_From 3.30 a. m. 1st of June 1866 to 11 a. m. Canada invaded. Lower
Ferry. Engineer of International Bridge. He is asked for “chunk”
and “sugar.” Mrs. Kempson parleys. Dr. Kempson made prisoner.
Village Council ordered to find breakfast for one thousand Fenians.
Axes and spades in request. Telegraph posts cut down. Boat escaping
on the river. The Hotels. Bar-rooms. Landlords serving liquors with
revolvers at their heads. Carrying sacks of flour with bayonets in
their rear. Baking, cooking for one thousand Fenians. They eat,
drink, sleep. Are aroused for the line of march._
During the night of 31st May, the Fenian bands left Buffalo city,
travelling by different outlets; but meeting on Niagara Street and
Black Rock Road, they halted at Black Rock Ferry about five miles
below, and north of Buffalo city; there they embarked in scows,
which, with a steam tug, lay in readiness to receive and tow them
over to the Canada shore, distance about one thousand yards. They
landed at the wharf called Lower Ferry, and marched westward towards
the village of Waterloo. This is a place containing about seven
hundred and fifty inhabitants. By persons living at a distance it
is called Fort Erie from an old fort of historical name situated
two miles south-west on the shore of Lake Erie, and nearly opposite
to Buffalo city, where the outflowing volume of Niagara is three
miles wide. But to the inhabitants of the surrounding country the
village is only known by name of “The Ferry.” The river at this point
has contracted to a width of eight hundred yards, and the traffic
across is conveyed by a steamer which plies every half hour. On the
American side there is first an embankment separating Buffalo mill
race from the main river. On this embankment are several flour mills,
lofty and wide, the most southerly of the group now marked with
Fenian bullets which, on the afternoon of June 2nd, were directed
against the steam tug Robb, a vessel from Dunnville, which gallantly
stemmed the current with about sixty Fenian prisoners on board,
below decks, on passage to Port Colborne, twenty miles westward.
The mill race is spanned by a swing bridge, after which is the Erie
and New York canal, which extends along the foot of the Buffalo and
Black Rock heights, which there rise seventy or eighty feet. On the
Canada shore is a corresponding range of heights, but more rounded
and covered with verdure, and with a level margin between them and
Niagara river, the level varying from three hundred to fifty yards
wide. On this plain lies scattered on three quarters of a mile of
river front the village of Waterloo. It has three small churches,
a school house, which was, for a short while on June 2nd, a prison
for Fenians, before these were taken on board the steamer Robb; and
some hotels, stores, and a few goodly dwelling houses embowered in
orchards, in maple and poplar groves, one of which, occupying a
prominent position, became the prison of certain officers and men of
the Welland Artillery, who, with a portion of the Dunnville Naval
Brigade, had become captives to the Fenians, after placing Fenian
prisoners on board their vessel. This, as will hereafter appear, was
not the result of their own mistakes, but of a turn in the fortunes
of war, which with many other adverse complexities characterized the
different parts of the military drama of the 2nd of June.
A Buffalo journal related how the Fenians obtained transports, thus:
“On Wednesday or Thursday previous to the raid, some persons waited
on Capt. Kingman, of this city, and engaged two tugs and four canal
boats to carry the employees of Pratt’s Iron Works, at the lower
Black Rock, on a pleasure trip to Falconwood. The price of the
trip was arranged for, the money paid and the boats dropped down to
their position on Thursday afternoon. The Fenians seized upon these
transports to invade the ‘sacred soil’ of Canada. The boats, after
use, were quietly returned to the American shore; the owners being
nothing out of pocket thereby.”
On the night of invasion there was a brilliant moon three days past
full. Sunrise was twenty-five minutes past four. The first gleams of
daybreak appeared in the north-east as the invaders landed in Canada
at Lower Ferry, township of Bertie, county of Welland. At this place
there is a shingle factory, a boat-house, a tavern, the residence
of a customs officer, and one or two frame dwellings. It is about
two miles below and north of Waterloo village. The invaders took
possession and left an armed guard on those houses. The main body
then moved hurriedly up the Niagara shore road towards the village.
Near to a bend in the Canada shore, named Bertie Point, half a mile
south of Lower Ferry is the residence of Mr. Molesworth engineer
of the International railway bridge, which was to have been built
this year, but is not yet begun, the delay being caused partly
through financial difficulties, in Britain, and partly through
Fenian disturbances on this frontier. The river between Bertie Point
and Squaw Island on New York shore, where it will terminate in
conjunction with the Atlantic and Great Western Railway is eighteen
hundred feet wide, greatest depth forty-one feet. There will be a
carriage and foot-way as well as railroad track, and it is expected
when the bridge is completed, citizens of Buffalo will erect dwelling
houses on the Canada side. The hotels and boarding houses of Waterloo
were frequented by persons from Buffalo before the Fenian alarm.
A detachment of invaders broke off from the main body in passing
Mr. Molesworth’s house, a brick villa with white columns supporting
a verandah and standing among a thicket of trees, twenty or thirty
yards from the road. They knocked loudly with the butt end of their
rifles. Mr. Molesworth, his wife and family of young children were
asleep. He looked upon the intruders from an upper window and asked
what was wanted. They ordered him down to open the door, else they
would break it in. He again asked who they were and what was wanted?
The reply was that they were the Fenian army landed to liberate
Canada; they wanted chunk; they wanted sugar. Mr. Molesworth not
being acquainted with slang did not know that chunk and sugar meant
money. He asked if they wanted bread. Their reply was “yes; bread,
chunk, sugar.” He went down stairs, collected all the bread and
cheese the house contained, carried it up, and lowered it out of the
window. Still they cried for chunk and sugar. Presently officers
with drawn swords and revolvers in hand drove that portion of the
mob away ordering them to fall into their places on the road. Mr.
Molesworth felt relieved by their absence, but was much puzzled to
think what such a crew could want with sugar. Either these returned
or others came and once more there was the cry, “chunk! sugar!” “I
have given all the bread, everything eatable in the house,” responded
the engineer. “We want money,” rejoined one of the marauders. But
fortunately for that defenceless household, Fenian officers again
called away, or forced off these men.
As they approached Waterloo village, the shore road on which they
marched, crossed the railway track of the Erie and Niagara line, a
track not yet regularly working. A single telegraph wire was on the
posts skirting this line; but on the river side road by which they
had come, were the International telegraph wires. Near to Lower
Ferry, these are bound around a post and carried under water from
shore to shore. When the invaders had reached the Erie and Niagara
track, they passed a church on their right hand, standing within its
small cemetery among trees, on a descending section of the heights
before mentioned which here approach the river. At fifty yards
further south they passed the mouth of a ravine which separates the
church bluff from one on which, within an orchard and a grove of tall
poplars, stands prominently out the residence of Dr. Kempson, reeve
of the village. That house was the first point to which the Fenian
commander O’Neil conducted his force. He ascended a steep carriage
way at a right angle from the river road and railway track, about
two hundred yards, entered the enclosure, placed sentries around the
house, stable and barn, and along the garden and orchard, his main
body being halted outside the garden fence and in an enclosed pasture
field adjoining. At a short distance north from this residence on the
same bluff and within the same orchard, was another house which was
also surrounded by Fenian pickets.
It was now daylight. The range of rounded green knolls, extending
three quarters of a mile southerly and west from this section, on
which the second skirmish of next day was fought, and on which Royal
Artillery, Infantry regulars, and Volunteers were subsequently
encamped, reflected back the first beams of the sun; that sun of
the 1st of June, which brought the light of offended Heaven to bear
witness against an army of strangers whose presence there was a crime
against international law, against innocent Canada, which had done
them no offence, against civilization, against the liberty and safety
of a free people, which America should be ever foremost to vindicate;
against the declared authority of the bishops and priests of the
Roman Catholic Church, to which nearly all the Fenian brotherhood
professed to be attached. By the scheme of invasion of Sweeny and
Roberts attacks had been designed for this or the preceding morning,
at eight or more places along a frontier line of fifteen hundred
miles. By confusion in the councils of the Fenian brotherhood, by
want of confidence in one another, by failure of transport to men and
munitions of war; by a sense of justice or of discreet policy newly
manifested in the executive government of the United States, the hand
of Omnipotence was on that occasion discernible on the side of right,
and of comparative innocence, against crime and unqualified wrong.
O’Neil, the chief of the invaders, has been described. He wore gray
clothes with some badge of green around a military cap. He ascended
the steps to Dr. Kempson’s front door, rapped, and demanded that the
Doctor should come out to speak with him. Mrs. Kempson descended to
the door instead of her husband. She is an intelligent lady seemingly
about twenty-five years of age, and mother of several young children,
who were then in the house. Colonel O’Neil quickly announced himself,
again demanded to see the lady’s husband, in his capacity of reeve
of the village of Waterloo; and intimated that if he did not come at
once force would be used. Mrs. Kempson inquired what they intended
to do? “To do? what do you mean?” “To us—what are you going to do to
us?” “We have come to hold possession of Canada; you are all, for the
present, my prisoners.” “Do you intend to kill us?” “No; not if you
be quiet and do as I require.” “What do you want with us?” “First
of all, where are your axes and spades, I must have them instantly;
and your husband must at once surrender himself to my orders!” The
lady intimated that the tools asked for were in the barn or in
the woodshed. Whereupon O’Neil ordered some men to find them, and
proceed to the railway track and the road in front of the church, cut
down the telegraph posts, sever the wires, lift the rails, and dig
trenches across the track; all of which was speedily done. While Mrs.
Kempson still guarded her doorway, O’Neil said, “Do you suppose my
men will kill you?” She expressed fear that they would. “They will
not hurt you” he replied; “but you must bring Dr. Kempson here at
once.” The Doctor came. O’Neil ordered him out to the road in front
of the garden wicket, placed an armed guard in front and in rear
of him, and said, “Dr. Kempson, you are chief magistrate of this
village, I require you to assemble the principal inhabitants and,
without delay, provide breakfast and other rations for one thousand
men. You march along with me. A picket of officers and men will keep
guard on your house; your wife will give them and also those in the
field such provisions as she may now have.” About fifty men occupied
the garden and searched the lower rooms and cellar. Mrs. Kempson gave
the bread, meat, wine and brandy which the house contained, and with
her servants baked more bread, fried ham, made tea and coffee in
pailfuls, which were carried out to the field beyond the garden gate,
where between one and two hundred men lay on the grass, besides the
fifty who crowded into the house. They in the field were prevented by
sentries from entering at the garden gate.
After the occupation of the reeve’s house, the next incident of
sensation in the village was the discharge of Fenian shots at a small
boat which had crept out from the Canada shore, containing two men,
one of whom was pulling his oars frantically towards middle stream,
the other lying down in the boat. The oarsman was Mr. Leslie the
postmaster, his passenger, Mr. Kerby, a clothier; Fenian bullets
whizzing past their ears, and loud shouts of “come back”, compelled
their return. Like others they were taken prisoners, but liberated on
parole.
As the reeve advanced up the street, half a mile south of his own
house, Mr. Forsyth, a justice of peace and member of the corporation,
Mr. Douglas another member of corporation, Mr. Graham, collector
of customs and two or three more principal men emerged from cover,
and answered O’Neil’s summons to surrender themselves prisoners.
They also were paroled, and commanded to furnish breakfast for one
thousand men on pain of having their houses forcibly entered and
possibly burned. The words “one thousand men,” were frequently used
by O’Neil on that morning. Next day, June 2nd, when he made his
head-quarters in the house and on the farm of Henry F. Angur at
Limestone Ridge, before the fight began, he spoke of his force being
fourteen hundred. After much inquiry I have not been able to trace
the retreat of the latter number of men across Niagara river, though
it is ascertained that many escaped across from Saturday to Sunday
June 2nd and 3rd, besides those intercepted by the U. S. steamer
_Michigan_. By the excess of rifles and ammunition brought from
Buffalo beyond what O’Neil’s force required, and which were destroyed
previous to the Lime-ridge conflict, it is probable that Canadian
Fenians were expected to fall into the invading ranks. But whether
they were to have partaken of the breakfast for “one thousand men,”
or if that was the actual numerical strength brought from Buffalo,
investigation has failed to determine.
Some of the inhabitants were too poor to contribute to the Fenian
breakfast. The operations in the principal hotel, were of this kind:
The three lower sitting rooms were filled by men, who awaited their
turn to pass into the bar-room. Sentries with loaded revolvers stood
in front of the bar; the landlord stood behind it filling his liquors
as long as bottles and jars held out. When these were drained he was
escorted to his cellar by other guards with revolvers loaded and
capped and assisted by willing “helps” to carry his liquid stock to
the floor above. When all was drained, his cellar and bar empty,
he was thoroughly cursed for not having more liquor on hand; and,
at point of bayonet, driven to make haste and “help get breakfast
ready.” All the butcher’s meat and cured hams in the hotel were cut
up and cooked; coffee was made in pails and tubs and carried to a
rising ground west of the village, on which O’Neil and his officers
had posted the main body of their force. All the bread was soon
consumed, and the flour in the hotel had been made into more bread
and that eaten up. The landlord having drained off his liquors and
given his eatables to his voracious visitors thought to rest himself,
as he could do no more. The click of revolvers seconded the command
to go and purchase. His faint reminder that he had drawn no money
wherewith to purchase additional supplies, was stopped by curses,
by pointed bayonets, and the language of menace which informed him
that he had credit at the stores. Thither he went under a dancing,
rollicking escort, and was ordered not to look miserable, but to be
happy, to laugh and join in the hilarious joy now that, “degraded
Canada was liberated, and from that day was a free country!” He
shouldered a sack of flour; and, pricked with bayonets, trotted
under his burden, laughing as best he could; assuring the liberators
of Canada, that he was happy to see them; happy to see that day;
overcome with joy in fact; oh, yes! very happy! hoorah for the Irish
Republic!
“You may as well not publish names,” said one of the villagers who
with me listened to this recital; “when Colonel Peacocke and the army
leaves here, some of those Buffalo men may come over and give us a
licking.”
During the plunder of the bar-room and cellar, the landlady, a
delicate young person, and servants, with Fenian “helps” were
cooking, baking, and boiling. Next day, during the absence of the
Fenians at Limestone Ridge, this landlord, like most other residents
on the Canada shore got the females of the family removed to the
American side for safety.
Other contributories to Friday morning’s breakfast were treated and
employed similarly to the hotel keeper, though not all. Wherever
O’Neil was, his men were moderate, merciful, obedient.
When the invaders had filled themselves, and drank all the liquor in
the village they still demanded more. One hundred and fifty or two
hundred continued about that hotel, singing, and dancing, several
hours. At last O’Neil and other officers with drawn swords came,
supported by armed pickets and drove them away, using such reproaches
as, “you blackguards! do you think we brought you to Canada to get
drunk, and make sport? you came here to fight. The army of red-coats
will soon be on you! are you in a state to meet the red-coats? For
shame! soldiers of the Fenian brotherhood! shame!” And the officers
drove out the plunderers before them.
A man named Canty, who had been suspected of Fenianism disclosed
himself now. He girded on a sword and boldly informed his neighbours
that he was a B, or Major, in the “army of liberation.” Canty was
owner of a house and lot in the village, of which government agents
soon took possession. He was said to have absconded from the States,
two years before, with the money of his creditors, and purchased this
property. He absconded from Canada quite as hurriedly after the fight
at Limestone Ridge, on the reported advance of Colonel Peacocke’s
force. His house was said to be a depository of entrenching tools. It
was said that arms and ammunition had been concealed there, but after
the man’s flight none were found. Some village names were freely
and unfavourably mentioned to me by a person in authority, who was
making an official report to the government at Ottawa through Colonel
Peacocke; but, in conversation, I found that the Fenian invasion had
less to do with the gentleman’s ideas than the discomfiture which he
had suffered at a recent village election. That gentleman’s narrative
of the movements of the steamer Robb, of the Welland Artillery, and
of the manner of capturing Fenian prisoners, as also of the number of
prisoners captured was at variance with facts otherwise ascertained
and unquestionably certified. He might intend to do government a
good service, but his memory seemed not reliable, nor his mind
sufficiently free of a petty political distemper. The Ottawa
authorities should receive with caution any magisterial statement he
may have forwarded reflecting on the loyalty of his neighbours.
A detachment of Fenians, some hundreds strong, but precisely how
strong, I could not ascertain, proceeded to the Buffalo and Lake
Huron Railway depot, a mile south-west of the village. A man named
William Duggan, employed as a track-man on that line, was committed
for trial to Welland prison, on June 21st, accused of having
conducted the marauders to the depot offices and aided them with
crowbars to open lock-fast doors.