Narrative of the Volunteer Camp at Niagara, June 1871
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Canadian Military History Volume 12 Issue 4 Article 5 2003 Narrative of the Volunteer Camp at Niagara, June 1871 Andrew Greenhill Wilfrid Laurier University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Recommended Citation Greenhill, Andrew "Narrative of the Volunteer Camp at Niagara, June 1871." Canadian Military History 12, 4 (2003) This Canadian War Museum is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Greenhill: Volunteer Camp at Niagara 1871 Narrative of the Volunteer Camp at Niagara June 1871 By a full private [Andrew Greenhill, 13th Battalion] Editor’s Introduction To provide historical context, the Niagara camp was convened towards the Cameron Pulsifer tail end of a period of much ferment and concern as regards Canadian defence. The Canadian military as we know it The period had begun in 1855 when, emerged in the critical decades that due to the need for troops to fight in immediately preceded and followed the war then raging against Russia in Confederation in 1867. While a number the Crimea, the British substantially of accounts are available of militia reduced the strength of their North officers’ experiences in these decades, so far we American garrison. This caused the government have missed the important perspective of the of the then united provinces of Canada to take rank and file.1 Recently, however, an interesting a serious look at what they could do to defend example of such a perspective has come to light themselves in the absence of the British regulars. and has been added to the collection of the The result was a new Militia Act, which proposed Canadian War Museum (CWM). This is in the spending money on a force of 5,000 volunteer form of a short but insightful narrative, written by militia who were to be drilled ten days a year. a Private Andrew Greenhill of Hamilton, Ontario’s The emphasis on volunteers moved away from 13th Battalion, Canadian Militia, describing his the long-standing Canadian tradition of the experiences while serving at the Militia Camp sedentary militia, whereby all males between held at Niagara in June 1871. the ages of eighteen and sixty were theoretically liable for military service. This system had proved Greenhill’s narrative came to the museum in unworkable in practice, with little enthusiasm for December 2002 from his great granddaughter, military training being exhibited at its infrequent Mrs. Sally Bates (née Young) of Port Hope, and poorly-managed musters. Ontario. The handwritten manuscript had been in the family for generations and, justly The 1855 Act established the principle that concluding that it should be a part of the nation’s militia service in Canada would be performed military heritage, Mrs. Bates contacted her sister- only by volunteers. These men would meet in-law, Tina Bates, of the Canadian Museum of regularly for training and henceforth would be the Civilization, who put her in touch with the CWM. force upon which governments relied in times of The war museum was more than pleased to take emergency, the old sedentary militia remaining a possession of the manuscript, as it is a rare paper force only. This principle of militia service gem of a document, providing richly colourful being carried out by volunteers was reiterated insight into the world of the other ranks of the in Militia Acts passed by the Canadas in 1863 Confederation era militia during their most and by the newly-formed Dominion of Canada important annual period of training, the summer in 1868.2 Meanwhile, the British had renewed camp. the size of their garrison after the Crimean War, © Canadian Military History, Volume 12, Number 4, Autumn 2003, pp.37-54. 37 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2003 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 12 [2003], Iss. 4, Art. 5 and, indeed, during the American Civil War of ended, optimistic that the American government 1861-1865, increased it to the highest levels it would come to their aid, began to form units had reached since the end of the War of 1812. that could turn warlike energies northwards.5 But the sense of crisis generated by the Civil War In November 1865, only months after the war and other threats that quickly followed it resulted ended, Canadian militia units mobilized to meet in the Canadians increasing the size of their own Fenian threats, including two Special Service volunteer militia as well. During these years companies from Hamilton’s 13th Battalion being numerous battalions came into being that are sent to patrol the Detroit River frontier. An even still on the Canadian militia list today – including larger number from the battalion turned out the 1st Battalion Militia Rifles of Canada, now for local service to meet threats that emerged the Canadian Grenadier Guards, in Montreal in in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 1859; the Queen’s Own Rifles in Toronto in 1860; 1866.6 and the 13th Battalion, Canadian Militia, now the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, in Hamilton The story of the Fenian Raids has been much in 1862.3 covered in Canadian historical literature, most recently and incisively by Hereward Senior in During the American Civil War many issues his book The Last Invasion of Canada (1991). put relations between Americans and British Here it is sufficient to note that it was a period of North Americans under severe strain. This constant ‘alarums and excursions,’ with British included the serious Trent crisis of late 1861 North Americans governments perpetually early 1862, when members of the Union Navy in a state of vigilance about possible attacks. boarded a British mail vessel of that name on the The first actual incursion came in April 1866 high seas and forcibly removed two Confederate against Campobello Island in New Brunswick. emissaries bound for Great Britain. The British This resulted in an armed stand off against government of Lord Palmerston reacted with mobilized units of the New Brunswick militia outrage and, with threats of war emanating from and a force of British regulars for a couple of both sides, began the large military build-up weeks before the Fenians at last withdrew back mentioned above. Three years later the Union into Maine, having accomplished little. This was government was in turn outraged when a force of followed by a much more serious crisis on 1 Confederates attacked the Vermont community of June, when another Fenian force, numbering St. Albans using Quebec as a base of operations. close to a thousand, crossed the Niagara River Also during the war, the Confederate commerce and captured the town of Fort Erie. Then, the raider Alabama had attacked and sunk great next day they confronted and put to rout a force quantities of northern shipping. As the vessel had of Canadian militia (including Hamilton’s 13th been built in Great Britain, tense negotiations Battalion) at the Battle of Ridgeway. Although the ensued after the war between the United States Fenians did not capitalize on their triumph and and Great Britain over claims by the former for withdrew that night back into New York State, compensation for the damage done to them by Canadian defence authorities were shocked by this vessel. These negotiations were, in fact, still their success. This was not helped when, only very much in progress as the militia camp met a week later, inexperienced companies of local at Niagara in 1871.4 volunteers companies pulled back before another Fenian force that crossed from Vermont into Still, the Americans proceeded quickly to Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Although this time demobilize their massive armies at the end of the invaders withdrew before any fighting took the war, which significantly eased British North place, the two raids together had a galvanizing American concerns from that quarter. But then impact upon government approval of training for came the armed menace of the Fenians. This was the Canadian volunteers. a large group of Irish-Americans who thought they could help the cause of Irish independence from Although the Fenians did not attack for four Britain by attacking Canada. They were not to be more years, they continued to train and, with taken lightly as many were experienced veterans threats continuing to emanate from south of the of the Civil War. During the war Fenian leaders border, British North Americans governments had maintained a chorus of denunciations against remained in a state of alert. The last great Fenian the British presence in Canada and soon after it crisis came in May 1870, when another force 38 https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol12/iss4/5 2 Greenhill: Volunteer Camp at Niagara 1871 entered Canada across the Vermont border. new national feeling grew up together.’10 This time, however, they were confronted by a force of privately raised Home Guards and The set-backs of 1866 having convinced by companies of local volunteer battalions at Canadian leaders that their volunteers needed a spot called Eccles Hill and sent reeling back more and better training, only two months later, across the border into Vermont. A couple of days responding to the advice of Colonel (later Field later in western Quebec at Holbrook Corners Marshal Sir) Garnet Wolseley, then on the staff on the Trout River, an even larger Fenian force of the British military in Canada, the government was driven back by a combined force of British authorized a special training camp at Thorold, regulars and Canadian volunteers. These were Ontario. Here volunteer units came in rotation the last Fenian invasions of Canada although for a week’s training with British regulars in drill, another was planned against Manitoba in October musketry, and field exercises, all under Wolseley’s 1871.