever witnessed. The line was well formed and their advance was brave.”

Words similar to these had been used by General O’Neil at Buffalo. The present writer did not at first attach importance to this matter, until he observed that the Nashville statement was so well accepted at Toronto by some who have with an unsoldier-like spirit underrated the 13th, to exalt the Queen’s Own, that they reprinted the paragraph omitting the distinctive mark of the 13th, “their red uniforms.” It was known that not only on the American side, but generally about Ridgeway and Fort Erie, Canadian residents spoke of the volunteers collectively, who had been engaged, on June 2nd, as the “Queen’s Own.” For the accuracy of history, in face of this perversion in Toronto newspapers, a writer whose constant aim is historical accuracy and fair play to all persons irrespective of frowns or favours, addressed, General O’Neil, as to which of the reports was the true one. He replied thus: (The letters in full will be seen on another page);—Nashville, Tennessee, July 31st 1866.

“In answer to your inquiries I beg leave to state that on account of the prominence given to the ‘Queen’s Own’ by the American and Canadian newspapers, I had been led to believe that they were the principal troops opposed to me on the 2nd of June last. And as the red uniform appeared to me the most conspicuous on the field, I had taken up the idea, without making any inquiry on the subject, that the ‘Queen’s Own’ were dressed in red. In my speech at this place I did not intend to distinguish the troops dressed in ‘red’ from those dressed in ‘green’. I intended to speak of the whole when I stated that they fought well.”

Thus, from the enemy’s point of view on those heights above concession road, it is seen that while nothing was observed detracting from the steady, soldier-like gallantry of the Toronto and York and Caledonia Rifles, who wore green uniforms, the equally soldier-like gallantry of the Hamilton 13th is vindicated. The enemy, against whom a force advances in mortal conflict is the best judge of the effect which it produces. Prisoners taken, and other Fenian informants, concur in stating that while the men in dark green (Q. O.) had driven in the advanced Fenian pickets, it was the additional line, the line of red which decided them to abandon the concession road. About the same time, the University Rifle Company supported by Capt. Gardener’s Highlanders (Denison’s Hist.) advanced on the extreme right. “There,” says a writer in Toronto Leader “they bore the brunt of the battle.” The University youths like all else on the field were brave, and bravely did their duty, but it was not while advancing on the enemy’s position that their casualties occurred, nor while keeping that post on the right under cover of the wood on the upper ridge. They suffered severely, but not yet, and not there.

From the accounts so plentifully written by members of the Q. O. in various newspapers the writers seem to have exhausted their soldierly qualities on the field of fight. It is not soldierly, when the fight is over to take pens in hand for the detraction of another portion of the force equally engaged with themselves. The 13th continued to advance and co-operate, all its companies as a battalion; its three companies of skirmishers, and its three companies of supports. It had not been ordered, it was not its duty to take the place of Q. O. companies that they might fall to the rear. Its duty was to do what it did, advance as closely as practicable upon the enemy, and make the best use of its arms and the position. The ultimate position was in the orchards north and east of the concession road.

The Q. O. companies interchanged and relieved each other, or without being in each case, relieved, fell back, making a column of reserve. The order in which this was done cannot be distinctly traced, as few of the Q. O., officers or men, agree in giving the same statement. Captain Gardener, (Court of Inquiry,) speaks of having been twice with his Highlanders sent to the front. Major Gilmore says (Court of Inquiry,) Gardener did not retire from the front until the last. Capt. Adam is represented as saying that he and No. 6, Q. O. drove the Fenians out of J. N. Angur’s brick house, which is situated in the corner at the crossing of Ridge road with concession road; while again Lieut. McLean (Court of Inquiry) relates that his company on the concession road, should have been relieved by one of the 13th, which did not advance so far, and that on its default to relieve him he said to his men “peg away”, and they pegged away accordingly. Mr. McLean’s story in other respects is equally marvelous. The 13th were in the front. They had nobody to relieve. The duty of all was to fight, not to fall back.

Three companies of the 13th had advanced upon the brick house and to right and left of it. No. 1, Capt. Grant, Lieut. Gibson, Ensign McKenzie, took a position extending up the concession road, where Fenian breast-work of rails had been. No. 2, Capt. Watson, and Lieut. Sewell, [Ensign Baker of that company being with the regimental colours at the reserve], occupied a space of the road on each side of the brick house, within and in front of it. No. 3 company, Lieut. Ferguson, [his Capt. absent, and Mr. Armstrong, his Ensign, with the 13th’s colours at the reserve], advanced upon concession road to the left of J. N. Angur’s brick house. Finding here that his men could not fire at anything but a thicket of orchard trees, where no enemy was visible, Mr. Ferguson advanced his company across the road towards the letter B of the map, half wheeled to the right and obtained a range of fire towards a Fenian position beyond Stoneman’s orchard. No other company was so far advanced towards the enemy. Mr. McLean says he and a subdivision of No. 6, Q. O. were there; others say no. Major Skinner and Adjutant Henery with portions of the 13th took possession of the brick house and the garden in front. The front garden gate and house doors were all fast until they forced an entrance, and took up a fighting position. Fenians were not driven out by the Q. O.; they had not been in. But that house was then in the range of Fenian bullets. Nor did the 13th find the Q. O. in possession of the premises, nor see them in front, except a very few, some half dozen men, on the road, their companies having scattered and gone back as part of the reserve, so these men said. At the corner of Angur’s barn an officer of the Q. O. was industriously firing the rifles which two or more men behind the barn loaded for him. This was probably Capt. Adam; because, Major Denison says p. 43, “For some reason the company of the 13th which was to have relieved No. 6 Q. O. Capt. Adam, marched up to the brick house, where No. 6, after driving out the enemy with great gallantry had established itself; and both companies remained in that position fighting together.”

The meaning of this is obscure. A tone of doubt is not here assumed as to the gallantry of the Q. O. but as to the exactness of their recollections, or of the description of their motions. I heard this brick house incident freely spoken of at Toronto before Major Denison’s book came out, and have therefore been more particular in examining the recollections of the 13th. The skirmishers of that battalion, extended on both sides and in front of Angur’s brick house, have a vivid recollection of Major Skinner and Adjutant Henery going along their line, speaking words of cheerful encouragement, patting some of the youngsters on the shoulder, accompanied with remarks, such as, “good boys; take steady aim; do not throw away your fire; do not expose yourselves needlessly”.

There is a large single tree on the Ridge road side, fifty yards or so, to north of Angur’s brick house, and near to that tree a land roller. In the hinder part of the frame of the roller is a bullet hole made by a shot which came from the direction of the barn 200 yards behind Angur’s house. Adjutant Henery and some men were firing from behind the roller using it and the tree as cover, when that bullet struck close to his head, he kneeling and taking aim. This was a circumstance to make him look around and notice who was shooting in that direction. Nobody was then visible except men in scarlet, none of whom could have fired that shot, and eight or nine Q. O. men, who said their company had retired to the reserves, but that they had remained. This incident is only named as a marking place of memory. Major Skinner who commanded the three companies in front is equally clear that men in scarlet uniforms were the sole occupants of those premises and of the concession road adjoining, as of the orchard across concession road, when he advanced and held possession of it. From the nature of the ground which undulated, and from frequency of wooded thickets, and orchards interrupting the view, the Q. O. companies which went earliest to the front, especially those on the extreme right, became concealed to those behind. And the 13th when they soon after advanced still further to the front, were in like manner indistinctly seen by the Q. O. who fell back. When the right wing of the 13th had advanced in even skirmish line about 400 yards, from garrison road, the left wing under Major Cattley advancing compactly, as supports, at an interval of 150 or 200 yards, the coolness, caution, precision of eye and soldier-like watchfulness of the officers were happily exemplified. Major Skinner having passed along the skirmish line to confer with the adjutant and observe what was in the front, and on the right flank noticed objects which some of the 13th were about to fire at. These objects from their apparently stealthy motions in the bush were supposed by some to be Fenians. The Major perceived they were not. And Captain Grant also reported to him that men in dark clothing were creeping about under cover and occasionally visible in the higher wood, on the ridge, easterly; that he had difficulty in restraining his company from firing on them as Fenians; but that he did not think they were Fenians. Major Skinner said they were not the enemy, and went along the extended files of No. 1, as also did the officers of the company giving the men caution that the heads indistinctly seen in that bush, up to their right, were not heads of the enemy. It is probable they were the University Rifle Company, perhaps also Captain Gardener’s Highlanders.