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TIm pieparations therefor, and the cause of its failure, with a sketch ^ of his connection with the Organization, and the motives which led him to join it : bM'^ •^% A REPOET OP THE BATTLE OP RIDGEWAY, CANADA TVEST, SOtJOBT JTJNH 2nd, 1866, BT COIiONEL bookeb, oommandino thh qttebn's OWN, Ain> OTHEK CANADIAN TBOOFS, AND COIiONEIi JOHN O'NEUJi, COHMANDINa THB FENIANa NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY JOHN J. FOSTER, 612 Bboadwat. 1870. msw^^^^si^^s^s^'^f- Entered aecorcUng to act of OongreH In the year 1870. by JOHK J. TOSTEB, I In the office of the Librarian of Oongrees at Washington. REPORT OF GENERAL JOHN O'NEILL, PRESIDENT OP THE FENIAN BROTHERHOOD, On the attempt to invade Cajiada, May 25th, 1870, the 'pr¶- tions therefor, and the cause of its failurt, with a sketch of his connection toith the Organization, and the motives which led him to join it. In JtiL M BuBUiiaToir, Vt., Jfun* as/A, 1870. To the officers and mmnbers of the Fenian Brotherhood, and the friends of hisKlJiib- erly geMToily : Obntlemzh :— Since I last had the honor to address you, an important event in t]t8 history of the Organization has occurred : and judging from the general tenor of newspaper reports, the man whom you then most trusted, has, for the time, lost your confidence. While I may bo grieved at this, still, conscious of having performed my whole duty as, far as in me lay, I have nothing to regret in the past, excepting that those whose'co-operation I had looked for, so utterly failed to keep their solemn pledges. Whatever I have done in connection with the Fenian Brotherhood, was done for Ireland, from conviction, and not to please any particular class of persons. If, under similar circumstances, an- other leader would have done better, I have only to regret that I, and not he, had been selected. You are well aware that far from seeking official position in the Brotherhood, it was thrust upon me in violence to my wishes. Having often received your applause for an act possessing little intrinsic meri\, perhaps it is not strange that my acts of real merit should be misunderstood and con- demned. Of this, however, you may be assured, I labored arduously and suc- cessfully in preparing the Organization for the field, had the arms and war material in the proper place at the proper time, and if the men were not on hand to do the fighting, the fault was not miue. Success or failure is not a fair criterion on which to form one's judgment, and yet you must own that it is thus you have formed your unfavorable opinion of me in relation to the late at- tempted invasion of Canada. ' A firm believer in steel as tliti cure of Irish grievances, I was attracted to the ranks of the O'ganization for no other reason than it proposed such a remedy. It was not, however, until the plan of invading Canada was adopted, that I ^iK^uU^, 4 Official Bkport of becftme a member, for I considered the direct invasion of Ireland wholly im- practicable, while England remained at peace with her neighbors. Canada once gained, wonld serve as an excellent base of operations against the enemy ; and its acquisition did not seem too great an undertaking, from the number, strength, anu resources of our people on the American Continent There was, too, an army of veteran Irish soldiers but just disbanded by the close of civil conflict in the United States, that were ready and anxious to be led to battle for their country. As to the propriety of invading Canada, I have always had but one opinion : Canada is a prpvinco c Great Britain ; the English flag floats over it and English soldiers protect it, and, I think, wherever the English flag and English soldiers are found. Irishmen have a right to attack. In striking at England through Canada we Dttempted no more than was done b^' the Ameri- can Bepublio in the war of the Bevolution. The movement of 1866, for two causes, either one of which had beon sufficient, resulted disastrously. The men failed to be on the ground in available num- bers at the appointed time, and those who did arrive were unprovided with arms and ammunition ; various reasons were assigned for these two grave mishaps, some correct, others incorrect, but nearly all reflecting on the capacity aud management of the then commanding general, T. W. Sweeny. The charges then made against General Sweeny have since been repeated, but with mce bitterness, against ntyself. In a movement like ours, if unsuccessful, it aeems inevitable that some one has to be made the victim. Disappointed patriots then fail to remember that the leader can only issue orders and instructions, and that prompt compliance therewith becomes their dutv. Though the at- tempt be foiled by their neglect to carry out his orders, they are none the less quick to heap ignominy on his head, forgetful ot the fact that they themselves were the chief authors of disaster by their criminal inactivity. In the move- ment uf 1866 I occupied a cubordinate position, whose duties I performed to the best of my ability. On the failure of the general plan of campaign I re- turned, as soon as released by the Federal authorities, to my home in Nash- ville, Tennessee. Then, and for some time afterwards, I labored quietly in the ranks to prepare another eSbrt, without a thought of official connection with the Brotherhood. On the let of January, 1868, Col. W. B. Boberts resigned At the earnest soUcitation of P. J. Meehan and the other leading men of the Organization, and on their representations to me that the very existence of the Fenian Brotherhood depended on my action, I was induced to become its president, not, however, before I had exacted from the Senate of F. B. (fifteen in number,) a solemn promise that they would unite with me in preparing for a fight that year. My labors during the spring and summer of 1868 in address- ing private and public mv°>etings throughout the country and in attending at State Conventions from Maine to Minnesota, are well known to you. I was ably seconded in this work by the organizing corps, and also received some assist- ance from the then vice president of the F. B., James Gibbons — a man whose enthusiastic temperament and lack of judgment often betrayed him into mak- ing promises of a speedy fight wholly unwarranted, by the state of our prepara- tions. This gentleman has since, however, grown profoundly wise, and under the guidance of P. J. Meehan, the evil genius of Fenianism, was greatly instru- mental in bringing about the recent failure — rule or ruin being the motto of himeelf and his master. Others of the Senators, instead of giving me the ^i The Attempted Invasion of Canada. 5 assistanoe promised, mnde nse of their official position in the Organization to advance themselves politically, and are now occupying lacrative pclitical offices which they could never ha>o otherwise obtained. To such parties it was quite conveniert to continue patriotic Fenians for an indefinite period. Before at- taining r.iflce they were enthusiastic for an early movement against the enemy, but, this point gained, they suddenly changed their tactics and grew hot ad ^o- catoe of slow and cautious measures. Without the honesty or manhood to leave the Organization and openly denounce its schemes as impracticable, they remained apparently faithful to the cause, but at the same time knew how to sow the seeds of dissension and distrust, and to vilify those who had embarked their whole fortunes in the undertaki>ig. This they did, to paralyze the efforts of earnest men and to keep the Brotherhood as a mere machine to help them in W' -king out their own political plans and purposes. The liberation of Irel: through an invasion of Canad-i had not me for its author ; and I ver^ xpuoh question if its originators had not lost all faith in it after the fkilare of iLu movement of 1866. Be that as it may, it was the plan given me to execute by these men ; nr.d believing in its feasibility, I devoted my entire energies to rendering it suooessfuL For this, two things seemed to me absolutely necessary, viz., a sufficient quantity of war material seoretly deposited at the several strategic points near the border, and a sufficient number of men to take that war material across the border before the Federal authorities could interfere. The movement once inaugurated on Canadian soil, I fblt that thousands of Irishmen would rush to our aid ; and hence, that it was my duty to prepare to strike the first blow successfully, and confide in the patriotism of my coun- trymen to do the rest. Two years and a half of my life were devoted to this preparation. Having but one object in view in becoming a Fenian or accepting official position in the Organization, and, as far as my personal^nterests were concerned, with everytlung to lose and nothing to gain, I was Tieterjiined to test the practicobility of the movement, for at best it was but an experiment. I wan painfully aware that the longer we waited, (he less confidence would the Organization and the Irish people generally have in our ability to succeed : and besides, the thousands of our countrymen who.participated in the late war, were fast settling down in life, and if we deferred matters much longer, it would be almost impossible to secure a sufficient number of veteran soldiers for the4)roper inauguration of the movement. Tho Senate, or rather the master spirit of that body, P. J. Meehan, finding that I was really in earnest, went to work in his own peculiar style to foil my efforts by seeking to destroy my influence with the Organization and ruining my character. No Irishman in America is better qualified for such honorable work ; and no one had better facilities, havj'xg his own organ, the Irish Ameri- can, with the Vhlled Irishman and the Irish Bepiibllc to support his malignant assaults. In this attack upon me, he found willing tools in many of his confreres in the Senate. They threw every obstacle in the way of the move- ment that might retard it, while they sought to fix on me all the responsibility of delay, and thus hurt my character and bring the Organization to look on them as the only parties worthy its confidence. I will here state that my first call for a Congress to meet in New York, April 19th, 1870, and some of the subsequent circulars were intended to deceive the S(»lh-*3t^4b „ .-*.^-,^.js«^ ..r... . J^e^«£2afi>ud apathy which prevailed in New York and Brooklyn, is to be attributed to the constitutional fault-finding of a miserable fellow just elected to the post of Vice President of the Fenian .Brotherhood. His sole ambition seemed to be, to have matters so arranged as to have himself recognized the head and front of Fenianism in my absence. Unhappily, it has occurred but too frequently in the Organization, that members were willing to sacrifice the cause to advance their own interests. To satisfy his petty ambition and stop his slanderous t^lx, I remained in New York for two weeks previous to the movement when my presence elsewhere was absolutely needed, to get the men in readiness and complete our arrangements. As a consequence, many points which Gen. Don- nelly and myself intended visiting personally, and on which we depended for men to inaugurate the movement could not be reached ; hence the failure of II 10 OvnouL Bbpobt or those metf to arrive in time, and, in a great measure, the failure of the moT»< meut Matters were in such a condition when I finally had it in my power to leave New York, that an advance become ut once imperative. Thus I was compelled to relinquish my intention of visiting the West publicly and then quietly return after having seen all the officers in whom I confided for effective aid at the outset The author of this mischievous delay was elected Vice Pres- ident solely because he was thought friendly to myself, and his harmonious co-operation would free me from the obstacles previously thrown in the way of p.^rfecting my arrangements. His duplicity during the sitting of the Congress favored this opinion. Had the Congress the least rei qon to think otherwise, his election would never have occurred. I hod already, however, learned to appreciate the man and would never have consented to act as President, with him as my next superior officer, had I not anticipated taking the field at an early day. Once the advi^nce in the field, the mission of the Fenian Brotherhood was ended. A!i the branches of the F. B. combined, could not keep twenty thousand men in the field thirty days. Whoever opines to the contrary, merely shows his profound ignorance of the resources required to support an army in tustive service. The supremely wise statesmen of the Senate, with a few others, imagined, no doubt, that they were the only persons fitted to express an opinion on this subject As for myself, I looked to Irishmen and firiends of Irish lib- erty all over the world, for the aid that would enable us to cope with any degree of success against the great power of England. Men of means and iuflu'jnce there are in great abundance, who have never touched Fenianism, yet sympa- thize deeply with Irish freedom ; these, once effective action was begun, would be the foremost among the active aUies of belligerent Ireland. The efforts that have been made to contract Fenianism, and keep it within the complete control of a few pretended patriots, hove proved its greatest weakness. The following resolutions of the Senate of the Fenian Brotherhood, on the subject of a fight adopted at the various meetings of that body, are copied firom the pr-^^^edings of the Senate. The names of the Senators elected at the Cleveland Congress, September, 1868, are as follows : Thomas Lava" Cleveland, Ohio ; James Gibbons, Philadelphia, Pa. ; T. J. Quinn, Albany, N. Y. : Miles D. Sweeney, San Francisco, Cal. ; John Carlton, Bordentown, N. J. ; Frank B. Gallagher, Buffalo, N. Y.; P. W. Dunne, Peoria, Blinois ; Edward L. Carey, New York City ; Patrick J. Meehan, Hoboken, N. J. ; Peter Cunningham, Utica, N. Y. ; Michael Finnegan, Haughton, Michigan ; J. 0. O'Brien, Rochester, N. Y. ; William Fleming, Troy, N. Y. ; James W. Fitzgerald, Cincinnati, Ohio ; John O'Niell, Washington, D. C. John O'Niell succeeded Col. W. B. Boberts, as President, January 1st, 1868. Thomas Lavaa resigned July, 1868. Patrick Bannon, of Louisville, Ey., and Patrick Sweeney, of Lawrence, Mass., were appointed in July, 1868, to the positions vacated by O'Niell and Lavan. IT ^&iiii%feX,-t-^^4itt-,^I'i&ii';i'i;-'w '^'lS^ The Attempted Ikyasion of Canada. 11 8SNA39B BRSOLUnOHB. ! "New Tork, Jannaiy 1, 186& " Mr. P. J. Meehan offered the following resolution : "Beaolved, That, this Benate hereby pledge themselTes to the members of the Fenian Brotherhood, and to each other, to go to work at once to piit the national organization on a war footing ; that they will spare no personal effort or exertion that can be made to that end ; and that as soon as the military organization can be put on an effective footing, the fight for the freedom of Ireland shall be commenced without delay. Motion seconded by E. L. Garey and carried. "It was moved and carried that the absent members of the Senate, and all Organizers and Circles be informed of the above resolution, and invited to co* operate therein." • • • * • • • • Senators present — James Gibbons, P. J. Meehan, Frank B. Oallagher, John Oarlton, Michael Ounningham, William Fleming, J. C. O'Brien, Edward II Oarey, all of whom voted for the resolutio "New York, January 4, 1868. "Resolved, That should John Savage, Esq., refuse to fulfill the agreement with the President and Senate of the F. B., entered into on the 13th of Decem^ ber, 1867, it is the sense of this Senate, that a vigorous prosecution of the war policy adopted by them on the 1st of January, 1868, affords the best guarantee of a real union of Irish nationalists, and to that end they pledge themselves anew to carry out that policy, and to sustain the President of the F. B. in his. efforts to give it practical effect" The ayes and nays were called for, and the following vote taken : Ayes, Senators Ckdiagher, Cunningham, Carey, Carlton, Quinn, O'Brien, Meehan,. and Qibbons. Nays, none. * * « *« Hi * * "New York, Jii = )«iy 5, 1868. "Mr. J. 0. O'Brien offered the following resolution : " Resolved, That the members of the Senate, with the President of the F. B.» on and after the 25th of January, 1868, 'go out and publicly and privately appeal to our people for the aid necessary to put an army in the field. That where, practicable, a seaator be accompanied by an organizer, and that they' make an especial effort to procure firom citizens of the various localities, meana to transport to the front, the men raised in each locality." "The resolution was seconded and unanimously adopted." n* ^ T* ^n ^ V V ^^ Senators present— Qibbons, Gallagher, Cunningham, Meehan, Carey, Oarlton^. Quinn, and O'Brien. Jas. W. Fitzgerald, P. W. Dunne, and Thomas Lavan,. who were not present when the foregoing resolutions passed the Senate, sub- sequently pledged themselves to sustain them, and assist iu carrying them oal^ !--'iif^iii><.^''iugU]i^h- tiiii&&!4id3Mi'd/M^^UiMuil-i^^t 12 Ofpioial Report op Buffalo, K * r., July 23, 1808. * ♦ * He ))< * * •' The following preamble and resolutions were presented and seconded : " Wliereas, the Sr^nate of the Fenian Brotherhood at the session of their body on the first of January, 1868, adopted a resolution expressing their determina- tion to put the Military Organization on an e£fective war footing as speedily as possible, and, that as soon as this should be accomplished, the fight fbr the independence of Ireland should commence ; and, Whereas, with a view to ac- compUsh this end, conventions of tl o Brotherhood have been called in all the States in which such assemblies were possible, at whicli the delegates of the circles there represented, pledged themselves iu the name of their several cir- cles, to raise, and forward to head-quarters before the 15th of July, the means necessary to place an army iu the field, but from the financial report now be- fore the Senate, it appears that only one fourth of the amount so promised had been received up to the 10th of July, and a3 money is absolutely necessary to complete the preparations on which success depends : therefore, " Resolved, That the Senate being decidedly in favor of the immediate 'com- mencement of 'he fight for the liberation of Ireland, pledge themselves indivi- dually to go out amongst the members of the Organization, and those who sympa- thize with the cause of Ireland, and use all their influence and every possible ef- fort to raise the balance of the money required to make a forward movement, and that they further pledge themselves to the Organization, that as soon as the ne- cessary means are placed in their .hands, an army shall be marched into the ene- my's country under the green flag of Ireland, and military preparations shall not be delayed a single day. " Resolved, That the Executive Committee of the Senate, in connection with the President of the Fenian Brotherhood, be empowered and directed to cor- respond and negotiate with as many of the military men who were engaged c either side of the late war, together with such other parties as they may think proper,;to the end that their military services or pecuniary aid may be procured, to render an immediate forward movement practicable, and if, in the judg- ment of said committee and president, the military services and pecuniary aid required, are forthcoming to their satisfaction, then they are hereby empow- ered and direct(id to make such necessary arrangements on behalf of the Senate as to direct and aid the president in taking the preliminary steps for said move- ment, pnd further, that, if said time be considered propitious, then the presi- dent is hereby requested to call a meeting of the Senate as soon as practicable, after any definite time of action may be settled upon by said committee, and that said committee be empowered to select any member of the Senate to aid in carrying into efi'ect the spirit of this resolution. ^'Resolved, That in the event of the efforts being made to raise the means wherewith to commence a forward movement should prove unsuccessful within the next four months, then it is hereby declared that, from the encouraging re- ports made by the president and Executive Committee on the subject of certain negotiations with prominent military men of this country, and their promise to render valuable personal assistance within a givea time, this, together with the legitimate resources to be derived from the various circles of the Fenian Brotherhood, justify the Senate in their settler', determination, to attack the ene- my with an organized force, at as early a day next spring as the weather will -:r— ■■' The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 18 penult, and to this end, said Executive Committee, in connection with the pres* ident of the F. B. be, and they are hereby empowered to take any and all ne- cessary steps towards placing the Organization in a position to take the field at the time above indicated." The resolutions were nnanimonsly adopted. Senators present — Gibbons, Carlton, Finnegan, Gallagher, Flemming, Carey, Meehan, Cunningham, O'Brien, and Fitzgerald. At the General Congress held in Philadelphia, November, 1868, nine Senators were elected, who, with the six holding over, made the Senate consist of the following gentlemen : F. B. Gallagher, Buflfalo, N. Y. ; E. L. Carey, New York ; T. J. Quinn, Albany, N. Y. ; James Gibbons, Philadelphia, Pa. ; P. W. Dunne, Peoria, HI. ; M. D. Sweeney, San Francisco, CaL ; J. W. Fitzgerald, Cincinnati, Ohio ; T. McKinley, Nashville, Tenn. ; E. McCloud, Norwich, Ct ; J. B. Downey, Providence, R. L ; P. Bannon, Louisville, Ky. ; William J. Hynes, Washing- ton, D. C. ; P. J, Meehan, Hoboken, N. J. ; John O'NeUl, Dubuque, Iowa ; J. C. O'Brien,, Rochester, N. Y. John O'Neill resigned August, 1869, and Wm. J. Davis, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was appointed to fill his place. BESOLUnOMS PASSED STimSEQUEMT TO THE FHILASEIfHU df^GBESS. Pittahirgh, Pa., Julytst, 1869. ^P •I* ^p ^* ^^ JJC 9|C ^* "On motion, the following resolutions were adc;^)ted : ' ' Resolved, That in accordance with the plan of action, and policy determined on by the Senate in secret session, the President and Ex. Com. are hereby instructed to take immediate steps to insure the harmonious and united action of the Irish people, both in America and Ireland, and wherever our people are to be found throughout the Dominion of England, and that all details in reference to these matters be referred to the President, and Ex. Com. till the next meeting of the Senate. Resolved, That an address be issued by the Senate to the members of the P. B., urging on them to go to work at once, and help to carry out the policy determined on, and which, if vigorously sustained and prosecuted, cannot fail to give freedom and national standing to the Irish race." I was informed that the "plan of action and policy determined on in secret session " was to inaugurate the movement that fall, and each of the Senators present again pledged himself to go out in his respective locality, and raise the necessary means to complete our preparatiors, and to meet in New York on the loth of the following month, to make final arrangements, and remain in ses- sion until the army took the field. Senators present— Gibbons, Gallagher, Quinn, Carey, MoCloud, Meehan, Dunne, and McKinley. . ilafe'fcjji^iyaas u OFnoiAL Beport of New York, Ang., 19, 1860. "On motion of J. W. Fitzgerald, as mnch of the proceedings in Ex. aessioa as are embraced in the following resolutiops, were ordered to be placed on re- cord : " Resolved, as the sense of the Senate F. B., that we commence military op- erations at the earliest day practicable, npon the receipt of twenty-five thousand dollars, npon the basis of resolntion adopted in ExeontiTe session, at the meet- ing of the Senate at Pittsburg, Fa., and that the members of the Senate apply themsetres at once to the raising of said amount in their respective districts." Senators present — Gibbons, Meehan, Fitzgerald, McGloud, Downey, Carey, Hynes, O'Brien, Quiim, and Davis. ■^♦»' IMMEDIATE PBEPARATIONS.BEPORE TAKINa THE FIELD. AwABK of how important it was for our ultimate success, that, by a secret and simultaneous movement, our men should be thrown across the border in numbers sufficient to take and hold certain strategic points, before either gov- ernment was apprised of our design, or at least, before they could interfere with effect, I had the preparations for taking the field conducted with the greatest silence and 84tt:ecy, using every possible precaution to throw them off their guard. About three weeks previous to the movement, I issued a general order, a ^py of which was sent to each circle and to the proper military officers, instructing them to hold their men in readiness to move at a moment's notice, and ten days before going to the border, I sent a letter to the military officers, ordering them to provide at once the means of transportation for their men, as final orders would be forwarded them in a few days. Several days after, a communication was directed to the military officers and such of the circles ea had reported within the year to head-quarters, to send on their men Monday night. May 23rd, to Malone or St. Albans, as either point happened to be more convenient. This latter communication was mailed in time to have it reach the circles firom twelve to forty-eight hours before the time appointed for starting. The circles in the large cities, where the facilities for receiving communications and concentrating men were best, and where, also the chances of having our plans discovered were greatest, received the shortest notice. I desired to give a longer notice, but the danger of having our efforts nipped in the bud through the indiscreet remarks of officers and men, were too great ; besides, the notices previously sent were, in my judgment, amply suffi- cient. All were ordered to leave home the same night — those near the border as well as those at a distance — for the evident reason that the railroads near the line (with which I did not dare to make arrangements for fear of discovery) would not otherwise be able to accommodate our men if they came in the numbers expocted. Besides, the moment those of our men who lived at dis- tant points left for the front, our intention would no longer be a secret to either government, as the fact \v ould be telegraphed at once all over the coun- try. The time of departure for our men in the extreme Western States and xWMMmK^l The Attemfted Invasion of Canada. 10 territnries, who were to operate against the Bed Birer Expedition, was left with tlie c^oers in charge. A^«rt from the proTisiona made, as stated, to seonre a snfflcient body of troops to begin tlie campaign, I relied chiefly on the men from Massachusetts, Bhode Island, Vermont, and Northeastern New York. Gen. J. J. Donnelly, speaking in behalf ol the Organization in the two former States, assored me that he would have from ten to twelve hundred men at, or near St Albans, on the morning of Tuesday, May 24th ; OoL £. 0. Lewis, on behalf of the latter, gave me a like assurance of six hundred men at the place and time indi- cated. These were to be followed up by an equal force within twenty-four hours. These officers had been specially assigned to organize in their respective'locali- ties, and Tiewed in this %ht, the truth of their assertions was not to be doubted ; with these forces increased >>y considerable bodies which were expected from other quarters, I would have under my command in this section on Wed- nesday morning upwar-ls of four thousand men. If all, or even half of these had arrived in time, the result would have been quite different. From a thou- sand to fifteen hundred men were in the meantime to assemble at Malone. I arrived in the vicinity of St. Albans Sunday morning. May 22d, while nearly every newspaper in the country had me on my way to Chicago, to con- sult with Biel's agent from the Bed Biver settlement. Their information in this particular was about as correct as that from which were made up their re- ports of the affidr at Eccles Hill, and the manner of my arrest. From personal inspection, I found that the arrangements for getting the arms and ammuni- tion up in proper time were complete. Similar arrangments had been made at Malone. ^♦» PLAN OP CAMPAIGN. To -capture St Johns, on the Bichelieu Biver, twenty-oue miies from the line and twenty-two miles from Montreal, and Bichmond in Bichmond Co., where that branch of the Grand Trunk B. B., from Portland, Me., connect" with the main road, seventy-six miles from Montreal and ninety-six miles from Quebec. It was my intention to have sent Gen. J. J. Donnelly, with some five hun- dred men, armed with breech-loaders, and a good supply of ammunition, which WPS all ready, through on the train Tuesday morning from St. Albans to Bouse's Point, and there seize the 1 1 lin from St. Johns, having previously made arrangements to have one or two rails token up, so as to prevent its es- cape, and, if possible, to run into, and capture St Johns, which at that time was entirely undefended, and contained t, 'considerable amount of arms, etc. If, by any accident, the train could r be seized or used for the purpose in- tended, then they were to proceed ou foot as rapidly as possible, and if they could not capture, they could, at least, threaten the town, and, falling back a short distance, await reinforcements. At the same time a detachment of two hundred men from Bhode Island and other points, were to proceed by way of Island Pond to Bichmond, and capture it. >\tion would have rendered it very difficult for the enemy to concentrate a force sufficient to drive us back, before the thousands who, we believed, would come to our assistance, could reach us. In a further advance, we would, of course have to be guided by the number of the reinforcements that might arrive, and by the number and disp'o- sition of the Qnemy. If we did not succeed in taking and holding Bichmond, we could, with a few cavalry, destroy the railroad sufficiently to prevent any force coming from Quebec, at least for a short time, and if we did not succeed in taking either Bichmond or St. Johns, we intended lo get as far into the country at first, as oossible, delay the advance of the enemy, and fall back on our own forces coming up, and when wo felt justified in' offering or accepting tr ^''e, to do so. A small force was ordered to crosd at Detroit, Mich., mount thei^selves, •iud make a raid through the country, for the purpose of calling attention &om otliv." points. At the same time a force was ordered from the extreme^ c^teim States and territories, to harass and annoy the Bed Biver expedition on its march, and, if President Biel would fight, to assist him' in resisting it, both on the march and on its arrival in the Winnepeg coimtry. It was my intention to order crossings in small detachments at various other points, simply for the purpose of distracting the enemy, and preventing him from concentrating his forces at the main points. , THE F>niTTBE OF THE MEK TO COME VF. The failure of the men to come up in anything like the numbers promised and expected, disarranged all my plans. I was in St. Albans Tuesday morning, May 24th, when the 6 o'clock train from the south arrived, bringing, instead of firom ten to twelve hundred men promised by Massachusetts, about twenty- five or thirty, including CoL H. Sullivan. He and most of the men he had with him would have served the cause by remaining at home. In lieu ol six hundred men promised by Vermont and N. E. New York, about eighty or ninety in charge of Major J. J. Monaghan, arrived on the train. A company of sixty-five men f-om B-irlington, Vt., under command of Capts. William Cro- nin and Thos. Murphy, had arrived the previous evening, and were sent to Franklin, about 14 miles northeast of St. Albans, and two miles from the Oanadian line. I had of course to abandon the idea of taking St. Johns by surprise, which could have been easily done, as up to the last moment the enemy had ho knowledge of our movements, so secretly had everything been n..inaged. However, as I expected the arrival of reinforcements that evening from all the New England States, and a portion of the States of New York and New Jersey, (including New York city and Brooklyn,) to the number of fifteen hundred or two thousand men, (the newspaper and telegraphic reports of the The Attempted Invasion of Canada. 17 numbor of men on the road, confirming tliia expectation, ) I decided to concen- trate all the force I could collect, at or near Franklin, cross the line and take up a position at once. I sent an officer to Malone with instructions to the ranking officer there, to move out, when he got his men ready, in the direction of St. Johns. By appearing to move on St Johns f^om these two points, Ma- lone and Franklin, I hoped to divide the enemy'd fgrces, believing that he would move with the larger force to meet the column from Malone, do as to more effectadlly cover St. Johns and Montreal. I left General Donnelly at St. Albans with instructions to stop all our men going through on their way to Malone, and send them with those who had beea ordv^red to St. Albans, direct to Franklin, and proceeded there myself by way of Fairfield Centre, where I arrived at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I took this circuitous route to Franklin in order to keep the enemy in ignorance of my whereabouts. Here I found a few of the Burlington men in charge of a small portion of arms, etc., and about half way between this town and the border, on the roadside, at a place called Hubbard's Comer, the balance of the men with the greater portion of the arms, etc. These arms, etc.,4iad been hauled to the above points by citi- zens of the neighborhood, friendly to the cause, all of whom will pleas^ accept my thanks on behalf of the Brotherhood, for their unpaid and untiring exer- tions on this and on other occasions. I would like to mention names, but fear that it might not be to their interest to do so. At this time the enemy had no force near the line to oppose us, and I mude all necessary arrangements to cross over during the night or early the next morning, taking up a position on Eccles Hill, which I knew to be an admirable one for defence, and one from which the enemy could not dislodge us without artillery, unless, indeed, he had a much superior force. I also intended occu- pjing Cook's Corner, two miles beyond. I was very anxious to get the arms, etc., and a sufficient number of men to protect theia on the other side be- yond the reach of the United States authorities, whom I desired to evade. I knew that if we had a good position on the other side of the line, our owk men would find their way to us by some means or other. I had intended send- ing Gen. Donnelly to Malone on Wednesday, to command the troops advancing from that point, with instructions to go as far into the country in the direction of St. Johns as he deemed safe, leaving the principal portion of the arms, etc., behind him, close to the line, and, if pressed by the enemy, to fall back fight- ing, so as to delay him as long as possible, whilst I should attack with the su- perior numbers which I supposed would come up to my aid, whatever force might be sent against myself. I felt fully satisfied that the occupation of C^-i- dian territory with any considerable force, would have brought to our assistance all the men and material needed. It is idle now to talk of what wo could have done on the other side if we he .' got a respectable force across, but I am in- clined to the opinion that, had such been the case, the Canadian volunteers would not have quite so much to boast of to-day. I might here mention that there were many military officers outside of the Organization and a few in it, of acknowledged ability, who were waiting orders, and who would have been with us in a few days had we been at all successful— amongst the latter, the best and ablest was Gen. M. Kerwin. Apart from those, however, there were some of the first military men of America, who had from time to time promised to assist us once we commenced the work. But we had talked so much, and boasted so -«m^ '.■MMj uiii^LiddiMk^ 18 . Offioial Report of III loudly, in the past, and had really acoomplishea nO little that thoy wocd have nothing to do with ub until we p;aye thom some practical evidence of our sin- cerity. Some men, calling themselves officers,' came of their own accord ; they would have served the caus" by remaining a6 home and attending to their owa business, if they had any. Many of those boasting military titles would have found themselves in the ranks had we got on the other side. Late in the afternoon, the greater portion of the men who left St. Albans in the morning, arrived in camp at Hubbard's Comer. I sent CoL Henry Le Caron, Adjt-Oen. of the F. B., to St. Albans, to hurry on the i en who arrived on the 6 o'clock evening train, so that I might be able to cross the line with a respectable force, either that night or early the next morning. I stopped in FrankUn for the night. At 2 o'clock the next morning, Qsn. Donnelly — who had been cautioned against remaining in St. Albans any longer, as the U. S. Marshal began to suspect who he was, and might order his arrest— reached town, and reported that be- tween four and five hundred of our men had arrived at St. Albans on the train of the previous evening, and were then but a few hours' march from Franklin. Previous to his arrival, I had received many conflictiug reports, all of them ex- aggerated, of the number of men v ho were on the way from St. Albans to join us. Gen. Donnelly's report I considered rcliab.o ; hci, however, was mistaken, as not over two hundred and thirty or forty men arrived on the train ; about six- ty or seventy of that number under Maj. Danl. Murphy, of Gonnecti'^nt, arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning, having lost the. right road during the night. They travelled some seven miles out of their way. A few men under Capt. Kenally of Marlboro, Mass. , also arrived. The balance of the men.under CoL John Leddy, of New York, taking anothei road, had to march nineteen miles, and did not get to camp until one o'clock, except two men who arrived before I started to cross the line. This delay, under the circumstances, is inexcusable. General Donnelly also reported me, that the telegraphic dispatches re- ceived at St. Albans before he lef^, announced that oi^e thousand men were on the road from the South, and were expected in St. Albans on the 6 o'clock train in the morning. He left an order wich a reliable man at St. Albans, instruct- ing them to get off at St. Albans and march to Frankliu at once. The fact was that there were only about sixty of our men on the tmn, and they kept on to Malone. On hearing that there were so many of our men so near at hand, I determined to defer the crossing untillater in the morning, so as to allow at least a portion of those said to be on the road, time to arrive. I permitted Gen. Donnelly to remain with me that morning and take part in the contemplated crossing, after which I intended .;)ndihg him on to Malone. PBEFABATIOKa FOB CBOSSIKO. ; About 10.30 o'clock on Wednesday morning. Gen, Geo. P. Foster, United States Marshal, w;th his deputy, Thos. Failey, accompanied by a number of citizens, came to camp. I at once had my men formed into line with the intention of "resisting arrest in cane the marshal attempted it, and, in fact, in- tended anesting himself and his deputy and taking them along if they under- took to interfere with us. The marshal, in his carriage, was stopped by the guard just as he came up to our men. I sent Oa. Donnelly to him, to inform him that it would be useless for him to attempt to mako any aiTOsts, as we were The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 10 preparud to resist it. Oen. Donnelly, howeTer, mirmised that the marshal maUzed the sitnation, and did not care to interfere with na just then. I was onbmquently informed that he telegraphed to Washington, informing the authorities there, that he was powerless to moke any arrests. Aft^r some conversation, the marshal expressed a desire to read the President's proclama* tion, to which Oen. Donnelly objected, and at the same time informed him that we had already seen it ; he then requested that the road, being a public high- way, be kept clear, so that citizens could pass and repass, which request wt\u at once complied with. I might here mention that a number of citizens were hanging around us, and several buggies, carriages, etc., were continually pass- ing and repassing to the Canadian side, and of course carrying information to the enemy ; no doubt several officers came across ; this we could not very well avoid without arresting them, which we did not wish to do on American soil. The marshal came into camp, and Oen. Donnelly informed me that he, the marshal, had no intention of making any arrests, as he had no force with him, and suggested that I had better see him. This I had no objection to, as I w as standing in front of some of my men who were drawn up in line under arms. At Urst, I apprehended that the marshal might have arranged with the citizens to assist him in making arrests, and I desired, if possible, to avoid any diffi- culty on this side the hue. I woulil not, under any circumstances, permit my- self to be arrested while I had means to resist it. The principal conversation I had with the marshal, which occupied perhaps three minutes, was on the subject of keeping the road clear for the passage of citizens. I also told him that I would soon be out of his way. I had nearly two hundred men in or near camp at this time. The marshal then drove across the line to the point where the enemy's forces were in position. When we were advancing we- met him returning, and I supposed he kept on to Franklin. The presence of the United States marshal in camp, with the report that United States soldiers were on their way and close at hand to assist himj to- gether with the fact that I knew the enemy would use every effort to bring up reinforcements to defend the admirable position which by this time he had ta- ken on Eccles Hill, just across the line, caused me to determine on feeliitg- bis position at once, and ascertaining more correctly his strength, and, if possible, drive him from the hill. At this time there were many conflicting reports as to his numbers, varying from thirty to three hundred men. Most of the reports, however, agreed in placing his numbers at less than one hundred. We moved out about 11.30 o'clock, A.M., 176 men. A few were left with the war material In camp and in FrankUn, and also a few men from Connecticut refused to leave camp. Soon after moving out, CoL Le Caron drove up and informed me that the New York men were close at hand. I sent him back with orders to hurry them up at once. Our advance soon reached Alvah Richard's house, about twenty or thirty rods south of the line dividing Canada ttora the United States, and nearly half a mile from the enemy. Here I had the men, who were march- ing in column of fours, to halt, and after addressing a few words to the first company, numbering 32 men, under Capts. Croniu and Murphy, ordered them to advance as skirmishers, at the same time putting Col. John H. Brown, of Lawrence, Mass., in charge of the skirmish line. The enemy occupied a splen- did position on the crest of a wooded hill, (Eccles Hill,) a little to the west of the road, which runs due north past Biohards's house. On the American side, 20 Official Eeport of ' ■>'] r :'i directly opposito the enemy, there was a cnrrenpouding woouod hill ; a small vulley with a brook runoing through it, intorvened. The bridge croHsing the bi'ouk was about eight or tea rods from the lino. The meu wure ordered by Col. Browa to deploy as skirmishers immediately after crossing it ; they might huTo been depIoy«d before they got tn the bridge, but the distance was so short and the ground not being advantageous. Col. Brown did not deem it necessary. Uii the Canadian side of the line, for about four hundred yards, the ground is flat, and then rises abruptly into a steep rooky hill on which the enemy word posted— some of them behind large rooks nearer than was at first supposed. Just as the first of our men reached the bridge, the enemy opened a heavy fire on them. Almost at the first discharge, John Iluwe, of Burlington, Vt., was shot through the heart, and fell dead on the centre of the M»ad, and one other man was wounded. Only a few crossed the bridge. Our men returned the fire for a short time, but without effect, as the enemy were covered, and then scattered and sought shelter under the bridge, behind a fence, and a tannery close by. Some few came back to Bichords's house. I remained at Bichards's house with twenty-five men, with whom I intended supporting the skirmish line, but it fell back so suddenly there was no chance to support it. I had now as- certained all that I wanted, namely, that the enemy intended to defend the hiTl I had no intention whatever of charging up it. If the men had beep old sol- diers, such men as I had at Bidgeway in ISGG, I would have attempted a flank movement as soon as the skirmish line retreated ; but many of them were mere boys, who had never been in a fight before, and showed evident signs of waver- ing at the first fire of the enemy. Soon after the firing commenced, I ordered the men in the rear across an open field, some one hundred and twenty-five yards up the hill to our left, which was covered with timber, and afforded an excellent shelter. While they were crossing the field, the enemy kept up a heavy fire on them, and killed one man, M. O'Brien of Moriah, N. Y., and wounded two others. The men had to cross a stone fence. On leaving ihe road, and in ascending the hill under the the enemy's fire, they were neither regular in their gait, precise in their step, nor did they keep a straight line, or observe the prescribed distance of " thirteen inches from breast to back." This was the only occasion in which there w<).s any opportunity for the officers to display tactical knowledge, the absence of which has been so severely animadverted on by profound military critics, (profound asses,) not one of whom could handle a corporal's guard either on or off the field. As to lack of generalship, if there had been men to command, there would have been some opportunity forjudging whether it was lacking or not ; as it was, there was not more than a captain's command present. The large number of citizen spectators, who advanced with us, some of them ahead and some along side of the men, started for the rear as soon as the ene- my commenced firing, and in doing so, created a good deal of confusiun, which had a demoralizing effect on the men. Many of them had taken possession of the hill to our left, supposing they would have a good view and be perfectly safe from the enemj "s bullets. Amongst them was a correspondent of the New York Herald, who made good time to the reai\ leaving his horse behind. I left the men at Bichards's house, in charge of Gen. Donnelly, and ascended the hill, on foot, under fire of the enemy. J. Boyle O'Biley, reporter for the Boston Piiot, did the same thing, under my instructions, a few moments previous. \ The Attempted Invasion op Canada. ai As I oscendod ttio hill, I noticed some of the men making for the roar, while those who remained were firipg indiscriminately without judgment, and e^a- dently doing the enemy no harm. When I got np the hill I tried to induce them to move forward to a more advantageous position, where they would have a fair view of the enemy, and be able to use their fire to some efoct. But for the first time in my life 1 failed in rallying men or getting them to follow where I was willing to lead. J. Boyle O'lUley, Major Danl. Marphy, Oapt. John Fitz- patrick, and other officers and men, whose names I do not knolv, acted very gallantly in trying to get the men forward, but with no result. Only a- few were willing to venture forward. I fear that some of them had b?t a very im- perfect idea of the duties incumbent upon them, or the responsibility they assumed, in swearing allegiance to the Irish Republican Army. They seemed to have a very erroneous idea as to the number of the enemy, (there were not a hundred of them, and volunteers at that,) which was confirmed to some extent by the rapidity of his fire. I believe he was armed with Spencer rifles ; I have been in many engagements, but never before heard so much firing where there was so little execution. Finding/ that I could not accomplish anything practical with these men, I had them to fall back a short distance out of range of the enemy's • bullets, to await the arrival of the men from New York, under Ool. Leddy, whom I looked for every moment. It was then I made the following remarks to the men : "Men of Ireland I am ashamed of you! You have acted disgracefully to-day ; but you will have another chance of showing whether you are cravens or not. Comrades, we must not, we dare not go back with the stain of coward- ice on us. Comrades, I will lead you again, and if you will not follow me, I will go with my o.' rs and die in your front ! I now leave you under charge of Boyle O'Riley, anf will go after reinforcements, and bring them up at once." I felt perfectly snt'sfied that when I got a few old soldiers np, particularly the men from New York, most of whom I knew personally, that they would do better. I have often seen men, when brought into action for the first time, act badly at the outset, but the moment reinforcements arrived they seemed to ac- quire new spirit and behave very gallantly. Fully one third of the men who as- cended the hill, bad fallen back, beyond the reach of my voice, before I got to the top. I started to bring them back, but seeing Oen. Foster, his deputy Failey, and others on the hill, in the direction in which they had fallen back, I returned. These men, who basely deserted their comrades, together with the few who refused to leave camp in the morning, were met on their way to St. Albans by newspaper reporters and others, and were the first to give circulation to the ridiculous stories of " want of judgment and military capacity," "bad generalship," etc., etc., which were so extensively circulated by the press of the country at the time. Of course these men were in the fight and saw it all. They took particular good care, however, not to remain very long. It was from these men that many of the newspaper reporteis got the information which they sent to their respective papers, and which was pubUshed as " reli- able news from their special correspondent on the field." The reporter for the New York World, who was near the field, was so gloriously drunk, that he and his notebook had to be picked up from the roadside that afternoon, by the ■ -'v'-.Mf.jrf.^'iiJfTf % -''i • 'itM'''r'r iiSytiliiitJBfeJfi ^■■^^i?msim S9 Offioul IUport of I ll! ' It ■horiff of Chittenden County. No doubt biH employori in New York beliered that tlioy wore publinhing a "correct report by au eye witueu." I left my Lome at llichardB'* houHo when I Htarted to go up the bill. A gallant young man, named Timothy Hullivan, from Marlboro, Mohh., volunteered to pass the open Hpace through the enemy's fire and bring him back on the road bo that I could ride to camp after the reinforcements ; but on Hoeing the manibal close by, I did not go mynelf, but sent ( ol. Humphrey Sullivan, and inHtruoted him to urge the men to hurry up as fast as potwible. I had, previous to leaving ItiohardH's house, sent Capt John Lonorgan, of Burlington, Vt, back after them. I subsequently saw the marshal go down to the road, and was informed that he had left for Franklin in his carriage ; the carriage went back towards Franklin but be was not in it In company with J. Boyle O'Biley, I examined the route for a flank movement from the position we were then occupying, and after waiting about an hour, fearing that wo were giving the enemy too much time to get up his reinforcements, which I beard were not far off, I became im- patient at the delay in the arrival of the men, and sent word to Oen. Donnelly by Gol. Lewis, that I would go back and hurry them up, and would then make a flank movement to relieve him and the men at or near Bichards's bouse. He would have been exposed to the fire of the enemy if he songht to change his position or fall book. On the return of Gol. Lewis, informing the men that I was going back to hurry up reinforcements, (which seemed to please them very much,) I left them in charge of Major Daul. Murphy, and started with J. Boylo O'Biley down the hill, to the road leading to camp. ♦ ♦»■ MY ABEEST. We stmok the road, over half a mile from camp, at Mr. Vincent's honse, in front of which lay one of our men wounded. A number of citizens were around him. We stopped a moment to speak with the wounded man, and, as we emerged from the crowd. General Foster, who had been concealed at the end of the house, approached me. We shook hands, and talked together for a moment. The following conversation, as near as I can recollect, took place : Marshal. — "I think. General, you bad better get in the carriage and drive back with me." (The carriage bad just then returned. ) I replied " No, I will not." He then spoke of bis duty, and said "you are violating the neutrality laws." I repUed that "I perfectly understood my position." He then said, "I am sorry, but I must arrest you. General O'Neill." I replied, "No, no, you must not, you cannot arrest me ; I will not be arrested ; I am armed, and will call on my men to assist me ;" and tried to break away from the marshal and bis deputy, Thomas Failey, both of whom got hold of me. Ho then said, "General O'Neill, I must arrest you, and I will ; resistance is use- les? ; I am also armed, and have more men than you have to assist me." The marshal, who saw me descend the hill, had made arrangements with the citi- zens to assist him. I looked around to see if any of my men were there to aid me in resisting arrest, but saw only one man, who bad come back with the wounded man. I subsequently learned that there were two or three scattered The Attempted Invasion of Canada. S8 ktnongHt Bome fifty or sixty oitizoni. I was then over m quarter of » mile dit> tant from any of my men, and more than half a mile from the camp. I had no anuH but my iiabre — ray revolvers being in my Haddle holsters. The citiiteus flocked around us. Boeing that further resistance was useless, I made none, and was assisted into the carriage by Goneral Foster and his deputy, Thomas Foiley. When I met Geror.!! Foster, I was not certain whether ho would attempt to arrest me or not, and when I thought of resisting, I was under tho impression that several of my men were close by. On entering the carriage, I told the Oonerol "that he was assuming considerable rosponsibihty." I tlien thought that we would meet the men on tho march coming from camp, and that there might be some chance for them to stop the carriage and rescue me. FABSINQ TUBOUOB CAMP. The carriage was a light, close, two seated one, drawn by two powerful horses. General Foster sat in the back seat with mo, while his deputy, Mr. Failey, sat in the front seat with the driver. The General cautioned mo against giving any alarm, and kept his arm along the back part of the carriage, close by my neck, sc as to prevent me from getting out or calling to the men in passing ; but made no such threats as have been generally reported in the newspapers. The driver lashed the hoi ties and drove furiously through the camp, past Colo- nel Leddy and his men. Bome seem to think that, if I had given the alarm, the carriage could have been stopped and myself rescued ; but this I do not believe, although I wit vious to leaving the city, and which they had promined me, I would have been in a position to have bought horses which would have enabled me to have got more correct information. But they were much more exacting in the promises that I made to them than they were in redeeming their own, on which mine to a great extent were based. As it was, I had neither horses nor money, and had to de- pend almost entirely on the reports brought me by outsiders. It would now appear that these reports were very much exaggerated, and that only between six and seven hundred men altogether arrived at Si Albans during the excite- ment. With this fact before me, I have no hesitation in saying, that it was a very fortunate circumstance that I had been arrested at the time I was, for if I had not been, I certainly would have crossed the line, believing that large reinforce- ments would immediately join us, and in all probability much bloodshed, with- out any permanent good to the cause of Ireland, would have been the result ; and however anxious I might have been to vindicate my own character by hav- ing a fight, I would certainly have regretted being the cause of shedding blood where no good could result from it APTEB vex ABBEST. After I had been arrested, no practical effort was made by the men from New York, or any others, to cross the line or advance to the front to relieve General Donnelly — a man whom most of them knew personally, and one who, when in New York a short time previous, had received the assurance from them, that they had every confidence in him, and desired him for their commanding offi- cer. Why this was m is more than I am able to say. There were several offi- cers amongst them who had seen service, and, certainly, the air of confidence and self-complacency with which some of them criticised and condenmed my- self and others for want of judgqaent and military capacity, (I don't know that they have got through talking yet,) would lead one to believe that they would use a little of that profound wisdom and military capacity, which made them such excellent fault-findevs, in attempting a flank movement or doing something to create a diversion in favor of General Donnelly, so that he ijight be enabled to get.out of his dangerous position without having the whole of the en.^my's fire concentrated upon him. I pvesume, however, that these wiseacres found it much easier to censure othe>-^ than do better themselves. Major Murph^' abandonee < the hill during the afternoon, which left the enemy free to devote special attention to Gep. Dfinnelly, and the few men he had at Eichards's hov Gen. Donnelly and most of his men eftected their escape before dark. . a order to convey a more intelligent idea of what transpired after my arrest, I shall publish the reports of the officers who were present. The following named officers deserve special mention for gallantry displayed during the skirmisTi :— Gen. J. J. Donnelly, Col. John H. Brown, Capt. Charles Tf^ The Attempted Invasion of Canada. 27 Carlton, A, D. 0., Major Daniel Murphy, Capta. Wm. Cronin, Thos. Murphy, John Fitzpatrick, and Lieut. John Hallaghan. Also Capt. Ahem, of Connect- icut, and the officers mentioned in Major Mui-phy's Beport Capt; Carlton and Lieut. Hallaghan were wounded. OAUSB OF THB FAIXTIBE. It is very evident from the foregoing that the cause of the failure is to be at- tributed to the want of men. Now why is this ? Why is it that men who love their native land as Irishmen do, and who are always sighing for a chance to fight, and if necessary die to serve that land, were not on hand to take advan- tage of the opportunity when it presented itself? For this a variety of reasons may be given, but the following is perhaps the strongest : The people, so often deceived and disappointed in the past, could not believe that we were in earnest, and thousands of good men who were anxious to be with us, kept indulging their doubts and fears until too late to be of service. As a general thing, the best men did not leave their homes until after the move- ment had commenced. The Senate party had their emissaries at work all over the country, destroying the confidence of the people. Amongst this number, one of the* meanest and most unprincipled was a Lieut. Wm.E. Dougherty, of the 1st U. S. Infantry. This man, who, from his position in the regular army, one might expect to be a gentleman, occpsionally parades his self-importance and abuse of others in the columns of that respectable vehicle of enUghten- ment, the Irish Bepuhlic. The honorable and high-toned editor of this sheet frequently indulges in slandering men in one issue to beg their pardon in the next. The lieutenant, in the exuberance of his patriotism, and from a great anxiety to serve the cause, in the summer of 1868, offered his services to the Organization to make a tour of observation through Canada, (a pleasure ex- cursion); and, notwithstanding the fact that he drew his salary as an officer of , the United States Army, during the time, charged the Organization the very modest sum of $1,225 .00 for his services. From the vast amount ot information obtained, which must be of more service to himself than anybody else, he pre- pared several plans for the invasion of Canada, such as the merest tyro in the art of war might prepare for an organization having a government at its back with gunboats, transports, artillery, etc., but which no one but an empty ego- tist would think of preparing for the Fenian Organization. The plans, how- ever, were vclumiuous, and were no doubt highly edifying to the profound statesmen and would be soldiers of the Senate. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOB THE ATTEMPT AT THE "INVASION OF CANADA?" While I do not wish to shield mj'self from the responsibility attached to any act of mine, as a member of the Fenian Organization, or its President, yet, I repeat it, that I had nothing to do ' a originating the scheme of freeing Ireland throu^^^ an invasion of Canada, jome of those who originated it have done much to bring about the failure. It was the policy of the Organization before I became a member ; it continued to be its policy after the abortive at- tempt of 18G6. The five last annual Congresses of the Brotherhood endorsed this policy, and declared their determination to carry it out. At every mee ting of the Senate, since the split in the organization in 18G5, that body passed res- I M M iiMmH i ljaiiaMiW I M I Mi i mWW I MBII iiT i aa a a i M i !i^ 28 Official Report op 1 1 i r ' ' 1 1 1 ! ^i olutions declaring their unalterable determination to carry out that policy Should they now tiy to excuse themselves, it can only be on the pleo of previous insincerity, which plea I am willing to accept. The representatives of thu Or- ganization in eighteen States of the Union, in their State Conventions which I attended, endorsed this policy and pledged themselves to furniflh the means necessary to its prosecution. It was on this policy and for the purpose of assisting in carrying it out, that I accepted the position of President of the Organization in January, 1868. I believed in the policy, and for nearly two yaars and a half have been its special representative, advocating it all over the country. The people who knew that I represented the expressed wishes of the Organization, put faith in what I said, because they saw me to be earnest, and knew that I had giyeu practical evidence of my earnestness at the head of tho men who crossed the Niagara in 1866, and fought at "Ridgeway." I am of opinion that thousands joined the Organization on my account, and that thous- ands who were in it, would have left it long ago, did they not believe that I intended to fight Had it not been for the oft-repeated declarations and assurances that wo pur- posed to fight in Canada, and that soon, tiid Organisation could not have been kept togother ; for there Was another Fenian Organization, presided over by Mr. John Savage, which strongly opposed ours, and had always adhered to the policy of fighting in Ireland. The only difference or cause for disunion be- tween the rank and file of the two organizations, was the difference in policy. Some of the leaders, doubtless, were actuated by personal motives in perpetu- ating disunion. Besides this, there were other organizations, some of them secret, whose object also was to assist the men at home. But all of them, I am perfectly sat- isfied, would have helped us if we had made a successful beginning. I have therefore been simply the agent in carrying out the oft-repeated poUcy of the Fenian Brotherhood. If others were not in earnest, I was. I never made a promise or a pledge to the people which I have not tried to make good. The people, through their representatives, have made pledges to me which they have noi redeemed. I think that the system of misrepresentation practiced by some of our Irish patriots, has done more to injure the cause and destroy the con- fidence of the people than a dozen of defeats on the field. The particular time for inaugurating the movement being controlled by the circumstances hereto- fore related, I am responsible for nothing more. If I had not commenced the movement at the time I did, others, both in the East and in the West, would have made the attempt. "SHALL ANOTHER ATTEMPT BE MADE TO INVADE CANADA?" Is a question which I hove been asked frequently since my imprisonment ; to which I answer, No ! emphatically no. And now I give timely notice to any man or set of men who may have any idea of attempting it again, while England and Canada are at peace with the world, that nothing that it is possible for me to do shall bo left undone to frustrate it. Believing that the only opportunity for suc- cess in that direction has passed, and passed forever, I shall for the future be found as zealous in my opposition to such an enterprise as I have been hitherto earnest, laborious, and persevering in its advocacy. In all candor and sincerity I advise those who have heretofore or do now believe in freeing Ii'eland through ,r^-v^- The Attemptei-» Invasion of Canada. m an invasion of Canada, while England an 'I Canada are at peace wltli the world, to abandon the idea at once. With the Uuited States authorities to hold you back on one side, and the vigilance and forward state of preparations (continu- ally on the increase) of the Canadian authorities to meet you on the other, yon will never be able to get a sufficient number of men with armB and ammunition across the border in time to take up a position which can be held. You will be told by that venerable patriot, James Gibbons, of Philadelphia, who signs himself "Chairman Executive Council, F. B.," and, who is simply the tool and mouthpiece of another, that this is the advice of one who has himself failed because he assumed powers not delegated to l^m by the Organ- ization ; because he undertook a movement on his own responsibility and with- out the sanction of the people. By the people, in this case, are meant Jamcu Gibbons and P. J. Meehan. It has taken this man and his associates a long time to find out that I was not to be trusted, and that henceforth you must look to him, as the head of a body, calling itself the Executive Council of the F. B. , for Irish freedom. According to him, said body only possesses the right to speak for the Irish Nationalists of America, and anything done or said for Irish liberty, must first be sanctioned by it to be legitimate. Believe him not ; this man, with his confreres, after doing all they corl ' ? break up the Organization and destroy the confidence of the people, waf iected by a fraction of the Fe- nian Brotherhood, at Chicago, 111., in April last. He had previously been Vice President of the Fenian Brotherhood, and, until a very recent period, was one of the most earnest advocates of the very movement which he and his associ- ates afterwards did so much to defeat. In his better days he condemned in the strongest language, the men who were standing in tt<^ way of a successful in- vasion of Canada ; even P. J. Meehan came in for a large share of his censure. But, being a man of no stability of character, though his pretensions on that point are very considerable, he is completely at the mercy of every designing knave who choc es to humor his vanity for corrupt purposes. They will now try to build up an Organization under the pretence of prepar- ing for an immediate fight for Irish liberty. But I am inclined to the opinion that their powers for disorganization and demoi-alization, which were recently used to such good eflfect, are much greater than their j^owers for reorganizing and re-establishing confidence. But if they can succeed in getting up even a nominal Organization, they will proclaim to the world through that veracious journal, the "Irish American," and one or two lesser lights, that they only are the representatives of the Irish Nationalists of America, and must have' a Ibw fat offices — with a little Corporation priniing—toi themselves and their friends ; this, of course, by way of hastening the day of Irish independence. They will tell you that the unauthorized attempt of the 'h-esident of the Fenian Brother- hood to carry out the sole mission of the Organization "cannot be recognized as a defeat " — certainly not — " and that the work must go on," If this delusion can only be kept up until the next Presidential election, aJl will be well. The only representatives of the Irish National Organization know how to take caro of themselves. WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH THE ASMS AND WAB MATEBIAL OF THE P. B. I would advise that the United States Government retain what they have of them for a short time. To turn ftiem over to the only Organization that would i sammmiai 80 OrnoiAL Report of il: 1' il! .;.' be likely to make such a claim at present, woald be simply to assist in building up a political structure for the elevation of a few individuals. Circles or per- sons having arms, etc., of the F. B. in their possession, would do well to hold on to them until a union of the F. B. is completed. A WORD WITH OUB CANADIAN FBIENDS. I have heretofore referred to you, as enemies. I could not speak of men whom I desired to fight in any other way. Our only object was to make war on England — a nation with which we have been at perpetual war for the last seven hundred years, and shall so cont^'aue to be as long as she claims the right to misgovern Ireland. You recognize the English government as your government, and the English flag as your flag. We desired to destroy both. You were ready to defend both ; hence our only cause of quarrel with you. K we had been able, we would not have hesitated to kill every soldier who was ready to tight for England. The majority of us were in earnest, although a few designing knaves and political tricksters succeeded in demoralizing the Brotherhood at a critical moment. If we had not been in earnest, the large amount of arms and war material which many of you saw on the border, and the large amount which you did not see, but which was not far off, (enough for over twenty thousand men, and costing hundreds of thousands of dol- lars,) would not have been found ta our possession. That we would have inflicted many of the evils consequent upon a state of warfare, cannot be de- nied. That we would have pemiitted murder, robbery, etc., or that we had any intention of appropriating any of your property or lands, or that such was any part of our object, I deny emphatically, and refer you for proof of this assertion to the movement in '66, and to the conduct of our men when hundreds of them were on your soil for two days, opposite Buffalo. I now of course speak of the men under my command. No doubt some of those who came to the border during both movements came there to indulge their natural propensities for pillaging ; but had we succeeded on the other side, these men would soon be given to understand that their wishes were not in harmony with the mission of the Fenian Brotherhood. That you are now both able and wiiiiug to protect yourselves against any further attempts on our part to annoy you, I am fully satisfied. I speak for the men who were in earnest in this matter, and assure you that you shall have no further annoyance from ns. That we have been a source of trouble and expense to you for nearly five years I need not tell you ; but your trouble is now at an end. We had a very different object in view from keeping you in alarm. The men amongst us who intended to fight will now take care of the talking patriots, who would buy a cheap notoriety by keeping up the appearance of preparing for a fight which it is their intent shall never come off. In a word, we will put an end to the humbug of a " Fenian invasion of Canada," at least as long as you keep out of difficulty at home and abroad. You are satisfied with the English government, and that the EngUsh flag Should float over, I will not say, protect, you ; that is henceforth your business, not ours. There are many of our countrymen amongst you, happy and contented, who no doubt were bitterly opposed to our plan of freeing Ireland, while some others might entertain a different opinion. We now desire to live at peace with you and them, and when you commence housekeeping on your own ac- count, if you should send us a pressing inviVation, we will be pleased to visit iiii The Attempted Intabion of Canada. 31 yon, or, if you should prefer to join the great family of Uncle Sam, we 7. ill bo delighted to receive and recognize you as brothers. / for the trouble and ex- pense we have been to you of late, what have you actually lost? Nothing. Look at your condition from a military stand-point five years ago and look at it now. I repeat it, you have lost nothing ; and I would respectfully suggest that you place on the credit side of that littie account on your ledger of five mil- lion of dollars, which the newspapers say you are going to present to Uncle Sam as indemnity for losses sustained in resisting Fenian invasions, twenty millions gained in military prestige, you will still have fifteen millions to your credit. This proceeding will be mach more sensible than to prove your ingrati- tude to Uncle Sam by presenting the above bill ; for he has been a good Mend of yours on two occasions within the recollection of the present generation. 4«» CONCLUSION. Nearly five years ago I joined the Fenian Brotherhood with the simple wish of serving the cause of Irish liberty. Soon\klter, I was called upon to abandon home, family and business to fight for Ireland. My business, at the time, was extensive, worth to me at least fifty thousand dollars, which the years and energy since devoted by me to Fenianism would have more than doubled. I hesitated not a moment to risk alL Accident put me in command of the men who fought at Bidgeway. This fight was a success, though the movement proved a failure. You cheered and applauded ; proclaimed me a hero, a gi'cat patriot, skiUi'ul commander, etc. ; expressed a wish to see me and hear me, that you might shower your congratulations upon me. I sought nothing so much as to go home and resume the care of my business, feeling that I had simply done my duty to IreL^nd, as far as in my power. On reaching home, I found my affaiis in a ruinous condition, and saw the necessity of giving them my whole and immediate attention. In the meantime, letters from the circles of the Organization, inviting me to visit them, poured in upon me from all quarters from a grateful people — so they said — who desired to show their ap- preciation of the distinguished services rendered by me to the Brotherhood and the cause of Ireland. I accepted as few of these invitations as possible, and attended to my business, satisfied that my servi'^es as a patriot in travelling through the country, making speeches, etc.v would be none the less appreci- ated, if I could afford to pay my own expenses. I did not then know how skill- fully those two pure and disinterested patriots and Christian gentlemen, P. J. Meehan and James Gibbons, could torture legitimate travelling expenses — rail- road fare, hotel bills, etc., incurred in carrying out their own resolutions — into "squandering the hard-earned money of our people." I had heard, however, some mean talk about paid officials and men living upon the Organization, just as if men of ability, depending on their own exertions for a livelihood, could devote their time and talents to the Organization gratuitously. Had they turned the Organization into a means of procuring fat political positions for themselves, as more than one unpaid official has done, then they could have "•TinriiriMBi'i 8d Official Bepobt of vgU afforded to give their Berriccs to the Brotherhood withont other conipenBa* tion. My desire vnn to put myself in a position to serve Ireland, when the opportunity arose, without requiring any romuneration whatever for my ser- vices. But it would seem that this was not to be. For the second time, at a critical moment, when absence from business would involve a certain loss of thousands of dollars, (ha'<'int^ just paid out six thousand dollars to a lawyer in Washing- ton to get control again of my business there,) I was called upon by Mr. Mee- han and others, not to fight immediately, but to first save the Organization by accepting the Presidency. Mr. Meehan has since informed me that, if I had then refused the presidency, the Organization would have gone to pieces — but others are as competent to judge of the matter as he. I am now of opinion that Colonel Boberts retained the office as long as he thought there was any chance of accomplishing any good, and then insisted on resigning. Mr. Gibbons reluctantly consented to the aiTangement by which I became presi- dent, as 'he coveted the position for himself ; he had then, as on all kj*\ i occa- sions, to yield to the wishes of Meehan. I might here add that the honor of being President of the Fenian Brotherhood — at a time when the failure of the " union negotiations " and the resignation of Colonel Boberts hud completely demoralized the Brotherhood — had no peculiar charms for me, and could not raise me in the eyes of our people. On the contrary, had I, after the fashion of Irish patriots, retired on the gi. ties f-f the past, on the laurels of Bidgeway, I might have sought and obtained a political position for myself, and become a great hero and patriot for the balance of my natural life, having Meehan, Gib- bons, Carey and all the rest of them, to herald my praises from Maine to Cali- fornia. How foolish some men are ! Nothing but the prospect of a brush with the enemy that year could have justified me in thus for the second time abandoning my business and my creditors. I did not then know that I was simply intended by that arch-hypocrite, Meehan, as a tool to be used by him so long as I was found use- ful and pliant, and afterward to be thrown aside, as others had been before me. He is a good mechanic, and will take all necessary pains to sharpen his tools ; but, woe unto them, if they fail to perform their allotted work ! The columns of the Irish American will suddenly change colors, and the character that, yes- terday, was white as the driven snow, will, to-day, stand forth black as Erebus. Should the case prove a difficult one, that gray-haired patriot, Gibbons, who is too much of a Christian to lie on his own occount, but never yet refused to do it for his master, will be called upon for assistance. In compliance with the Senate resolutions, I labored night and day for near- ly two years to prepare the Organization for action. The men who induced me to accept the presidency had other engagements to occupy their time and thoughts. They could pass resolutions of a warlike character periodically, but at the same time be extremely careful to avoid taking w&rlike measures. If resolutions could give liberty to a people, the Senate of the F. B. would long ago have made Ireland the treest nation on the globe. They will now account to you for their inaction by the statement that they had no intention to strike until the opportune moment arrived ; they should have so informed us at the start, but they preferred feeding you with false promises, and getting me, through their high-blown resolutions, to do the same. They will also teU yon. .<^.^'^^'-t$att* '*.&W The Attejjpted IirvASiON of Canada. that we wore not prepared for a fight No ; aad what is more, wo never should, HO long an it was in their power to prevent it I believe we were ns well pra- pared for a fight in Canada this spring aa we might ever hope to be ; for the people were grown sick and tired of our oft-repeated and as often broken prom- ises ; they were in no humor to sustain the Organization any longer as it stood : we must either fight or boldly declare a change of policy. The Senate, or rather F. J. Moehon, for it is useless to allude to the majority of that body ex- cept as his tool, would do neither the one nor the other. No ! the delusion must be kept up, and a plausible excuse for delajring the fight invented — a quarrel with the President would serve this purpose best ' ' O'Neill assisted us for a time, but he now wonts to redeem the pledges made to the people in our name. He must be disposed of, as no longer a pUont tooL His character has to be ruined, and we are experts in the business. John O'Neill is become a second John O'Mahoney, and No. 10 W. Fourth 8t, a tloSat Mansion. We, the representatives of the people, fifteen in number, no matter if there is only a quorum of eight, with the Irhh American, United Iriahman, and Irish liepuhlic at our back, can make short work of him. Some, who may happen to know better, will not believe us, but the masses who know nothing of the facts in the cose, will take the word of fiiteen men before that of one man, especially as they form a delegated body authorized to speak for the Organ- ization. Carey, McCloud, Hynes, Gibbons, Dunne, Fitzgerald, and McEinley, are thoroughly conversant with their parts. Taking our experience into con- sideration, failure is impossible. Our work, indeed, is not very honorable, but that matters not ; have we not fought John O'Mahony and can we not fight any other man ? Some of our number ore rather too scrupulous to co-operate, but they are not many, and will.not offer much active opposition, while we have such resources for defamation at our dispose In the end, they, too, will have to fall into line, [some of them, however, vu their credit, disappointed this expec- tation]. If we could only force a quarrel with O'Neill ; but it is now evident that we must begin it ourselves, since, in spite of repeated provocationo, he keeps his temper. Quarrel, however, we must, at all hazards. We havo placed ourselves on record in favor of a fight ; that t'\ct we will publish tq the world, but, just as we are almost ready to meet the enemy, we will have to stop, in order to save the honor of the Irish race, and the very Organization, from ruin. Happy thought ! it will work like a charm. It will furnish us with a sufficient pretext for deferring a fight for the next half century. Should he, however, attempt to fight without our permission, [which will never be given,] we will see to it that the movement is a failure, and we hav3 done much towards that already in destroying public confidence. We will then throw the whole blame on him, and proclaim to the world our own wisdom and forethought in seeing disaster ahead. We are the only representatives of the Irish people, and we only have the right to order a fight for Ireland." God help poor Ireland, if she has to remain in bondage until freed by such men ! Let it not be supposed that I have any idea that the co-operation of the Senate at the time of the movement would have enabled us to succeed, for I have not The one great essential to success, apart from a supply of arms, was a sufficient number of men with faith and confidence enough in the leaders to inaugurate the movement and transport the war material across the line before H OFnoiAL Beport or either government could know of their dosigns. In this Iaj the great diffl- otdty. Once the moyement wan fairly set on foot, no man or set of men, no matter what their protonBious, could keep Iriahmen from fighting for their country. Honce the start woa everything. The Senate, through itH faUe prom- ines and resolutiona daring the last two years, had bo often deceived the people that nearly all confidence was lost in that honorable body, and since I, as Pres- ident, was the principal representative of the Senate, many who at first had all faith in my honesty of purpose, began to have serious misgivings of my sincerity. I at no time, however, made a promise to the people which was not made in perfect good faith, and to be carried out at the risk of my life. In 1866 the Senate, in spite of the fact that thousands of soldiers, both Irish and American, just returned f^om the battle-fields of a great civil war, were ready to embark in any enterprise of the kind, and that their chief military officer was Qen. T. W. Sweeny, one of the most popular soldiers of the Irish race, were unable, after making the greatest exertions, to place more men on the border within three days after commencing to move, than we did within the same period. It was not until after the fight at Bidgeway that the people began to put faith in the enterprise, end that men flocked to the border. Hod the fight at Eccles Hill gone on — it had hardly commenced when I was ar- rested — and been a second " Bidgeway," and had we remained, as in 186G, two days on the other side, I h^re no doubt that there would have been a greater rush to the bbrder than occurred in 1866. That they would have come too lata to be of any practical service, I also believe ; for after the first few days the enemy was well prepared, and the United States Government ready to intercept us. In 1866 the entire blame of the fiailure fell on the shoulders of Oen. Sweeny ; in 1870, Oen. O'Neill is the only one censured. In 1866 James Stephens denounced the movement as treason to Ireland ; in 1870 James Gib- bons begins where Stephens left off. So it goes. I do not know whether Gib- bons went to Washington and dined with the Secretary of State, and in the evening had himself serenaded, and made a speech from the balcony at Wil- lard's, denouncing the movement, or not — all of which Stephens is said to have done — but he issued a proclar ation which will be read by posterity, and which no dcubt pleased him quite as welL In 1866, people generally supposed, myself among the number, that our movement was nipped in the bud by the United States Government, but, ouch was not the case. On the contrary, we had opportunities afforded us such as we oould not again hope for. The most that we could safely calculate upon before the direct interference of the U. S. Government, was three days, and all of that time was allowed us. With a position secured on the other side, men would afterwards join us despite the vigilance of the Government. My own arrest by Gen. Foster was purely accidental. He had no soldiers to assist him in stopping the movement. I have no fault, therefore, to find with the action of the Government ; for, while it is its bounden duty to preserve the neutrality laws, when it is evident that they are in danger of inMngement, we had every reasonable opportunity for evading the Government. The failure of the movement is rather due to the failure of our men to come up in time. The earnest co-operation of the Senate could not have improved our chances of success, since both Governments would have been prepared to stop us at the very start, as they would long beforehand have been apprised of our design. It stiil The Attempted Invasion of Oamaoa. M woald he impoflsible for that body to keep raoh a secret At one of their meet- ings, held in Pittabargb, Pa., June a9th, 1869, it woh determined, in peoret Mil- lion, to oommenoe a movement on the 16th of the following September. The first I knew of their having fixed the date waa gleaned from the columns of a Canadian newspaper. The sincerity, however, of this, their resolution, may be indeed from the foot that, before adjourning, they pledged themselves, each to go to work in his respectivo locality from the date of their return home until the 10th of August, when they were to reassemble in New York to moke final arrangements, and there remain until the outset of the movement This solemn pledge to work actively for the cause was broken by nearly all of them. A few of them came to New York at the appointed time, but it waa not until after the lapse of a week or ten days that they were able to have a quorum ; and when they did meet they had other matters beside the preparations for a fight with the enemy to occupy their time. A quarrel with the President was found much more congenial to thi r tastes. It is noedleas to say that they did not remain in session until the army of the F. B. took the field. Now, however, the long desired period for loud talk and patriotic inactivity has anived. They can now safely pass warlike resolutions and issue addresses to their hearts' content Nobody for the futme will be so fool-hardy as to insist npon a practical compliance with their promises, and the farce will be permit- ted to go on without interruption. Gibbons may now play without fear of re- buke his humorous role of military critic and instructor. Poor old man I the martial spirit still predominates ; let it have vent — the display will give him pleasure and harm no one. But why should I speak? I, the inmate of a cimmon jail," "the associate of thieves, house-burners, and every class of disreputable characters ;" an "ob- ject of pity and contempt" and the "laughing-stock of all 1 " Perhaps so. I still, however, claim the right to speak, as one who joined the Fenian Brother- hood to the direct injury of his every personal interest in the hope of serving Ireland ; as one who, with others, risked his life for Ireland under circum- stances when few would have ventured, and, in so doing, won for the Brother- hood the only victory it ever achieved on the field ; as one who, for the last eighteen months, suffered untold tortures sooner than have an open rupture with men who falsely professed to be working with him for Ireland ; as ono who robbed his family and his friends (his creditora) of the time and labor which properly belonged to them, and who, with half of the energy devoted to his business which he devoted to the cause, would have, at least, a Lome and the comforts of life for his vnfe and children during his enforced abs mce in prison, instead of leaving them entirely destitute, without a dollar to '>ay the grocery bill or the month's rent I still claim the right to speak, as one acoused of squandering the hard-earned money of our people by the very parties who induced him by their li^se ^^romises to abandon his only means of support — his private business, and who was afterwards compelled to deprive his family ev3n of the necessaries of life, in order to n< "it his obUgations, and who has now lain for several weeks in prison without a dollar to fee a lawyer, and with the prospect of being immured within its walls for an indefinite period. I claim the privilege to speak, as one who defies the most moligx^mt, lying Bconndrel among his accusers to point to a single dollar of Fenian money by him Bqnondered (r misappropriated. In spite of the charges to the contrary, made by the N »mf"?^mm^''W"^''"^' 86 OmouL Bepobt II nncAOCLATi S«nalon, Oibboni, Donne, HjmeH and MoOIond, nt the Giioago Oonrention, I ahall b« able to proro the honeHty of my dealings with the Or- ganlzatioa from thoir own evidence in tho general statement of my oonnootion with tho Fenian Brotherhood, soon to be published. To the qneation, "What is become of the moneys paid into the Fenian Trea- sury ?" the beat answer is contained in the following interrogatory: " How were all the arms, war material and clothing, which thooaands saw at Franklin and Malone, procured and transported to the border 7" The alteration of breeph- loaders alone cost, according to Mr. Meehan, over sixty thousand dollars ; and tho Organization is in possession of ammunition and war material besides that collected at Mnlono and Franklin. In some few instances where I attended the meetings of circles, or accom- panied special committees appointed to collect ftmds in Brooklyn and New York, the money was given to me to be turned into the treasury. The Treasurer's books and the financial statements will show that such moneys were in every instance handed into the treasury, and the circles properly credited therewith. The only money of the Fenian Brotherhood with which I have had anything to do, from the tin. j I became President, in January, 1868, op to the Congress held in Now York, last April, was that allr jd me for salary and travelling expenses ; the vouchers for which were examined and approved by the representatives of the Organization at the Congresses held in Philadelphia and New York. One of my chief defamers, at present, James Oibbons, was a party to their exami- nation and approval. My travelling expenses were heavy, because I travelled a great deal at the urgent desire of the Senate, to further the interests of the Organization. For ev 3ry dollar I have received since the adjournment of the New York Congress I am prepared to furnish the necessary vouchors. Nothing but the mfin, lying, cowardly, attacks made upon my character, both privately and publicly, in connection with the funds of ^e Organization, could justify me. In referring to my business or family affairs in this statement The task is not a 'pleasant one, but it has been forced upon me by unprincipled asHi Hants. Finally, I claim the privilege to speak, as one who (notwithstanding the on- just and false reports of newspapers and newspaper correcpondents, including "Druid" (James Brennon) of the Irish American, the meanest and most cow- ardly liar of them all— a man who, in the past, talked loudly and learnedly of war, but who managed to keep at a safe distance during the danger, and who afterwards come to survey the situation, and. Jackal-like, pilfer the character of true men,) as one I say, who has 'materially aided in preparing the Irish people to strike a blow at England, such as she had not received for ages. It ttHI be long, I fear, before Irishmen have another such opportunity, and, that the one just past was not taken advantage of, they have but their own supineness to blame. To that poition of the Fenian Brotherhood, having for its object the freedom of Ireland through an invasion of Canada, I now bid farewell, and hereby resign all connection, official or otherwise, with it. I was an Irishman, a patriot, and a soldier for Ireland, before I ever had the honor of being enrolled a Fenian. I am all three still. My connection with the Organization has neither mode ' me a "coward," a "traitor to Ireland," nor a "dishonest man." I remain, gentlemen, Very respectfully, your ob't servant, JOHN O'NEILL. OFriOIAI* RBPORT or Toa BAHLE OF RIDGEWAY, CANADA WEST, FOUQBT JUNE M, 1866. HxiDQUABTXna, LjLMM Ebib Dcp't, L B. a. ) June 27th, 1866. f Bbxo. Oairb 0. 0. Tsna, Ac^lt Oenl. L B. A. General: — The following ia an offloip.l report of the ftotion of the men tinder my command, from the time I loft Nashville, Tenn., May 27th, 1866, until June 3d, 1866 : In obedience to orders reoeived from you, while I yma in New York, I left Nashville, May 27th, 1866, with one hundred and fifteen (116) men. On arriving At LonisTille, Ky., CoL Owen Starr, in command of one hundred and forty-four (144) men joined na ; and at Indianapolis we were joined by about one hundred (100) men under the command of Gapt Haggerty. We all arrived at Gleveland, Ohio, on the night of the 28th ult., where I supposed we would attempt to cross the lake. But no orr^ers to that efTeot had been receivet^ there ; nor any person there that could give us any definite information on the subject. During the day of the 29th, Senator Morrison arrived from New York with orders and instructions from General Sweeny, for Brig. Q«n. Lynch. In the absence of Gen. Lynch, the senior ofScer present was to receive the orders, and carry out the instructions, which were : to effect a crossing at that point. It was at once decided that GoL Owen Starr should command the expedition. But during that afternoon Senator Bannon reoeived a telegram from General Sweeny, in answer to one which he sent in the morning, directing the men as- sembled at Gleveland, to proceed at once to BufKdo, where Gapt Hynes, his Asst. Adjt. Genl., had been sent with instructions and orders. We arrived in BuflUo on the morning of the 30th, and reported to Gapt Hynes. Here the men were distributed in squads all over the city. I was informed by Gapt Hynes, that he looked for General Lynch, or some other general officer, to command an expedition which was ordered to effect a crossing into Ganada at this point, and that arrangements were being made to secure transportation, etc. He at the same time requested myself and the other officers present, to assist him in making the necessary arrangements, which we did. The night of the 31st of May, being the time appointed for crossing ; and as Gen. Lynch or no other general officer had arrived ; and as I was the senior officer present, Gapt Hynes informed me that I should command the expedi- tion, end proceeded verbally to give me a few general instructions, as to what I should attempt on the other side. I received no written instructions, and had •no map of the country. ■KMHM m 38 Official Report of li » ! I at once instrncted the officers to look up the men, and have them ready to march at a moment's notice ; and at 11 o'clock P. M., received a written order from Captain Hynes, placing me in command of the expedition. The number of men assembled here, which was reported to me, was about eight hundred (800)— detachments from the following regiments : 13th Infan- try, CoL John O'Neill ; 17th Infantry, CoL Owen Starr ; 18th Infantry, Lieut. Col. Grace ; 7th Infantry, Col. John Hoy ; and two (2) companies &om In- diana under Captain Haggerty ; but the number of men that could be got together when we crossed did not exceed six hundred (600) men. About 12 o'clock the men commenced moving t'> a point called Lower Black- rock, about three miles down the river ; and at S.bi) a. m., on the Ist of June, all of the men, with the arms and ammunition, were on board four canal boats, and towed across the Niagara Biver to a point on the Canadian side, called Waterloo : and at 4 o'clock a. m. , the Irish flag was planted on British soil by Col. Starr, who had command of the first two boats. On landing I immediately ordered the telegraph wires leading from the town to be cut ; and sent a party to destroy the railroad bridge leading to Port Col- borne. CoL Starr, in command of the Kentucky and Indiana troops, proceeded through the town of Erie to the Old Fort, some three miles distant (up the river) and occupied it for a short time, hoisting the Irish flag. I then waited on the Beeve of For^ Erie, and requested him to see some of the citizens of the place and have them furnish rations for my men, at the same time assuring him that no depredations on the citizens would be permitted by me, as we had come to drive out British authority from the soil, and not for the purpose of pillaging the citizens. My request for provisions was promptly, complied with. About 10 o'clock A. M., I moved into camp on Newbiggiu's Farm, situated on Frenchman's Creek, four miles down the river from Fort Erie, where I remained till 10 o'clock p. M. During the afternoon, Capt. Donohue of the 18th, while out in command of a foraging party, on the road leading to Chippewa, came up with the enemy's scouts, who fled at his approach. Later in the afternoon, I sent Col. Hoy with one hundred (100) men on the same road. He also came up with some scouts about six miles from camp. Here I had him to halt. By this time, 8 o'clock p. m., I had received information that a large force f the enemy — said to be Ave thousand strong — with artillery, were advancing in two columns — one from the direction of Chippewa, and the other from Polrt Colbome ; also, that troops from Fort Golborne were to attack me from the Lake side. Here truth compels me to make an admission that I would fain keep from the public. Many of the men who crossed over with me the night before, managed to leave the command during the day — some recrossed to Buffalo, and others remained in houses around Fort Erie. On account of this shameful desertion, and the fiaot that arms had been sent with me for eight hundred (800) n en, I had to destroy three hundred (300) stand of arms to prevent them falling into .L.e hands of the enemy. At this time I could not depend on more than five hundred (500) men — about one tenth the reported number of the enemy, which I knew were surrounding me — rather i The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 39 a critical position ; bat I had been sent to accomplish a certain object, and I was deteimined to succeed At 10 o'clock p. M., I broke camp and marched towards Chippewa ; »vl^ at midnight changed direction and moved on the Limestone Bidge road, le'.iding towards Bidgeway — halting a few hours on the way to rest the men : ♦^nis for the purpose of meeting the column advancing from Port Golbome. My object was to get between the two columns, and, if possible, defeat one oi them before the other could come to its assistance. At about 7 o'clock a. h., 2d of June, when within three miles of Bidgeway, Col. Owen Starr, in command of the advanced guard, came up with the ad- vance of the enemy mounted, and drove them some distance till he got within sight of their skirmish line, which extended on both sides of the road about half a mile. By this time, we could hear the whistle of the raihroad cars, which brought them from Port Golbome. I immediately advanced my skirmishers, and formed line of battle behind temporary breat>t-works, made of rails, on a road leading to Fort Erie, and running pareJlel with the enemy's line. The skirmishing was kept up over half an ) our, when perceiving the enemy flanking me on both sides, and not beinp nble to draw out his centre, which was partially protected by thick timber, I tell back a few hundred yards and formed a new line. The enemy seeing I had only a few men, (about four hundred,) and supposing that we had commenced a retreat^ advanced rapidly in pursuit. When they got close enough, w& gave them a volley and ^hen charged them, .driving them nearly three miles through the town of Bidgeway. In their hasty retreat, they threw away knapsacks, guns and everything that was likely to retard their speed, and left some ten or twelve killed and twenty-five or thirty wounded, with twelve prisoners in our hands. Amongst the killed was Lieut. McAhem, and amongst the wounded Lieut. Buth, both of the Queen's Own. I gave up the pursuit about a mile beyond Bidgeway. Although we had met and defeated the enemy, yet our position was still a very critical one. The reported strength of the enemy engaged in the fight was fourteen hundred ^^400), composed of the Queen's Own, the 13th Hamilton Battalion, and other troops. A regiment which bad left Port Golbome, was said to be on the road to reinforce them. I also knew that the column from Chippewa would hear of the fight, and in all probability would move up in my rear. Thus situated, and not knowing what was going on elsewhere, I debided that my best poUcy was to return to Fort Erie, and ascertain if crossings had been made at other points, and if so, I was willing to sacrifice myself and my noble little command for the sake of leaving the way open, as I felt satisfied that a large proportion of the enemy's forces had been concentrated against me. I collected a few of my own wounded and put them in wagons, and for want of transportation, had to leave six others in charge of the citizens who promised to look after them, and bury the dead of both sides. I then divided my com- mand, and sent one half under Col. Starr down the railroad to destroy it, and bum the bridges ; and with the other half took the pike road leading to Fort Erie. Col. Starr got to the old fort about the same time that we did to the vil- lage of Fort Erie {i o'clock p. m.) He left the men there under the command of Lieut. -CoL Spaulding, and joined me in a skirmish with a company of tho ssW Official Bepobt of Wdlmd Battery, \7hi0h had arriTed there from Port Golbome in the morning, and which picked up a few of our men who had etraggled from the command the day before ; also a few who had basely fled on the approach of the enemy at Bidgeway. They had those men prisoners on board of the steamer Bobb. The sUrmish lasted about fifteen minutes. The enemy firing from the houses, tltree or four zii?n were killed, and some eight or ten were wounded on each side. It was here that Lieut. -g to the U. S. steamer Mich- igan, having on board one 12-pounder pivot gun, which fired across our bows and threatened to sink us unless we hauled-to and surrendered. With the request we complied, not only because we feared the 12-pounder, or the still more powerful guns of the Michigan, which lay close by, but because we respected the authority of the United States, in defence of which many of us bad fought and bled during the late war. We would have as readily surren- dered to an infant bearing the authority of the United States, as to Acting Mas- ter Morris, of the tug Harrison, who is himself an EngUshman. The number thus surrendered was three hundred and seventeen men, including officers. I The officers were taken on board the "Michigan," and were well treated by MiiiitillfiililHi f ; ; and none The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 4^ Oapt. Biyson and the gentlemanly officers of Ms ship ; while the men were kept on the open scow, which was very filthy, without any accommodation what< ever, and barely large enough for them to tnm round. Fart of the time the rain ppured down on them in torrents. I am not certain who is to blame for this cruel treatment ; but whoever the guilty parties are, they should be loathed and despised by all men. The men were kept on board the scow for four days, and then discharged on their own recognizance to appear at Canandaigua on the 19 th inst to answer to the charge of having violated the Neutrality Laws. The officers were admitted to bail. The report generally circulated— and I might say generally believed — that I left my pickets out, and that they were captured by the enemy, is entirely false. Every man who remained with the command, excepting a few wounded, had the same chance of escaping that I had myself. To the extraordinary exertions of Oapt. Wm. J. Hynes,* Senator Fitzgerald, and our friends of Buffalo, P. O'Ddy, F. B. Gallagher, Hugh Mooney, James Whelan, Capt. James Doyle, John Connors, Edward Frawley, James J. Crowley, M. T. Lynch, James Cronin, and Michael Dunahey, we are indebted for being able to Escape from the Canadian side. CoL H. B. Stagg and Capt. McConvery of Buffalo were also very efficient in doing everything in their power for us. Col. Stagg had started from Buffalo with about two hundred and fifty (250) men to reinforce us, but the niunber was too small to be of any use, and he was or- dered to return. Much praise is due to Drs. Trowbridge and Blanchard of Buf- falo, and Surgeon Donnelly of Pittsburgh, for their untiring attendance on the wounded. All who were with us acted their parts so nobly that I feel a little delicacy in making special mention of any, and shall not do so except in two instances. One in the case of Alichael Cochrane, color sergeant of the Indianapolis Co., . whose gallantry and darinf was conspicuous throughout the fight at Ridgeway. I have since learned that he was severely wounded, and is in the hands of the enemy ; the other in that of Major John C. Canty, who lived at Fort Erie. He risked everything he possessed on earth, and acted his part gallantly on the field. On account of being made a prisoner so soon, and not boing able to get com- plete reports from the regimental commanders, this report is not as complete as I could wish it to be *, and as those officers are not now subject trt my orders, I would respectfully request that you order each regimental commander who was with the expedition, to forward the names of the officers and men who base- ly deserted the command, that they may for<»ver be expelled from the Army of Lreland, and their names forwarded to the different circles throughout the coun- try, so that they may be held up to the ridicule and contempt of all honest and patriotic Irishmeni. I* Capt. Hynes, in reporting to me, verbally, the efforts he had made to procure transporta- tion and get us back across the rivor, with that peculiar modesty which is all his own, took great credit to himself for his skillful management of the affair. But subsequent reports of F. B. OaUagher, P. O'Day, and numerous other citizens of Buffalo, go to show, that if they had not taken the matter entirely out of his hands, and attended to it themselTca in spite of him, through his presumption and arrogance we sliould likely have had to remain on the other ■Ide until the enemy came up the following morning. i^-au^Hl^ •ii^agjttmmiiifitmijui^ ! I I 'III n.i- 4fi The Attempted Invasion of Canada. In t!he fight at Bidgeway and the skirmish at Fort Erie, as near aa I can ascer^ tain, our loss was eight killed and fifteen wounded. Among the killed was Lieut. E. B. Lonnergan, a brave young officer of Bufifalo. Of the enemy, thirty (30) were killed, and one hundred (100) wounded. I refer you to the accompanying reports of Col. Owen Starr, Col. John Hoy, Capts. Shields, Conlon, and Mundny, for individual acts of bravery ; and would recommend that all officers who remained with the command, receive promo- tion to one gntde higher than they had, and the sergeants, corporals, and pri- vates recommended by their immediate commanding officers, receive promotion to fill their places. I would also recommend that Capt Bodolph Fitzpatrick, of iuy staff, be appointed Major in the A. G. Dept (Signed) JOHN O'NEILL, Brig. Geni. I. L. A. Note.— The number of the enemy killed and wounded, was made up from penonal obser- vation, reports of prisoners, and general report at the time. I believe, however, that th* flgnree are too high, but I have not been able to get the exact numbers. ^"7- APPENDIX. ^♦» BEPOET OF MAJOR DANIEL MUEPHT. * Bbisoxfobt, Ct, Jane, 1870. Gek. John O'Necu., Bmr Sir, and Brother:— Tn compliance with your request for a report of my comiection with the late disastrous movement on Canada, and of the part I took in that affair, I hereby most respectfully state the following facts : On May 16th, 1870, 1 received orders from the Headquarters of the P. B., (of which I have not a copy,) directing me (as captain) to prepare my company at once for a forward movement, as final orders would be issued in a few days. I need hardly assure you that I was much surprised at this, for it will be re- membered by many of the delegates of the New York Congress, (held April 19th, 1870,) as well as by yourself, I presume, that I declined having anything to do with a movement which I believed to be premature, and supported only by a fragment of the Irish people. This sentiment I gave' utterance to in the Congress ; and I may here add, it was the sentiment of the best men compos- ing that bouy outside Manhattan, and Gren. J. J. Donnelly. I went farther, by informL?3! that body that they could not depend on any men from Connecticut to inaugurate the movement, as I believed the Organization in that State to be demoralized, which assertion afterwards proved true. At these remarks Oen. J. J. Donnelly hcaored me by descending from his dignified position, as Speaker of th$ House, in order to reply and counteract their apparent effects, if possi- ble. This he accompUshed to his entire satisfaction, being well adapted and fully competent to control the opinions of such an audience as he was then ad- dressing, to neither of which qualities do I lay claim. This gentleman con- cluded his speech with the following declaration, as near as I can remember, and for the falsity of which I hope he will now answer to the Irish people, or at least to that portion of them who contributed of their limited means, as far as in them lay, to the support of the F. B. , and the purchase of that war mate- rial which was squandered on the frontier and stolen by the Canadians : "It makes little difference whether Capt. Murphy or the men of Bridgeport take part in the movement or not ; whether the men of Connecticut take part in it or not ; there are men enough without them, who have had their transpor- tation money in their pockets and their rations cooked for the past week, and the movement will be made." Here I dropped the matter with the remark that, if they were determined to move, I should place no barrier in the way, and sub- sequent events prove that I have kept my promise. Did Gen. Donnelly keep his ? In order to show the value of promises made at thoea Congresses, I will cite a few instances, and most respectfully ask those who ought to know, were the promises redeemed ? W. J. Davis, of Brooklyn, promised $5, 000 .00 in oeven days ; Oen. DoniieUy the same ; others promised according to the temperature ^■'""!"**^8ff9K^I'{ IS" r 1 !:ii!l Hii 44 Obticial Beport of of tlioir pseudo patriotism, the whole amoanting (on paper) to $15,000.00. Ao cording to the report of the military committee $30,000.00 was deemed neces- sary to a successful inauguration of the movement, but by some mathematical calculations this sum was subsequently reduced to $15,000.00, which was to be paid into Headquarters in seven days after the adjournment of Congress. I am now informed by you. General, and Gen. Donnelly, also, that only about $2,000.00 of this amount was receiv«d at Headquarters in thirty days, of which the few patriotic Irish Nationalists I represented, (after promising v nothing,) furnished $250.00. Now, then, in the face of these facts and figures, on whose shoulders will his- tory lay the cause of that disastronp movement, with scarce one dollar in the treasury ? I will leave that question for you. General, and General Donnelly, also, to answer. If desired, I will give the names of all the parties promising money at the New York Congress, that the world may know who those parties are who urged us on to the cannon's mouth and then deserted us. To go back to the preliminary order already alluded to, upon the receipt ol it, I immediate- ly concluded to be there myself at least. I informed a few friends of what was on foot, and, also, of my decision in the matter ; the result of this was that on Saturday, May 21st, when final orders were received, about 30 names were on the roll, all of whom were ready and anxious to be the first in the field. What were we to do on Monday morning when these men expected to leave for the front ? Not one dollar was in the treasury, (in fact, we had neither treasury nor organization,) but, by the extraordinary exertion of a few devoted sons of Ireland, the requisite amount (three hundred dollars) was raised, and at 11.30 p. M., we were all on board the train for St Albans via Springfield, some of us paying our own fare. I might mention here, that before leaving Bridgeport, Capt. Fitzpatrick was elected captain of the company, I having previously received an appointment as Major, which position it was not my intention to hold when in the field. On arriving in Springfield on Tuesday morning, April 24th, we found a company from Portland, Connecticut, under the command of a Capt. Ahem. This was the first time on the route that we learned that any one knew of the movement. We rested a few hours on the soft side of a j>lank board in one of the Spring- field halls, kindly given to us gratis by the proprietor. At 8 o'clock a. m., we were all on board the train for St. Albans, after travelling about one hundred miles without meeting any one who knew anything of the movement, ci- who was bent on the same mission. I began to doubt whether there ready vf^ a movement going on or not On arriving at White River Junction, we were re- inforced by eight men from Norwich, Connecticut, and with the exception of about half a dozen more who joined us on the road, all the men on board that train bound for Canada on a hostile mission were Connecticut men. On arriv- ing at Essex Junction, we were met by about 170 men from New York, under the command of Lieut Col. Leddy. Somewhat encouraged at this acquisition to our numbers, and informed by some of those braggarts from New York (of whom I shall presently speak) that thousands more were coming on the next train, we sent the following dispatch to Bridgeport : The Attempted Invasion of Canada. 46 XflBEC JvNonoM, Vt., ISmj 34th, 1870. John CvhLaiux : Bib : Great excitement here ; thonsands of men on the road ; send men quick. D. MUBPHT. The result of the above was, that on the 26th, two day \fterwards, 28 more men arrived at St. Albans from Bridgeport, under the command of Lieut Fran- cis Connery. On arriving at St Albans, where we expected to learn that at least the men of Boston who, five weeks previously, according to Gen. Donnelly's statement, had their transportation money in their pocket and their rations cooked, were there before us, to our great surprise they were not arrived, nor scarcely any one else, according to information received from citizens of Vermont. Intoxi- cated, I suppose, with an intense desire to meet the enemy of our race and country in the open field, we did not believe the citizens of Vermont Gen. Donnelly here informed me that Gen. Lewis had crossed the border 'vith about 200 men, and that two or three hundred more were on the way to reinforce him, and that Gen. O'Neill was at the front and would make a crossing next morn- ing at three o'clock with all the available force he could comma£BSt 10 o'clock. Gapt Fitzpatrick's company, now numbering about iO men, were inspected by Gen. Donnelly, and I may say here, they were the only men on the ground who were subjected to inspection. About half past 11 we were ordered to march, and in less than half an hour we were engaged with the enemy. Before leaving the road leading from the United States to Canada, Francis Caraher, of Bridgeport fell seriously wounded, while crossing an opeii lot which led to the woods back of Bichards's house. Lieut Hope, also of Bridgeport, fell seriously wounded and was car- ried from the field under a shower of British bullets by Sergeant T. J. O'Don- nell, of the same company. On arriving on the summit of a hill in the woods, a brisk fire was kept up with the enemy, the colors of the Burlington men being placed there by Gapt Fitzpatrick, around which every man from Bridgeport with a few others, rallied. At this time about 70 men were present ; where the remainder of them went, I cannot inform you ; but I think.somo of them went ' to the rear. Soon after, I was ordered by you, General, to take charge of the men while you went back to huny up the New York men, who left St. Albans when we did, and had not yet arrived, it being now 2 o'clock. Before assum- ing command, we retreated out of range of the enemy's guns, where we re- mained until J. Boyle O'Reilly returned with the news of your arrest, wheie- upon I despatched a corporal's guard (not having but about two good ones) to ascertain whether Gen. Donnelly and his corporal's guard were still shut up in Bichards's house and bam. In an hour they returned with the information that he and his men had escaped. At this time (4 o'clock) we had abont 40 men, and, judging it useless to remain there longer, I returned with my com- mand to the camp ; here we met the New York men for the first time since we parted from them at St Albans. They managed to get to the front about ten The Atteupteo Invasion of Canada. 47 hoars later thnn we did ; and here, amidst a set of far more demoralized men than it had been our misfortune to meet in the Hame place in 1869, we came to the conclusion that we, at least, were humbugged badly, that the representa- tions made to us were false, utterly so, and then steered our coarse homeward, after oaring for our wounded men and providing for thnlr transit to St. Albans, and then to Bridgeport. On our arrival iu the first-named place, we mot at least 150 men from various parts of Oonnootiont, and a fine body of men they were ; I believe I can safely say they were much the finest and best conducted body of men we saw at 8t Albans. On the 27th of May we were arrested and ■ent to jail. In conclusion, I have only a few words to say, and they are to those who might be drawn into a similar movement hereafter by any- man or footion of men. Never go to Canada on a hostile mission, for, juSt as sure as you do, you will fail, if Unc^ ' 3am is not at. your back. Never join an organization of Irish NationaUsts (so called) if they are not united ; yoa are only helping to prolong the quarrel and indefinitely postpone the freedom of Ireland. You cannot ex- pect that a set of men, who are always quarrelling with each other for power and favor, when the enem.es of our unfortunate country ore blazing away at our fathers and mothers with the fatal quiver of starvation, will be men enough to forget those quarrels when the enemy is vanquished. No ; they will carry this feeling with them to the verge of the grave, and perhaps farther. We have no quarrel with any'of those factions ; and feeling that we have done our duty, we now withdraw from any further connection with any faction calling itself by any name. We have attended a few congresses of the Organization, and heard nothing but lying and scoundrelism, the most solemn pledges broken, and all the gasconade when outside the congress hall vanish ifito thin air. It is very con- venient in case of failure to have one man upon whose shoulders the odium of Buch failures may forever re' , but in my opinion (and I know from experience what I am talking about) the cause of the failures is justly attributed to the gas-blowers who attended those congresses, and there made promises which they never made an effort to redeem. This is why I think the names of those men should be known. I now close this story of my experience with Fenian- ism, and with it dose my connection with any of its present contending fac- tions. Wishing yoa suocesa in anything yoa may nndertake, I remain, dear General, ▼ery truly yoar ficiend, D. MUBPHT, Ez-ll^or LT..JL . \^\^ ^tiSiJii^our intentions, and prepared for our reception to an extent that induced a change in the time of making the attempt to cross the border. #♦»*#** On my return to Boston, May 8th, I found tha enthusiasm of the people very much cooled off by my delay ia New York, which you know was unavoidable ; but in Providence, Lawrence, Lowell, and many other places, the committees were working very energetically. After repeated meetings, the people of Boston were again at work in earnest ; new companies were formed, and enlistments were proceeding rapidly ; companies from the I. B. B. and other Organizations tendered their services ; the officers of the Savage circles called upon me and tendered their support. The Pi^esident of the convention of Irish Societies called a meeting of that body, the members of which pledged their support. Many civic societies called meetings, voted a portion of their funds, and ap- pointed committees to aid in raising transportation for men to the front. Alto- gether the situation was very encouraging, and I left Boston for Vermont on the 17th of April with the firmest conviction that Massachusetts and Bhode Island would furnish at least one thousand men for the first movement. Before leav- ing, I issued the final orders to move the troops so as to have them arrive at St. Albans at 6 o'clock a. m> on the 24th of April, and, to the utmost of my ability, impressed upon the central committee the necessity of prompt action and no delays. For this I made out and gave them the time of the trains starting from the various points, so as to unite at White Kiver Junction, Vermont. My de- sire was to remain and bring the troops forward with me ; but, for reasons well known to you, my presence in Vermont was deemed necessary for at least a week before the move. The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 49 ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The hour (5 o'clock v. h., May 23d) had uow arrived for the men to itart from BoHtuu, and if anything was wanting to convince me that they would coma on time, it was furnished in a dispatch from Boston to the superintendent of the Vermont Central lUiilroad, asking him to itend cars enough to Whito Biver Junction to transport one thousand men. I \. ..tched the depot until I saw the cars sent, and then returned to the house of a friend. I consider the conduct of the officers at the rear as anything but soldierly. After your arrest, their first duty was to ascertain who the ranking officer was, and report to him for duty, instead of lying around the camp or holding town meetings in the fields ; and if, as I am informed, thoy believed me and my handful of men to be shut up with the prospect of capture, their failure to come forward and relieve me was cowardly in the extreme. I would have gone far- ther to relieve any one of them. After all, it is bettor as it was. The whole movement failed on Tuesday morn- ing, wit-i the failure of the men from Boston to arri/e on the 6 o'clock train, as agreed upon. Aftor that time, nothing could be done to make the movement a success. We might have made a pretty good fight, if we could have got SCO or 600 men across at Pigeon Hill. If the New York men had been up in time, yoa no doubt would have captured Eccles Hill ; but we would have been flanked out of it in our turn, for the enemy had 1500 men there by 3 o'clock p. h., and with the New York men we would only have had about 300 men by that hour — a force totally inadequate to hold the position, as, when turned, it had no ad- vantages. If, on the other hand, all or one half of the men we were promised, had arrived on time, I think there is no doubt but that we could have been suc- cessful Not^^g but th<^ failure of the men to arrive at the proper time pre- vented the carrying out of your plans successfully. The enemy was totaUy un- prepared to receive us ou Tuesday morning. Had 400 men arrived in St. Al- bans at 6 o'clock in the morning, I could have taken them into St. Johns by railroad without the slightest opposition. There was not a soldier in St. Johns until about '': o'clock p. u. I could have been there at 9 o'clock a. h. Had- 1 succeeded ir occupying St^ Johns, I would have been in a position to threaten Montreal, supported by yon with what force could be spared from the camp ii.'-'/led, as it is known to every one who was near the line at that time, that the ▼ohiuteen did not receive orders to march until ToMday morning, notwithstanding the bat that the government was notified at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon, that the Fenians were on the move. Alter the offl- flers received their orders, they were obliged to colleot their men, in many cases •Battered over a whole township, attending to their farms or their workshops ; a vork that required days rallier than hours to acoomplisb. Never was a more complete surprixo effected, and nothing but the tardiness of the men in coming forward at the time agreed upon prevented the oooupation of the whole ooun- tzy south of the St. Lawrence within three days, and without the loss of as many men as were sacrificed in our failure to obtain even a foothold. Bat why were our men so much behind time 7 We believed, not withoat the most positive assurance, tiiat.Vermont would ftinuah at least 700 men at Franlc- lin by daylight Tuesday morning ; that Maaaachoaetts and Bhode Island would •end 1000 men to 8t. Albans by six o'clock a. k. ; that 800 piokod men wonld be at Island Pond about the same time ; that New York and Brooklyn would Iftimish 600 men on Tuesday evening at 6 o'clock ; that from western New York, Albany, Troy, Newark, Bridgeport and New Haven, 1600 men would arrive at Ualone during Tuesday and the forenoon of Wednesday ; and from each of these points we expected at least an equal nnmber of men wonld arrive within tarty- eight hours after the first detachments. The failure of Vermont I can aooonnt Av, because I was there and conld see for myseUl The officer in charge of military a£Eun had no men. He bad done nothing to organise troops. This is Hm man who pledged 700 man last ApriL Why New York and Brooklyn sent 170 instead of 600 1 have not yet learned ; Mithor can I inform yon of the reason why western New York did not famish the 1000 men ssdd tohe i«ady to march acroBS the line last ApriL Bridgeport fondsbed more men than was «^>eoted, and they arrived before they were ex- paotad. Major Murphy and Oapt Fitspatrick did their da(y certainly. Ci^ X«BaUy of Mariboso also brought the number of men he promised. The other plaMS nentioiMd were not depended upon, except Massachusetts and Bhode Uand. Tbsse 8tate% together with Vermont, were depended upon above all t The Attimpted Ihvawon of Canada. ffl othen, M from tbeas Htatea we «ip«ote4 m«n flrat ; yet of kU othen, Uwm Btatoa failed moat completely, and of all the follana thia to m» ia the moat inoomprehenaiMo. I bav« written to get aome liglU upon the aubjoct, but have not yet been informed. I have inquired of the few who did oome, but I am not willing to believe aome of the atotementa my inqairiea elicited. I cannot believe that the men who abook my hand on my daportare flrom Boaton, wiah- ing me Ood apeed, and pledging me to do oU in Utair power to get the men ready and forward them promptly on time, would deliberately go to their homea and ahrewdly wait nntil the fight hod actually oommonoeil before they would •end the men npon whom we ware depending to begin the fight I cannot be- lieve that, in the fiioe of my moat p«aitive aaauronoe that men would oroaa the linaa on Monday night, depending upon their aopport on Tueaday morning, they would cold bloodedly determine to wait to le»m tba fate of theae before they aent a man to aoaiat them. And yet, GoL MoOinniati, the officer aeleoted by theae men to command the troopa from Moaaoohuaetta, inatead of moving hia command on Monday at 6 o'clock p. x., aa he waa ordered, waited until Tueaday night, and then came to Bt Albona alone, and there atoted, in the pres- entee of at leaat fifty peraona, that he woa aent to aaoartain whether a fight waa really going on. If he waa aatiafled, he aaid, that we were fighting, he would telegraph to Maaaaohuoetta, where 3000 men wore all ready to atort for the front Now, why waa not a part of theae meA aent when it waa promiaed they would come? Perhaps prudential considerations had.Bomiefehing to do with the delay. If thia waa the cbse, the men of Boaton may in the future have the conaoUng reflection that their prudence more than any and all thinga elae contributed to the failure. But, whatever waa the cause, the men did • not oome, and we have therefore •dded another to the many failurea which Iriahmen have made in their atmggle with the foe of their race. You and many other good men are in prioou ; I •oon expect to keep you company, and ao enda the invaaion (?) of Canatl^u But it will be a long time before we hear the last of it Qf conrae yon are to bl»me for it all. Well, that is but fair. You would have received .tfw largest shftre of the praise if we had aucoeeded. I notice the generalship of Pigeon Hill and Trout Biver is severely criticised. Well, I for one am perfectly willing that those who criticise should take the aame number of men under similar circumstances and try their hand atgeneral- ahip. But you ought to have had more men there, they will say. I know we ought ;. but how could we, when those who pledged themselves to do ao, failed to aend them 7 Some will aay — indeed many have already said, " Why did you attempt to cross with so few men?" These same men v/ould have been the first to cry out "cowards," if we had refused to cross with half that number. I notice the press and people are severe on yon, and claim you made arrange.! ments for your arrest I would pay no attention to this. Time will show the injustice of the foul slanders ttiat are finding circnlKtion among the people^ Unfortunately for you, the first intelligence was carried to the rear by tho8» who were never at the front, or were the first to run away. Among the few brave fellows who remained with me to the last, not one ia found to blame yon„ and none had more reason to complain of your arrest than they, as ita imme* diato effect waa to shut us up in a position which was anything but agreeable^ v.':.^mm^ 62 Ofhoial Befobt of These men wen not the sort who would lightly overlook an act of cowardice in their officers. Yon are to blame, however, and so am I and many others, 'for believing so implicitly in the promises of the 'people to soppdrt a movement against the en- emy, when they were convinced that we were about to commence it We ought to have known that those who make an excuse to shirk their part of the necessary preparation, would find some excuse to avoid their share of the work when it was actually begun. There is any amount of honest (7) indigna- tion manifested at " the disgrace it has brought upon us," by those who failed in toto to perform one act or lift a finger to make it a success. But these people will prate about what wonders they were aecomplishing in the way of raising men and means, when they heard of the arrest of O'NeilL But in this case, as in every other, they began too late. If they had begun their efforts to assist us sooner, yon would not have been arrested. Yon must not understand from this that I do not believe the Irish people would support a fight, and fight as desperately for the success of their own cause as they did for the stranger, if they could be convinced that fighting was intended ; but it needs too much to convince them, — ^nothing less than the actual commencement of hostilities. Any one who can afford to commence hostilities against Great Britain in the nsii.e of the Irish people at his own expense, has a splendid opening for busi- ness in that line, and will undoubtedly have the support of tiie Irish people after he has got fairly under way. I cannot close this without expi-essing my gratitude to the people of St. Al- bans and Burlington for their kind treatme t of me whilst amongst them. Gen. Foster, U. S. Marshal, and his deputy, J. M. SmaUey, Esq., were untir- ing in their efforts to make my situation as comfortable as circumstances would admit, nor were their efforts confined to me alone. Both oi these gentlemen used their own funds fireely in feeding the men at St. Albans, and forwarding them to 'heir homes. Mr. Brainard, who became my bail, has placed me under lasting obligations, my counsel, Guy 0. Noble, Esq., noble by nature as well as by name, has my everlasting gratitude. Very respectfully, Yourobt. servant, J. J. DONNELLY. r cowardice in SUPPLEMENT TO GENERAL REPORT. •ONNELLT. New Yobk, November Isi, 1870. (General Donnelly, whose sincerity, patriotism and courage cannot be doubt- ed, gave up a lucrative business in Utica, N. Y., to g^ to Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the purpose of organizing a force in those two States to assist in commencing a movement. He repeatedly assured me that I could depend on from ten to twelve hundred men the first day, and on an equal number the second day. I have no doubt but that this promise would have been made good, if the movement had .taken place before the 19th of April, as at first intended, and the General had been in Boston to personally superintend the forwarding of troops. Delay seems to have had a disastrous effect. It is not easy, however, to understand why the parties who were left in charge, and who, it appears, solemnly pledged themselves to forward the men, so utterly failed to keep their word. I have been informed that some of the wealthiest and most respectable of our countryn en in Massachusetts and Rhode Island were mem> bers of the vaiious committers, i now ask Gen. Donnelly to furnish me with a list of their names, to be published with his report, so that the public may know the parties who could so trifle with the sacred cause of Ireland and the lives of their fellow countrymen. On Massachusetts and Rhode Island, more than on any other States, did I rely for men to commence the movement, and in none others was I so grievously disappointed. The failure of the men to ar- rive in time gave the enemy ample opportunity to put himself in readiness. Af- ter my arrest there was very little chtmce of effecting anything at any point. A great deal has been said about a lack of competent officers. Had the men been prompt in coming up, there would have been no lack of able officers, for they would have been ordered up : as it was, there was no occasion for a display of generalship. I shall soon publish the Report of Gen. Donnelly, which reached me too late to be inserted here in full : also, the reports of the other officers who were pres- ent at Franklin, uivd of those at Malone and Island Pond ; and of such as were to operate agax..st the Red River expedition. The road which Major Murphy took from St Albans to Franklin was much shorter than that ovir which Col. Leddy and his men had to travel, the latter having been ordered to take said road fov the purpose of arming his men at a house on the way, where some of our arms, etc., were stored. It was feared that the teams engaged to haul them to the front would not be able to get then all up before the United States soldiers, who were said to be on the way, would intercept them. The extra distance which Major Murphy and his men had to travel, through mistake of the guide, more than mad" up for this difference. I have not yet had a report from C!ol. Leddy, consequontly I cannot say what ex- cuse he has to offer for the delay in getting to camp, but all other reports which I have received go to show that his men made no great effort to get up in time. iilfii^fii'flMteii'flTi^^^*'^^'-'-''^^*^'^- 1 f^k^}&^li^ ^ns^dtM II m i! I If i'f 54 OFnoiAL Report of I know that the road was bad aad the men nnaccustomed to marching, and no doubt hungry. Yet, of all the men whom I expected on the border, I d»>, pended more upon those from New York to overcome such difflcnltieH par- ticularly when they were told that I had crossed the line, and expected them to hurry to my assistance. There were plenty of provisions for them in camp. BSNDINa THB MEN HOMB. \ In behalf of the Fenian Brotherhood and the cause of Irish liberty, I beg to return my sincere thanks to the Hon. Wm. M. Tweed, of New York, who has forever endeared himself to the gratitude of the Irish people, by his great kind- ness and liberality in furnishing transportation to their homes for a large num- ber of the men who went to the border. IN PBIBON. Soon after my arrest, several gentlemen in and around Burlington, Yt., came to me and offered to go on my bonds. The commissioner who first fixed the bail, having placed it at twenty thousand dollars; considerable time was lost in having it reduced to fifteen thousand. In the meantime, one of our officers, GoL Hugh McQinnis, who had been bailed out at St Albans, having promised to furnish indemnity bonds on his return home, failed to report (It would ap- pear that he went to Chicago, irhere he was taken sick, and subsequently died. ) This, together with some underhand work, discouraged the parties who had offered to go on my bonds, caused them to hesitute and delay, and finally back out altognther. The delay thus caused prevented me from writing to parties who would have bailed me out at first The following n&med gentlemen, when they heard how the matter stood, kindly volunteered to furnish the bail : Bev. H. Quigley, D.*D., pastor of Erin, Wisoonsiu ; Daniel F. Keefe, Glens Falls, N. Y. ; George Francis Train, James Lackey, Washington, D. 0. ; D. F. Mo- Garthy, Faribault, Minn. ; Col. Wm. F. Atkinson and Brother, Port Huron, Mich. But OS these parties were not residents of Burlington, or personally known to the judge who had charge of the case, they could only give a bond of indemnity to some party or parties who were residents. This again caiised considerable delay, and befor'' the matter could be finally arranged, the time for my trial was at hand. I remained in Burlington jail two months, during which time I received much kindness at the hands of the efficient and gentle- manly sheriff, L. M. Drew, and his amiable lady ; also, from the citizens of Bur- lington generally : Mr. John Dullahan, J. B. Scully, P. Hi Kennedy, Major J. J. Monaghan, Capts. Carlton, Cronin, Murphy and a host of others were untir- ing in their exertions to render my prison life as comfortable as possible, and cause me to forget the almost entire neglect of my Fenian friends outside of Burlington. At the time I felt very much hurt over this neglect, but when I take into consideration the efforts that had been put forth to vilify and misre- present me, I can readily find an excuse for it A man who had been repre- sented to our people us a "coward " and a "traitor to Ireland," could hardly expect any better treatment. Against these charges I have no defence to make. If there is a single Irishman in the Fenian Brotherhood or out of it, who really ■KHlBMi The Attempted Invasion or Oanada. » beUeres me to beeithera " coward "or a "traitor to IrelAad," I can ufToxd'ta pity him. After my trial, I remained two months and a half in Windsor prison, Yer* mont, where the bind hearted and gentlemanly superintendent, J. A. Pollard, and his estimable fi&mily, together with the chaplain of the prison, Franklin Botler, the warden, S. T. Lull, and the gentlemen composing the prison guard, did all that they could to make myself and Col. J. H. Brown, who was in prison with me, happy and contented. Here again the citizens w«re Tery kind tons. I desire to return my heartfelt thanks to the kind and genwoos Mends, Pat- rick Carty, Essex Jimotion ; Jerry H. Flinn, Milton ; John Dullahan, J. B. Scully, P. H. Kennedy, detains Cronin, Murphy and others of Burlington, Vermont ; who, on learning of the destitute curcumstances of my family, sent for them, and made provision for their support during my imprisonment ; and also to the fbUowing gentlemen for their kind donations towards the sam* object : Hon. Wm. M. Evarts, late Attorney <^ner9\ United States, ViTind- sor,Vt fSOOO Hon. E. H. Stoughton, Windsor, Vt. 50 00 Major-General B. F. Butler, Lowell, Mass. 20 00 John Dullahan, from self and others, Burlington, Vt. 24 00 Dr. E. Donnelly, iVom himself and others, Pittsburgh, Pa. 20 00 Thomas Eeefe, John O'Neil, and others, employees of the Ver- mont Central Bailroad 63 SO Allen, Larkiu & O'Brien circle, F. B., Fort Laramie, Wyoming Territory, per Sergeants John Glynn and P. O'Eeefe 26 00 James Lackey, Washington, D. G 6 00 Thomas J. Barton, Waltham, Mass 10 00 P. Donohue, Boston, Mass 26 00 Unknown friend, through Marshal Foster 25 00 Mr. Phelps, attorney, at Burlington, Vt., will please accept my thanks for his kindness and services, rendered legally and otherwise ; also, the Messrs. Smalley. UT BXIiEASI!. Although sentenced to two years' imprisonment, I did not expect to remain in confinement that length of time. Neither did I at first lool; for so early a release, until I hear(^ cf the numerous petitions gotten up in almodt every sec- tion of the country, signed by all classes of citizens. The firs . of which I had any knowledge was started in Si Louis, and presented to the Preslucnt in per- son, on the occasion of his visit to that city, by Mayor Cole, Judge Daily, Hon. Erastus Wells and others. Afterwards, when such men .^.s Generab B. F. But- ler and N. P. Banks of Massachusetts, Gen. Schenck of Ohio, Hon. James M. Cavanagh of Montana, Hon. Horace Greeley and Hon. Thomas Murphy of New York, and >^undreds of the first men of the country, as well as numerous Or- ganizations, intere^d themselves in the matter, I knew that, as these parties represented the wish of the American people, the Chief Executive of the nation fMm ^^TM^^a f ill.' 11: '!hiH 56 The Attempted Invasion op Canada. wonld feel justified in granting our release, and on receipt of the following let* ter was satisfied that we had not much longer to remain in prison •■ NSW YOBK, OOTOBXB 4, 1870. OxK. John OTTxiUi : DxAB Sib : Although I have not the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with you, I sympathized with you in your misfortune and imprisonment. I thought that '' 3 time had come for your liberation, and that I would do something towar. ii A week ago I spoke to Mr. Greeley about you and fellow prisoners. He told me he would use all his influence for you ; but as he was going to the West the next day, he had not time until his return. But Mr. Greeley told me to go to Thomas Murphy, Collector of the Port of New York, and say to him that Mr. Greeley wanted him to act in your behalf immediately. I did so. Mr. Murphy took hold of the matter earnestly ; saw President Grant a^"nt the mat< ter last Friday, who said, that immediate V on his return to Wa;^~lugton, he would issue a proclamation for your release. You may expect it every moment ; but keep this private until you receive it Many others interested themselves in the matter ; Gen. Wjtodford, Gen. Porter, and your Mends of the " Irish Bepublican Central Club ot New York." After your liberation, t would like to meet you some afternoon, at 3 o'clock, at Sweeny's Hotel, New York. Your Mend, Thobias McGbaot!, 247 E. 30th St., New York. When the President got to Washington, the indictments on which we. were tried were written for, and, as soon as they arrived, and the necessary papers could be made out, our pardons were granted. I now beg to return my sincere thanks, on behalf of myself and feUow prisoners, to the numerous parties who interested themselves in procuring our release. JOHN O'NEILL. (OBXB 4, 1870. SPEECH OF GENEEAL JOHN O'NEILL, At his Trial at Windsor, July 30, 1870. Mat it please yoar Honors, I feel that I ocoapy a very awkward position as a man who loves and reveres the laws of the land — as a man who has fought and bled to preserve those laws — I cannot but feel the awkwardness of my position in standing before this Court charged with the crime of violatiiig those laws. As a soldier of the American Republic, I served, as the record will show, honestly and fcdthfully. Before the breaking out of the late unfortunate war, I was a soldier in the regular army. I enlisted in 1857, and successively served as a private, as a corporal, as a sergeant, as a sergeant-major, brevet second liente- tenant, first lieutenant, and captain ; and resigned after having been recom- mended for the position of Colonel on account of services rendered by me in the cause of my country, and in defence of her laws. I ^ii not feel justified in remaining in the- army, because I had been disqualified for active sendee in the field, having been severely wounded during the siege of Knoxville, in the latter part of 1863. With your kind permission I will read one or two short letters received from gentlemen distinguished in the army. I have a number of- such letters, but have only two or three with me. The first is from Mnjor-General Stoneman, dated Headquarters 23d Army Corps, March 8th, 1864: I knew Lieut. O'Neill well on the Peninsula, and as a brave and worthy offi- cer, in whose judgment and capacity I had the greatest confidence. I hope be will receive the promotion to which his merits entitle him, that of a field officer in a colored regiment. Oeobok Stomeuan, Maj. Qen. Commanding Corps. I beg leave to remark that after being wounded I was placed on a military ex- amining board at Nashville, Tenn. While there I felt that I would like to have command of a colored cavalry regiment and made application for such a command, hence the letter of Gen. Stoneman. The next is from Gen. Judah, dated Headquarters 2d Division, 23d Army Corps, in camp near Mossy Creek, Tenn., March 7th, 1861: It gives me pleasure to state that, from personal observation, I deem Lieut. John O'Neill, of the 5th Indiana Cavalry, one of the most gallant and efficient officers it has been my duty to command. His daring and servicen have been conspicuous, and I trust he may receive what he has so ably merited— his pro- motion. , H. M. Judah, Bpg. Gen. Com. Div. J The following indorsement appears on a resignation which I tendered whilst first Lieutenant of the Indiana Cavalry. This resignation I tendered because I jj «iiV*i''** -. i:iW^>^^^m-i-'i.'' SB Ofhcial Bepobt 01 felt that I had been anjustly dealt Tdth by the colonel of my regiment. The commanding general seems to have held the same opinion, as will appear from the following endorsement on my resignation : HsAsquABTEBS, Catalbt Cobm, Paub, St., April 7, 1864. Disapproved and respeotftdly forwarded. This is an excellent ofBcer, too val- nable indeed to be lost to the service. He was severely wounded at Taswell, Tennessee, under GoL Graham, last December, and is estimated as one of the best officers of my command. This is not the only resignation which has been offered on account of promotions of inferiors having been made in the 6th In- diana Cavalry over the heads of superiors, based upon political or other consid- erations, and altogether regardless of merit. By this system, junior and merit- orious officers find themselves cut off from all hope of advancement, and com- pelled to serve subordinate to others for whose qualifications they can entertain no respect. While therefore I disapprove his resignation fbr the public good, I would respectfiilly urge that soiAe policy be initiated or recommended by which officers can see the way open for their advancement according to merit. S. D. Stxtboxs, Brig. Gen. Gom'g. Corps. These, with other communications, of a similar character, prove conclusively that although I have, as acknowledged yesterday, violated the laws of the land, I still love those laws. I revere them, and when the opportunity camo, and the occasion required, I showed my wlllingneES to fight, and, if necessary, to die for them. As one of a persecuted race — as one who had suffered at the hands of tyranny and oppression in my native land, I came to this country full of hopeful confi- dence that I should enjoy that liberty which was denied me at home. I came to America like thousands of my countrymen, because I had been oppressed in my native land. I came to this country for the purpose of making a dutiful citizen of the land of my adoption, and except in this instance, and perhaps another of a similar character, I think my past history and record will show that I have made a good citizen, and that 1 have been willing when called upon to offer up my life for the land of my adoption^ But while I have felt the duties of an American citizen, and while I felt that I^was in duty bound to respect the laws of the land of my adoption, I could not, I cannot, and I never shall forget the land of my birth. I could.not, while fighting in the armies of the United States, when facef to face with those who would haul down and trample beneath their feet the flag of freedom, and baring my bosom to their bullets — I could not forget that I was bom in another land — a land oppressed and tyrannized over. I cannot now forget it ; I never shall forget it. No matter what may be my fate here — I am still an Irishman, and while I have tried to be a faithful citizen of America, I am still an Irishman, with all t)ie instincts of an Irishman. And let me re- mind your Honors, that it is my solemn conviction that if I were capable of for- getting the land of my birth, I would show myself to be unworthy the rights and privileges of an Ajnerican citizen. I may have been imprudent in my en- deavors to ameliorate the condition of my native land. There is a diversity of opinion on that subject, as there always must be upon such subjects. Had George Washington failed in his endeavors he would have been a rebel, and treat- The Attempted Invasion of Canada. 69 ed aa a rebel by (his tyrannioal goTemment that I would like to strike a blow against. I woold like to remind your Honors that my native land has always been true to America. During ihe war of the Bevolution, in America's sorest hour of trial, when most she needed a friend, when King George the Third sent to the Irish Parliament — ^for then, yolir Honors, Ireland had a Parliament of her own — and demanded men and money to put down the insurrection in America, that Irish Parliament, I am proud to say, roted that not a single man nor a single dollar should be given by Ireland to fight against Washington and his compatriots. Later stiU, after Ireland had been robbed of her Parliament, and during the late war, when Muson and Slidell were captured by an American seaman, England feeling that America was weak, and that the opportunity had come to strike her a deadly blow, threatened war against this country at a time when the North was poorly prepared to meet her, then it was that the peo- ple of Dublin, by the only means at their command, made known to England and to the world, that if she declared war against the land that had offered a homo and an asylum to so many thousands of Irishmen, that the Irish people would be found battling upon the side of the struggling North. I contend, your Honors, that my native land has been always true to America. I contend that the men who stand before you to-day, charged with being violators of the law, every one of them was found in the ranks of the American army when it was necessary to defend the flag against those who would tear it down. On this account, while I cannot deny, and do not wish to deny that I have vio- lated the law, I would ask you to be as lenient as possible, if not towards my- self, at least towards those who have been brought into this trouble through my agency and instrumentality, and I here assume a reponsibility wY' k does not properly belong to me. I was not the originator of the scheme of i.eeing Ire- land by an invasion of Canada, though I have been one of its warmest support- ers, and have advocated it from almost every platform from Maine to Minne- sota. I am sorry to have to confess that the men who originated it, and who urged myself and others to take part in the endeavor, iasely and deliberately de- serted us at the critical moment, and^left us to our t&ia. For this I would like to see those men punished. I believe they deserve it, and if it were in my power, they should^be punished. [I shall caution my countrymen against them, and not only against them, but against any further efforts in this dirootion ; and here I wish it to be distinctly understood, that my love for Ireland reiaoins the same, and my hatred of that flag which to the Irish people is the symbol of tyranny and oppression, can never be changed. That flag I desire to tear down. It has been said we had no' right to go to Canada for the purpose of tearing it down, and that by attacking Canada we were injuring a people who had never injured us. Against those people we have no hostility ; we have no hostility against the English people : it is the English government that we hate — it u the English government that we desire to fight. It is the flag that represents that government that we detest, and wherever it floats the Irish people, come weal or woe, claim the right to pull it down and trample it beneath their feet. It was prompted by this feeling that I attempted to invade Canada. As the matter now stands, the invasion appears to have been a ridioidous £Eiroe. Had the attempt succeeded, it would have been otherwise. I desire to say in conclusion, that whatever may have been my opinions here> J. ^ iil J, iv^iUWfiiSf.' >'«'a«;t;*»i««^,>i r I HI i -Hi Official Report of tofore — and I did believe that a snccessful attempt conld have been made in thut direction, I have believed it for years, and for years have labored to bring it about -I am now satisfied, however, that any farther attempt would be high- ly criminal, because there is not the remotest chance of success. If there were, though I might go to the gallows to-mc^row, I would tell my countrymen to go on ; bat I now believe that there is not, and I shall therefore advise them to desist ; and so far as my influence will go, I will use it to convince the Ir^h people in America, that any farther attempt in that direction would be futile. Had I got out on bail before this trial, I should have travelled and used my influence to dissuade my friends from any further endeavors. Unfortunately, my Mends did not understand my situation in time to bail me out, else I should have urged upon them to abandon the attempt, and to abandon it forever. Though I shall now be in prison, I shall use whatever influence I may have in that direction. Apologizing to your Honors for detaining you so long, I will conclude by re- peating, that I have always loved the laws of the land, that I have always been ready and wilUng to fight for them. I am ready and willing to fight for them now, as the honorable wound that I bear testifies I was in the past. This shall be my proudest recollection, and perhaps it may be the only legacy that I shall lepve my children, the fact that their father fought and bled for this free lana, which has offered a home and an asylum to so many thousands of the homeless and persecuted of Europe. It will always be my pride and pleasure' as long as lii'e remains, that I have fought and bled for this the land of my adoption. '4»»' JUDGE WOODRUFF'S SENTENCE. Judge Woodruff, in pronouncing sentence on Gen. O'Neill, said': It would be a satisfaction to the Court if they had learned firom the observa- tions that you have seen fit to address us, that the regret which you have ex- pressed (in so far as you allowed yourself to appear in any degree in the con- dition of a repentant criminal) had been founded upon a conviction that the offence which you have committed was a wrong ; and if the regret expressed had not been placed upon a subsequent discovery of the fruitlessness of the effort iu which you were engaged ; and if it had exhibited in some higher de- gree a consciousness of the importance of the law which you have violated, and a respect which you have expressed in words, though disproved by a deliberate disregard of its injunctions. The Court cannot suffer the importance of the law of the United States to be depreciated, which is designed, not immediately and directly for the benefit of another government or another people, but for the protection and maintenance of our own good faith, and the preservation of our own people from the evils which result to them from a disregard of its provisions ; and which is essential to preserve them from entanglements and embarrassments in their intercourse with others, to which permission to violate this law -^iii impunity would most certainly lead. f The Attempted Invasion op Canada. 61 Tou have b«eu charged with a Tiolation of the law whioh forbids persona in our own territory from setting on foot a military expedition against a goTem- ment or people of any other territory with which we are at peace. Yon have confessed your guilt. We have listened with a desire to give due heed to what you had to say respecting the Judgment of the Court and the sentence which yon should receive. To the suggestions that you have been misled by others, and that you were deceived, we can give no interpretation save this : that yoa were disappointed ; that instead of finding a force adequate to secure a large measure of success to this expedition, and a support in men and supplies, and needed material aid, you found the force insignificant or the supplies deficient and the support in all respects inadequate to the enterprise. In that you may have been deceived, but to state that you were tliereby deceived is only to say that your purpose and expectation was to make that expedition effective to produce all the evil directly to the country invaded, by bringing upon it the deoolation whioh war always brings, and incidentally to this country by involv- ing it in the cc ^plications which were likely thence to ensue; bo that the avowal of your disappointment is only the avowal of a purpose which magnifies the apparently trivial and insignificant endeavor which was made into an inten- tion- to engage in an enterprise in violation of the law, of singular and great importance. The Court have listened to the history of your services in behalf of our own country, and in the maintenance of its laws, and the Court are not insensible to the claim which that service gave you, as it certainly did in the first instance, to the grateful regard of the government and people. But the Court cannot be insensible that the govenmient and the people had a right to expect that one who had professed a desire to maintain the laws and sustain the government, should not lend his skill and his courage, either to plan, or to give life, energy or enthusiasm, to an enterprise in defiance of the laws ; and, insome aspects of the case, the more you are exalted by the exhibition of courage, of military skill and successful achievements in the past, the greater is the crime when you prostitute that skill and courage and achievement by making it the instrument, or cause of inspiration, in the breast of others, and a stimulus to them under your leadership to engage in hostility towards a nation with whii.h we are at peace. It thus becomes rather an aggravation. It is suggested in your observations that yon were stimulated by a sense of the oppression to which your countrymen have in years past been subjected. Any real or supposed wrong of your country or your. countrymen furnishes no just vindication, though it may in a sort explain the insane folly and wicked- ness of making that the occasion of suffering and wrong to a people who are innocent of any share in the infliction of which you suppose that you and your people had cause to complain, and it is idle to say that not intending wrong to them you simply sought an injury to the government to which they owe alle- giance. You have come into this court and ayowed your guilt. The demands of justice require only that the infliction of punishment for your crime should be such as in our best judgment will serve to deter from a repetition of the offence, and as an example to prevent others from believing that they may re- peat the offence with impunity. The Court may take notice of the history of the past, and aware of the leniency with which this offence was dealt some years ago, we are apprised that we are now dealing with its repetition in your niilfrgai^iSita&fr^jBTivji'i.tei^sawaa H '"'■■ 02 il Tqs AmiiFTEO Ihyabioii or Oaxada. The Ooort are not therefore at liberty to yield to «oneid«rfttioai which Blight otherwise h&Te infloenoed ita judgment I need hardly **y that to thoM who are ohaiged with the duty of adminietering jostioe, it is no pleaaore, >Qt, on the contrary, a pain, to adrert to oonaiderations which tend to anything like eeTflrity^ They would be pleaaed, if personal gxattfloation might be indolged, to aoeerd eren the extent of yow request, by inflicting the lightest punishment the law would allow. They are nsvorthelaas, by all oonsidenk tions ftSacting their adttons, and especially kr dealing idtb a repetition of this oflbnoe in your person, constrained to niake an esanple. The sentence of the Court, therefore, is that you be imprisoned in the State Prison of Vermont for the term of two years. Bat inasmuch as it is represented to the Ooort that you are not in a situation in which the inflictian of a heavy fine would be pro* dootive of any otiber result than the probable extension ct the period of deten» tion, the Court are disported o make the fine apninal. The statnte reqnirat that both be inflieted, and I add thereliBfre the MntanM that yoa pay a fine (4 tan doUan. i I t^.,^,^&feaSi^f- i«r»ti plfiMOK, >at, id to aitjrtbiiig tion might b* ing thalighteat all oonaidem- ft repetition of nie Mntenoeof ■on ofyeniKmt the OoortthAt would be pio> ariodof deteor itetQte reqains m piqr • fin* o|