This seemed to satisfy O’Brien, who soon flowed into conversation touching all that had transpired regarding Kate and Darcy, as well as in relation to Nicholas himself. During the narrative, he referred to the doubts that he had from the first entertained regarding the spy; although he confessed he was not altogether clear at times upon the subject.
After the fight at Fort Erie, many of the Fenians, understanding that they were not to be reinforced and that the enemy was about coming down on them in force and hemming them in on all sides, made the best of their way across the river. The great bulk of the command, however, stood by O’Neill; until about midnight, when a large scow attached to a steam tug approached the Canadian shore and took the whole of the remaining forces on board. Laden thus, they steamed out into the middle of the river, when a 12-pound shot fired across their bows, from the tug Harrison, belonging to the U.S. Steamer Michigan, brought them to—doubtless to the extreme delight of Acting Sailing-Master Morris who seemed anxious enough to fire the gun and make the capture; although they would at the moment have stuck to a child hearing the authority of the United States. It is significant, however, that the over-officiousness of Mr. Morris has not tended much to his advantage as he no longer belongs to the United States Navy; he having been quite as unfortunate as a certain District Attorney, who, also, endeavored to impress the Government as to his undoubted unfriendliness to the cause of Irish freedom. The lesson may be profitable to Government officials at some future period; and prevent them from exceeding the simple and unprejudiced bounds of their duty. Be this as it may, about two o’clock on the morning of the third of June the scow was brought along side the Michigan and the officers taken on board that vessel and handed over to the urbane and gentlemanly Capt. Bryson, its commander, as prisoners under the authority of the United States; while the men were detained in the same character aboard the scow.
We are unable to trace to any particular source, the cruelty inflicted upon these latter noble fellows, in keeping them for days in that open vessel huddled together, and with the rain for a portion of that period, descending upon them in torrents. The disgrace of such a proceeding has been so often denounced, that we dismiss this part of the subject without further comment. Ultimately, they were all liberated on their own recognizance, to appear about the middle of the month at Canaudaigua, to answer for a breach of the Neutrality Laws; and there the matter ended.
Now, however, the arms and ammunition belonging to the Brotherhood had been seized at every point except Buffalo. In addition, the volunteers who poured to the frontier from every side found themselves helpless, being without weapons or a commissariat: although the brave General Spear, with but a handful of men, made a descent subsequently upon the enemy at St. Albans, and put them to a most ignominious flight. According to General Meade, of the United States Army, between thirty and forty thousand of these brave fellows were furnished with transportation back to their homes at the expense of the Government; while the arms that were seized were subsequently returned to the authorities of the Organization on certain conditions that have been for so far complied with.
Thus ended the first invasion of Canada under the gallant O’Neill, who, on his return from the campaign, was made a General and Commander-in-chief of the Army of the Irish Republic, and who, in addition, was subsequently elevated, to the position of President of the Fenian Organization throughout the world. What his next move may be, we are unable to say; but this we know, it will be in the right direction and likely to succeed. He had no doubt been spared on the numerous battle-fields on which he fought so bravely, for some wise purpose: and this purpose, we feel, is in connection with the freedom of Ireland. For the present, then, we bid him and his noble comrades adieu; hoping the next time we shall have occasion to refer to them, the power of England may be broken on this continent, and the green flag of old Ireland floating over the Castle of Dublin. Our hopes of success were never brighter than they appear to be at this, the moment of our writing. We have an immense army in preparation for the field, and a noble and self-sacrificing Senate and band of Organizers that may well command his confidence and that of every Irish Nationalist in the world. For the benefit of our readers, we here give the names of the members of both these bodies, so that they shall be known and cherished throughout the globe. We might single out from amongst them, that of the able and patriotic P.J. Meehan, Esq., editor of the Irish American, and bold it up to the admiration of our countrymen everywhere: but where all have acted so nobly we shall include all as worthy of praise alike; although we could point out D. O’Sullivan, Esq., Secretary of Civil Affairs, A.L. Morrison, Esq., of Chicago, and a host of others, as eminently entitled to our love and admiration; while, were we permitted to do so, we could illumine our pages with the names of thousands of our fair countrywomen and their beautiful American sisters who have laid their hands to the good work with all the passion and nobility of their pure and generous natures: but we must for the present content ourselves with the following list and its recent modifications, at the Seventh National Congress of the Fenian Brotherhood, which assembled at Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 24th. 1868:
NAMES OF SENATORS OF THE FENIAN BROTHERHOOD.
JAMES GIBBONS, ESQ., Vice President, F.B. 333 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
THOMAS LAVAN, ESQ., 13 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
T.J. QUINN, ESQ., Albany, N.Y.
MILES D. SWEENEY, ESQ., San Francisco. Cal.
JOHN CARLETON, ESQ., Bordentown, N.J.
F.B. GALLAGHER, ESQ., Buffalo, N.Y.
P.W. DUNNE, ESQ., Peoria. Ill.
EDWARD L. CAREY, ESQ., New York City.
PATRICK J. MEEHAN, ESQ., Hudson City, N.J.
PETER CUNNINGHAM, ESQ., Utica, N.Y.
MICHAEL FINNEGAN, ESQ., Houghton, Mich.
J.C. O’BRIEN, ESQ., Rochester, N.Y.
WM. FLEMING, ESQ., 16 Congress Street Troy, N.Y.
HON. J.W. FITZGERALD, Ellen Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.
PATRICK SWEENEY, ESQ., Newburgh Street, Lawrence, Mass.
NAMES OF ORGANIZERS OF THE FENIAN BROTHERHOOD{1}
JOHN F. FINNERTY, ESQ.
JAMES BRENNAN, ESQ.
COLONEL P.F. WALSH.
MAJOR WM. McWILLIAMS.
H.M. WILLIAMS, ESQ.
HENRY LE CARON, ESQ.
MAJOR TIMOTHY O’LEARY.
JOSEPH SMOLENSKI, ESQ.
E.C. LEWIS, ESQ.
COLONEL WM. CLINGEN.
FRED. O’DONNELL, ESQ.
H.M. SULLIVAN, ESQ.