150th Anniversary of the Battle of Ridgeway 2-3 June 2016

[Old Sweat]

On 2 June 1866 the Canadian Militia fought two battles against Irish-American invaders of the Fenian Brotherhood in what collectively has come to be known as the Battle of Ridgeway. The first of these, which was fought on the Ridge Road a short distance north of the village of the same name, saw the Fenians defeat a column made up of the Queen's Own Rifles, the 13th Battalion of Hamilton, and the York and Caledonia Rifle Companies. The second, and smaller engagement, was fought later that day by the Welland Canal Field Battery augmented by members of the Dunnville Naval Brigade against a superior Fenian force in the streets of Fort Erie until overrun and captured. Following the two battles, the Fenians, who were short of ammunition and aware that British and Canadian forces were concentrating against them, withdrew to the United States where they were taken into custody.

The link to the website is at: http://www.fenians150.com/

You should be aware that recent scholarship has determined that the accepted version of events re the first battle is incorrect and based on an attempt to shift blame to the troops and away from gross mismanagement by the British and Canadian authorities. It was not until a few years ago that the first major examination of the events appeared that led to the above conclusion, although two shorter studies done independently had reached the same conclusion a few years earlier. ("Toot Toot" - own horn, as I did one of the them, and am scheduled to speak at the commemoration.)

 

[pbi]

Which is, of course, where the QOR got that nasty nickname "Quickest Out of Ridgeway... ;D

But, seriously, I've always wondered about something. How, exactly, did the US Government, military and law enforcement fail to pick up on the fact that large numbers of men, all well armed and many of them hardened combat veterans of the Civil War, were concentrating on the US/Canadian border, with what was probably fairly poorly concealed intent? Was it that much of a secret?

And, that it was only once the raids had obviously failed that the US authorities took any action against the Fenians? Were they waiting to see if it would work? After all, as a British Colony, Canada was part of an Empire that had been pretty pro-Confederate throughout most  of the Civil War, if I recall correctly. Was it a kind of payback?

 

[Old Sweat]

The US government was aware and was trying to shut things down. General Grant alerted General Meade, who was in charge of the northeast, that something was up. The main Fenian axis was supposed to be up Lake Champlain and the Niagara operation was planned as a diversion. Obviously it didn't work out that way. Edit to add: There were reports of Fenians concentrating in Ogdensburg and Malone, NY but these were overblown.

In the Buffalo area the US Attorney for the area and the Mayor of Buffalo had both wired Canadian authorities alerting them to the concentration. A gunboat, the USS Michigan, was in Buffalo harbour to prevent crossings but was put out of action by Fenian agents during the night of the crossing. There was not a large garrison available on the American side that could have been deployed to the area in time.

Frankly, the Americans had been caught sleeping, just like the British and Canadian authorities. It was believed that the Fenian movement was on the verge of collapse because of in-fighting and the failure of an attack on Campobello Island in New Brunswick in March.

Bureaucratic incompetence (on both sides of the border) was alive and well 150 years ago.

Edit to add: The "Quickest out of Ridgeway" jibe along with "The Scarlet Runners" for the 13th Battalion appeared soon after the battle. The former has persisted. The latter, not so much.

 

[pbi]

Thanks for that explanation: I never knew any of that. It puts things in a much different light.

 

[mariomike]

May 04, 2016

Stone soldiers need rifles back
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/05/04/stone-soldiers-need-rifles-back
"The regiment would love for it to be whole again in time for the 150th anniversary next month of the bloody scrap the statue honours, the Battle of Ridgeway."

See also,

Ridgeway
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca++ridgeway&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=2msrV8iyL8aC8QeCjIu4DQ&gws_rd=ssl

 

[Dockrill923]

Just an FYI this war is briefly described in the book "the fighting Canadians" by David Bercuson. I am currently reading it and it is a pretty in depth look at the rise of the Regimental System in Canada and a "beginners" look at Canadian Military history. Worth a read if you ask me.

 

[Old Sweat]

I just returned from attending two events: a conference on 2-3 June held at the Clarion Hotel in Fort Erie; and the commemoration of the battle held at the Battlefield Park in Ridgeway (part of the town of Fort Erie) on 4 June. For those of you I haven't bored to tears talking about it, there actually were two battles. The first was the one most of us associate with Ridgeway, while the second was a few hours later in the streets of Fort Erie between the Fenians and the Welland Canal Field Battery and the Dunnville Naval Brigade (both fighting as infantry) who had been landed to block the Fenian retreat.

First on the agenda on June 2nd and 3rd was a conference with more than two dozen presentations on various aspects of the campaign presented from the Canadian, American and Fenian perspectives. The whole things was very well done and the presentations verged from the good to the excellent. And only one used powerpoint, and this was justified by the material being discussed.

June 4th saw the commemoration of the battle at the Battlefield Park, which is a national historic site. We gathered at the community  centre and took q shuttle bus to the park. Meanwhile the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (QOR) and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) (RHLI or Rileys) marched from the centre to the battleground. Along the route they were granted the freedom of the city from the mayor of Fort Erie. As they arrived a member of the QOR parachuted into a DZ on the north end of the site displaying a large Canadian flag as he descended. We now have a registered military DZ as part of the park. (The QOR have an operational airborne augmentation role.) This was followed by the unveiling of a bronze plaque in memory of the nine Canadian who died here or of wounds in the battle, laying of wreaths, last post, moment of silence,  Act of Remembrance, etc, unveiling of the other memorials and march off of the troops. In all about 5,000 people attended at least one of the events - march to the battlefield, ceremony on the battlefield; or displays, etc back at the community centre after the ceremony.

In all the organizers of both events and the Town of Fort Erie (population 22,000) deserve all sorts of kudos for a job extremely well done. No, I repeat, no financial support from the Canadian government for both events except for that involved with the attendance of the QOR and RHLI. However the American and Irish governments contributed to the conference as did some corporate sponsors and private individuals.

 

[Old Sweat]

Will wonders never cease? The Toronto Star acknowledged Ridgeway's part in Confederation in this editorial reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Remembering the ‘battle that made Canada’: Editorial

Ridgeway was the last battle against foreign invaders fought in Ontario and helped to boost support for Confederation in 1867.

Fri., July 1, 2016
We’re one year shy of Canada’s 150th birthday and preparations are well underway for an historic celebration.

A multimedia “dome village” will tour the country, featuring a film highlighting national glories projected on a 360-degree screen. Another travelling exhibition will showcase Canadian innovation. There’s even an official sesquicentennial logo depicting an array of “celebratory gems.” That’s just some of what the federal government is planning. Add to that a host of provincial and local initiatives lauding the exemplary talent, creativity and character of this country and you have the makings of a coast-to-coast shindig.

Given all this bustle, it’s ironic that another 150th anniversary of national significance occurred just a few weeks ago but passed virtually unnoticed. Ridgeway — described as “the battle that made Canada” — was fought in June, 1866, by eager but untested troops from Hamilton and Toronto. Although defeated, their action helped to inspire support for Confederation, which came a year later.

We can’t offer a dome village or celebratory gems. But on this Canada Day (the one before next year’s big party) it seems fitting to pause a moment and remember a largely forgotten anniversary.

The Battle of Ridgeway occurred on June 2, 1866, after a heavily armed force of about 1,000 Irish-Americans, known as Fenians, invaded from Buffalo. Their goal was to seize and occupy Canadian territory, including the Welland Canal, in a far-fetched hope that they could trade it for Irish independence from Britain. There was also some thought that the resulting conflict might draw the United States into a war with the British Empire.

The Fenians, battle-hardened veterans of the American Civil War, quickly captured Fort Erie and pushed further into the Niagara Peninsula. Alerted by telegraph, Canadian militia were mobilized and the invading force was met east of Port Colborne by amateur soldiers including students from the University of Toronto and volunteers from Hamilton.

Although poorly trained (many had never practiced with live ammunition) they held their own until a series of confused orders created disorder in their ranks. Observing the chaos, Fenian commander John O’Neill ordered a bayonet charge and swept the militia from the field.

Scores of Canadians were killed, with nine dead on the battlefield and many more felled by wounds or disease resulting from the action. But the Fenians were unable to capitalize on their victory. Thousands of additional militia were on their way and the U.S. government, worried about being sucked into a fight with Britain, had navy gunboats cut Fenian supply lines at the Niagara River. The Irish had to retreat.

This marked the last battle against foreign invaders in what is now Ontario. And it was the first battle fought exclusively by Canadian troops, without the assistance of British forces.

Ridgeway and many smaller Fenian aggressions helped to build public support for Confederation. The vulnerability of a patchwork of separate British colonies was obvious, and pressure from across the border helped to galvanize a Canadian identity. Although Confederation on July 1, 1867, was driven by a host of economic and political factors, the Battle of Ridgeway underscored why unity was essential to counter the military threat from the south.

So wave the flag this Canada Day; grill some burgers; hit the beach. But spare a thought for those brave volunteers who took to the field on a hot June day 150 years ago, in service and sacrifice for the sake of a country on the verge of being born.