Last evening the splendid band of the XIII Battalion
gave their third concert of the season. The attendance was very large and
select showing that this style of amusement is getting popular with our
citizens.
Hamilton Spectator
June 3, 1876
The concert presented by the Thirteenth Battalion Band
included more musical selections of a military nature than were usually
included in the band’s repertoire:
“Under the able management of Mr. Robinson, the band
played several difficult selections in beautiful style, keeping good time and
blending their notes well. It being the anniversary of Ridgeway, the selections
had a martial tone, which was very acceptable. The next concert will be held on
Friday evening next, when it hoped a still larger audience will be present.”
It was only ten years previously that Hamilton soldiers
were involved in a battle not very far from the city itself.
Shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War,
Canada was actually invaded by members of the Fenian Brotherhood, based in the
United States. The purpose of the Fenian Raids was mainly to influence England,
by attacking one of her colonies, to withdraw from Ireland, allowing it to
become an independent nation.
Approximately 600 to 700 Fenians were confronted at
Ridgeway a tiny hamlet, west of the community of Fort Erie,by members of the
volunteer militia units of Canada West, including Hamilton’s own Thirteenth
Battalion.
On the 10th anniversary of the Battle of
Ridgeway, there were observations marking the Fenian Raids and the following
account of the battle by one who participated in the effort to repulse the
invaders:
“Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the celebrated
fight of Ridgeway. All day long a flag floated from the staff on the drill shed
and little knots of men stood at the street corners discussing the time when
they, unexpected volunteers, marched against an invading horde who intended the
destruction of their country. It does not seem ten years ago since the alarm
swept like wildfire over the country, to the effect that the Fenians had
crossed the borders; it does not seem ten years ago since the XIIIth left to
meet them, or when the news came home that they had been routed at Ridgeway and
a number of them killed and wounded.
Last evening a number of the veterans assembled at a
popular rendezvous in this city, and over a dish of salmon chowder, discussed
the now celebrated campaign.
The clever sketch of the campaign by the campaign by the
pen of Lieut. MacMahon, of the Field Battery, was read, and from this we obtain
the following details of the action : -
Early on the morning of the 1st of June 1866,
the alarm spread through Hamilton. The greatest excitement prevailed, as the
numbers of the enemy were exaggerated, and more than that, three hundred of
Hamilton’s men were about to leave to meet the invaders. At seven o’clock, the
Battalion mustered (in one hour’s notice), unfurled their colors, and
marched away to the station with the best wishes of every good citizen of
Hamilton. A special train awaited them at the station by which they were
conveyed to Paris, thence down the Grand Trunk Railroad to Dunnville, where
they arrived at 2:30 p.m. The troops were immediately billeted throughout the
town, there not being sufficient hotel accommodation for all, and the men were
just beginning to feel at ease, when the assembly call sounded, and the boys
had to board the cars once more. They crossed the Welland Canal at Port
Colbourne, and at daybreak next morning the train halted about six miles from
Ridgeway. Here they were joined by the Queen’s Own Rifles, and together the two
battalions marched upon the enemy. They had marched about one hour and a half when they suddenly came
upon the enemy , when the fight commenced.
The following graphic sketch of the fight is clipped
from Lieut. McMahon’s interesting article :
The right wing of the Queen’s Own was immediately thrown
out into skirmishing line. This line extended out to the right and left of the
road, and presented a front of about two hundred yards in length. The left wing
of the same corps was to act as supports, and formed a short distance in rear
of the line, while the 13th stood in close column, in reserve, half
a mile further back. These movements were the work of but a few minutes.
Directly after their execution, the order was given to the line, by a bugler,
to “Fire and Advance ! ” and then the fight began. The line opened independent
fire in a lively manner, and the enemy, as soon as he had collected his senses,
returned the compliment with a vengeance. The firing was kept up pretty
steadily for fifteen or twenty minutes, our line having advanced over a couple
of fields. The air began to fill with smoke. The smell of powder, the whizzing
of the enemy’s bullets and a sight of a bleeding dead body of an officer of the
Queen’s Own, as it is borne to the rear, together with the intense excitement,
almost made the heart stand still and awakened a new and strange series of
thoughts in the minds of the young participants.
Our line continued to advance over the fields, keeping
up the fire, and the enemy was forced to fall back towards the woods on the
right of the road. Assistance was asked for from the right of the line, when
the Highland company of the Queen’s Own was despatched to take up position on
the extreme right. The companies in support, and the reserve, of course, kept
following up at their proper distances in the rear of the skirmishers, to be
ready for any other emergency. It was plainly to be seen from the start that
the enemy by far outnumbered us, was disciplined in the kind of warfare he was
engaged in and was composed of a hardened and desperate class of men. It was
well known that the Fenian army consisted chiefly of old soldiers collected
together out of recently disbanded regiments of the U.S. Army, and, although it
was looked upon over there as a rabble, yet they were not the pleasantest sort
of people to meet on an occasion of this kind. They were well armed, h plenty
of ammunition, and evidently had the benefit of a substantial breakfast that
morning, for, as we advanced over the ground from which they had been driven
and upon which they had camped the night before, we found the ashes of their
camp fires still hot on the ground, strewed about with cooked and uncooked
provisions. A number of rifles, a few officers’ swords and various other
articles of a like nature were also left scattered about. The fighting had now
continued half an hour or more; we had lost three or four dead or wounded and
had advanced about a mile under fire, when the report “ammunition expended”
came from the front. One company of the Queen’s Own had been armed with
repeating rifles, which were capable of discharging twelve shots per minute,
and it was this one company which had sent back the report. The reserve was
immediately ordered to the relief. The 13th doubled up in splendid
style and quickly took up the ground occupied by the Queen’s Own, the right
wing composing companies 1, 2 and, relieving the skirmishers, and the left wing
– companies 4, 5, and 6 – the supports. The Queen’s Own doubled into close column,
fell back and took up position in reserve half a mile in rear, where the party
in charge of the colors was located. No. 1 was now on the right, No. 2 in the
centre, and No. 3 on the left of the skirmishing line. The company of “Rangers”
doubled out to the extreme left, while the Highland company was peppering away
on the extreme right. These changes
were, of course, executed without interrupting the fire, and the new line went
to work like men. The smoke became so dense at times that nothing could be seen
anywhere about. Field after field was crossed, and the only available shelter
our boys could have against the enemy’s bullets was an occasional rail fence.
The main body of the Fenians had by this time gained the woods, which were now
but a short distance to the right of the road, and continued to fire and fall
under the cover of the trees, having left some of their dead in the fields
behind. Luckily for us, we advanced so rapidly as to keep pace with the enemy’s
range, and the bullets went whizzing through the air, mostly over our heads.
A portion of the Fenians had entrenched themselves
behind a farm house, a barn, a pig-sty, and a stone fence, and were making a
desperate stand to maintain their ground. The firing now became hotter than
ever, and the excitement for a time was awful. Several of our men were wounded
here, among others Lieut. R---. of the left wing, and Private S----. of No. 3
company who were shot in the breast and neck respectively. A few, my near rank
men included, actually fell down through excessive fatigue, and had to be
carried to the rear.
The Fenians were finally driven from their stronghold,
and, amid a loud hurrah from our side, rushed off to join their friends in the
bush. Meantime, the left of the line ad swung round over the stone fence behind
the barn, through an orchard and down a slightly sloping hill, while the right
remained stationary near the house. This movement slightly changed our front to
the right, and gave a better range against the enemy. The Fenians were falling
well back into the woods, and many were getting out of the way as fast as their
legs would carry them. Two or three mounted officers could be seen moving about
in the bush, and some of our boys amused themselves by sending the leaden
messages towards them, but there were too many trees for direct communication.
The Fenians kept up the fire, and their bullets came whacking against our apple
trees and among our limbs, dropping the leaves like autumn frost. The day had
grown insufferably hot, and, not a drop of water could be had to quench the
burning thirst. Wet with perspiration, covered with dust, and faces and hands
blackened by powder and smoke, our boys presented a ghastly appearance. The
fighting continued, and the woods in front and on the right were alive with
Fenians. From the enemy’s fire, we discovered that we had advanced too rapidly,
and although the Highland Company had been working like Trojans all morning,
still the woods on the right had not been thoroughly cleaned out as the line
advanced. This was about the position of things when, about noon, that fatal
order was given, “Retire, form square and prepare for cavalry.” The order sounded a third time before the
left of the line acted upon it, when No. 3 Company doubled together, formed
square on its own ground, fixed bayonets and awaited the approach of cavalry.
We had been standing about five or six minutes when a terrible volley was heard
behind, in the direction of the reserve. Soon after No. 3 Company doubled
through the orchard, up the hill and around in front of the house, when – oh,
horror of horrors ! – we were struck dumb with amazement. The widest excitement
prevailed. Far down the road, in the fields, everywhere, we could see our boys
falling back in the utmost disorder. The reserve had formed a solid square, in
obedience to orders, and the enemy in the woods nearby, having understood our
bugle call, immediately rallied and fired a volley of bullets into the solid
body. Four or five brave fellows of the Queen’s Own dropped dead at the feet of
their comrades. There was no cavalry; but the mistake was discovered too late,
another movement and another volley of deadly bullets, more terrible than the
first, might be expected. The only safety was in separation, and the quickest
way to separate was to break the ranks, and then the band of brave Volunteers –
which had fought so nobly all morning, which had advanced so steadily under
fire, which had driven the enemy before it, and put him completely to flight –
dissolved and fell back. A panic set in, which soon became universal. A few
minutes later the whole force was scattered and moving back to Ridgeway. I
lingered a few minutes about the place looking for friends, some of whom I had
not seen since the engagement began, but meeting with poor luck in this
respect, I finally concluded to follow the crowd and sauntered along at the
tail end of the retreat. The enemy, following up for a short distance,
continued the fire. A little way down the road I fell in with a few members of
the Highland Company, one of whom had a Fenian rifle which he was carrying back
as a trophy. We were all examining the weapon, and I had just taken t into my
hands when a Fenian bullet from the rear struck the poor fellow who had handed
it to me, and he fell dead at our feet. His friends carried his body along with
them. A little further on, Private P---, of the No. 3 Company, 13th,
was shot in the leg, and in many a fence corner along the road, a poor fellow
might be seen stretched out, completely used up. The farm houses along the road
had all been deserted, and nothing in the shape of edibles could be had at
Ridgeway, so that the only alternative was to go to Port Colborne, some twelve
or fourteen miles distant. I had now met with several of my acquaintances, and
after expressions of natural disgust with the termination of the day’s
struggle, we decided to take the railway track, and jogged along together.
Being in an almost exhausted condition, our progress slow. About half way down,
we were met with a locomotive and a baggage car, and when the man in charge
learned the state of things, he determined to take our party on board, and
backed down to Port Colborne, where we arrived late in the afternoon. A large
number of the volunteers had reached there before us, and hundreds of people
had collected about the station. Wrapping my overcoat about myself and rifle, I
lay down upon the front platform, and, amid all the tumultuous excitement, fell
asleep. A couple of hours afterwards, I was awakened by one of my comrades who
had discovered a hotel where refreshments could be procured. Later in the
evening all the companies reformed, and the 13th was once more in
shape. The school house at Port Colborne was given up as a barracks, and the 13th
immediately took possession. At twelve o’clock the same night, the Battalion
was ordered out, and paraded on the bank beside the canal. Shortly after, the
citizens arrived from Hamilton with provisions for the men. It was then
generally understood that the Battalion was to leave at once to join the main
brigade under Col. Peacock, and that a battle was to take place that (Sunday)
morning. After waiting several hours, the senior who was now in command,
received orders which resulted in the battalion being ordered back to barracks,
where it remained for the next twenty days guarding the mouth of the canal.”
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