Lot 130
This litho was produced three years later in 1869. Depending on what side of the border youre on, the story of the Fenian Invasion of June 1, 1866, is told differently. In Western New York its remembered as a brave fight for Irish independence against British oppression. On the Niagara Peninsula its a brave fight for self-defense against a surprise attack from a warlike America. The truth depends on your point of view, but one thing is certain: Canada became a nation because of what happened in Buffalo, Fort Erie and Ridgeway that day and on the two days that followed. throughout May 1866, hundreds of Irish-American Civil War veterans of the Union and Confederate armies the Fenian Brotherhood -- gathered secretly in Buffalo to carry out an armed invasion of the Niagara Peninsula. Some were from the citys Irish First Ward, others came from across the North and as far away as Louisiana. Their goal: sabotage the Welland Canal, threaten to occupy part of Ontario (or Canada West, as it was then called) and force the British Empire to grant Ireland its freedom. Canada West had no effective defense against such an attack. Throughout the U.S. Civil War Canadians had watched the gigantic armies of the North and South slaughter each other. They feared what would happen if a reunited America decided to invade again, as it had in the War of 1812, or if freelance Americans attacked Canada, as in the Rebellion of 1837. To make matters worse, Britain was extricating its forces from North America, and turning over responsibility for defense to the various scattered colonies like Canada West and Canada East (Quebec). Starting at 2 a.m. on June 1, about 1,000 Fenians eluded the U.S. authorities, boarded boats at Black Rock and crossed the Niagara. Soon the alarm went up on the Canadian side, hastily summoning militia units to Niagara like the Queens Own Rifles. The roughly 1,000 men who arrived were hardly regular soldiers their ammunition was defective, and the Queens Own consisted largely of University of Toronto students, called away from taking their final exams. The battles that lay ahead would be the first ever fought entirely by Canadians, with no British soldiers or officers present. The fighting in Fort Erie was watched in Buffalo by cheering crowds lining the shore. But the U.S. authorities had locked down the port, preventing Fenian reinforcements and ammunition from crossing the river. Cut off, the Fenians decided to release their Canadian prisoners and return to Buffalo, where they were promptly arrested. By the night of June 3 it was all over but several more men on both sides would die from wounds sustained in battle or from disease contracted while on the march. The Fenians were the first Irishmen to fight under the name Irish Republican Army. Over the next few years they conducted a handful of other raids elsewhere in Canada, but none nearly as large or effective as the attack they launched from Buffalo. Ultimately, it would take 50 more years of struggle before their goal of a free Ireland was realized. We describe all items to the best of our ability as we are not experts on everything. Please ask specific questions on details or condition prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS. We box and ship to keep costs low. We do not use a packaging service, unless the costumer prefers us to use them. We can ship either USPS or UPS
- Dimensions: 20" x 24"
- Condition: Good Condition with some water staining on the top and bottom (see pics)
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