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Fenian Invasions
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Michael Murphy Arrested
Michael Murphy was a bartender and leader of the Fenians, a group of Irish patriots who wanted to use Canada as a bargaining chip in order to gain Irish independence. Murphy, who planed to raid Canada with Irish Americans, was charged for treason but escaped to his US counterparts. -
Campobello Island Raid
Over 700 Fenians travel from Maine to Halifax, Nova Scotia but a british commander by the name of Charles Hastings Doyle was waiting for the attack and responded quickly. This caused the Fenians to flee the area and was the first instance of Canadian protection from Fenian invaders. -
Battle of Ridgeway
The largest of the Fenian Raids and the first battle to be fought by Canadian troops and Canadian officers entirely. 850 Fenians cross the Niagara River into Canada and head towards Port Colborne. Canadians meet them at Fort Erie, and, despite their inexperience, initially perform well under pressure. However, due to a late change of battle strategy, the Fenians exploit the army and murder nine of the men. -
Battle of Fort Erie
After withdrawing from the battle of Ridgeway the Fenian soldiers met separate force of Canadian troops in the village of Waterloo. Believing that the Fenians would be trying to escape back to the US, the Canadian leaders wanted to close easy paths back to the states but the Fenians were already returning to Ridgeway for another fight. This left the Canadians severely undermanned and led to the murder or capture of nearly 80 soldiers, a huge loss in the Fenian Raids for the Canadians. -
Pigeon Hill Raid
Over one thousand US-based Fenians cross into Canada and occupy an area called Pigeon Hill in the eastern part of Canada in New Brunswick. The under armed and undermanned Canadians surrendered. This was the first battle in Canada East. -
Thomas D'Arcy McGee Assassinated
When returning to Ottawa, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the fathers of Canadian Confederation was shot and killed by the Fenians. This was one of the only political assassinations in Canadian history. -
Battle of Eccles Hill
The Fenian brotherhood crossed from Vermont to Quebec and towards Eccles Hill. The Canadian forces were waiting for the raid and fought the Fenians in a lengthy battle. The information was relayed by a double agent named Thomas Billis Beach and led to a massive Canadian victory that caused zero Canadian casualties -
Battle of Trout River
Occurred in Quebec, just north of New York State. The Fenians held the Area for ten minutes but eventually retreated to the United States. The leader of the Fenians, John O’Neill, was arrested and sent to prison for disrupting neutrality laws. -
Pembina Raid
The Fenians wanted to cross from Minnesota to Manitoba and invade near Winnipeg. However this raid was in trouble right from the beginning as the Metis tribe had just created a pact with Louis Riel to work with the British to fight off these raids and the raid actually took place in the United States, the Canadian border was two miles further north. American soldiers arrested the leader, John O’Neill and eleven others.
